Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1921-03-04
INDIANS
AT TURTLE MT. !.
ARE in NEED
Chief Presents Claims OF
People; Food Scarce and
No Work, He Says.

%I;unseith, n. D.. March MANY
o. the Chippewa breeds on the Turtle
Mountain. Indian reservation are en-
ti:ely out OF food and clothing and
M soon appeal to that wonderful.
agency otslnercy, the Ped Cross, to,
aid them, according TO Peter Marce!l-
Us, chief Of the Indian police.
&c Is years, Chief Marcellais, part
Trench and Chippewa, has acted as
Interpreter for the government at the
--uct:e Lake agency. For IL years he
has been chief OF the Indian police
OH The reservation and q year ago vas
appointed by Il. j. Merritt, assistant
I:on, m missioner Of Indian affairs, as
s;epEty special officer to assis. the
government in the suppression of
jiQuor, traffic among the Indians. 4.
Times Never So Hard.
Times probably hav never been SO
hard on the Turtle Mountain -eserva-
tion, which. extends from the Turtle
Aountains to the Canadian line, ac-
uard.ng EoSChief Marce1lais. Some OF
tbs ii~ttleachildren have no clothing
~ nothing to eat and are waiting aid
f5surn their pRle-f2ce fathers. The
Walton haul a little timber but there
appears to be no market. Chief Mar
cellais reports that wood is selling at
,Ss31 q foot on a four-foot bunk, about
- feet long, n that it is necessary
sso haul il seven and eight miles for
that price. Some OF the Indians take
employment at %chopping wood at 81
a core and, s5ard themselves. There
was little Trapping during tho winter
t'itions very bad for the Indians.
Chief Marcellais, who talks French,
Cree. Chippewa and English, owns
1863 acres of land with his wife. which
he says he will summer fallow this
:scar because Of his crop failure last
Season. Chief Marccllais took his
poverty message to the United States
Bile h q some action will be taken
at the close of thI present term Of
federal court.
In War Times.
Marceilais was born at st. Boniface,
Mont. in 1862 and came to North Da-
kota in Lxs2. e. For SO years he has
made his home on the Turtle Noun
tain Indian reservation. He reports
that the braves on his reservation
when Uncl Sam needed men in the
world war, but that the young men
from the reservation volunteered
their services. When they returned
in their military uniform. Chief Mar
cellais reports they were the heroes
on the reservation and the dol of
many an Indian maiden. Even some
of the squaws fell for the braves
and for a time things became very
exciting on the reservation. Many
of the returned Indian warriors mar
ried pretty Indian maidens on the
reservations. Now the glory of the
-ar n the tr:unplal return Of the
braves is beginning to fade and it is
hard to keep some Of the warriors
at home" with their families.
The MOonshine Nuisance.
However, the chief trouble on the
reservation is from the manufacture
of. "moonshinc" whiskey. Some per
son got onto the government area
and taught IA few of the old-tin,er
Indians how to make firewater. Ere
nnently authorities unearth stills and
h owners are hailed into court. That
times must be hard on the reserva.
ton was clearly shown in the United
States district court this week when
four Indians. three me and a suuaw
sS. pleaded guilty to violating provi.
sions of International prohibition act
When sentenced by the court to pa,
q fine of $50 each. not one. of the pris.
oners had the amount, and they ex
pressed doubt whether they could OBJ.
tain it. The court gave them ten day!
in which to get the noun Of The
fine.