The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1921-02-24
ASSINNIBOINES TO
SUE FOR BIG CLAIM
TREATY SIGNED 1851 BROUGHT
FORTH BY LOCAL TRIBES
MEN TO SHOW TITLE

Isaac Blount, of Wolf Point, and
Henry Archdale and Growing Four
Times, of Oswego, have taken def
mite action, in cooperation with mem
bers of the Assinniboine tribe resid-
ing on the Fort Belknap reservation
to establish the title of the tribe to
vast areas of land in Montana and
North Dakota. An attorney Of Wash
ington, D. c., has become interested
in the case and will begin action to
recover for the Indians. No effort
will be made to get actual possession
of the lands in question but to col
lect from the government at the rate
of $1.25 per acre.
The Assinniboine tribe, residing
on the Ft. Peck and Belknap reser-
vations through treaty with the
government which, they claim, was
made with their tribe in 1851; are
laying claim to approximately 7,500,-
600 acres of land in Montana lying
between the Musselshell and the Yel-
lowstone rivers. They also lay claim
and title to about the same number
of acres in North Dakota and are
starting proceedings in the court of
claims against the government to re-
cover payment for this land. They
claim that the government owes them
about $18,75O,000, and tribe repre-
sentatives have signed a contract
with Daniel B. Henderson, an attor-
ney of Washington, D. c., to prose-
cute the case for them.
The contract with the Washington
attorney was signed at Havre last
Saturday afternoon before Judge
Rose. Isaac Blount, of Wolf Point, H.
Archdale, of Oswego and Growing
Four Times, of Oswego, signed the
contract for the Assinniboines re-
siding on the Fort Peck reservation,
and Simon First Shoots, Talks Diff
ferent and Raymond Feather of Har-
lem, signed the contract in behalf |
of the members of the tribe residing
on the Fort Belknap reservation. The
contract provides that the attorney |
shall receive fee of 10 per cent of ,
all moneys or lands recovered.
Blount Is Spokesman
Isaac Blount, who was acting as /
spokesman for the delegation is well
known locally as an educated In
dian. He claims that he has been try
ing to unravel this matter for the
last twenty years. He claims that his
tribe holds in their possession the
original document executed by the
government commissioners giving
them title to this vast territory; that
they have a valid claim against the
land and that the government had
no right to throw it open to public
entry, and they are now going to sue
the government to recover the value
of the land on the basis of $1.25 per
acre.
The Assinniboine Indians claim
that this territory was given to their
tribe by the government through a
treaty in 1851 to run for certain
number of years and with certain
conditions, but before the time limit
expired other treaties were made
giving them land for reservation in
the northern part of the state, and .
through an oversight in some way ]
the title of the land originally given
to the Assinniboines was never deed
ed back to the government.
Includes Oil Land
This territory now in dispute has
become one of the most prosperous
parts of Montana. In addition to en-
bracing fertile agricultural lands it
also embraces the newly discovered
oil fields and its valuation would run
into hundreds of millions. Mr..
Blount says that no action will be
brought to recover the land or try to
anyone of their holdings,
but he does feel that as long as they
have title to the land that originally
belonged to his tribe that the govern
ment should reimburse the tribe to
5he extent of S1.25 per acre.