The Tomahawk., 1922-07-06

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of the suit against Minnesota.
be should refuse the Senate Con
mittee will certainly authorize an
direct the bringing Of the sui
The proceedings now pending hav
caused more embarrassment to th
officers of the Department tina
. anything started up to the presen
time and are certain to result in a
, least partial relief to the Indians
!, The complaints filed in the cour
and before the Senate COMMITTEE
have at least forced the Genera
Land Office to submit a statemen
showing the amount of money du'
and owing to the Indians from tn
sale and disposition of the agri-
cultural lands. The statement ha'
not yet been made public, but il
will show a very large amount due
the Indians which should have
been deposited years ago in the
trust fund and should have been
bearing interest at the rate of
per cent per annum.
1t is understood that Commits
sioner Burke will make another
effort to have the Indians appoint
a commissioner to appraise the
value of the timber Oh the forest
reserve. tits now claimed that
only Indians allotted on the
Winnibigoshisb, Cass Lake, Chip
pewas of the Mississippi reserva-
tons, and Leech Lake Reservations
are entitled to participate in the
council for the selection of a mem
Der of the commission to appraise
the land. The Act creating the
forest reserve, approved May %,
1908, provided for the appoint
ment of a commission, one person
t. be designated by the President,
one by the Secretary of the Inter-
ior, land one by a general council
of che Indians Of the Winnibigosh:
ish, Cass Lake, Chippewas of the
Mississippi Reservation, and Leech
Lake Reservation, to be held I'M
der the direction Of the agent at
the Leech Lake Agency" 1t is
the contention of the Department
that only alIottees on those reser-
vations are entitled to participate
in the council, and that the previ-
Gus council called and held at Cass
Lake on May 25th, at which the
Indians refused to take any part
in the forest scheme, was illegally |
constituted in that there were
many persons allotted on other
reservations who were present and
partic;pated.< The position of the
Department is silly when analized.
There is not now and never was
any ''Chippewas of the Mississippi
Reservation" The Chippewas of
the Mississippi comprised all the
Chippewas that separated from the
Chippewas Of Lake Superior under
the treaty of 1854. The Winnibi.
gosaish, Cass Lake, and Leeoh
Lake Reservations were abolished
by the agreement of 1889 and the
land coded to the United States,
many Of the Indians being removed
% and allotted on the White Earth
Reservation: Under such circum-
stances ever member of the former
tribes in Minnesota are
entitled to participate in the council
called to convene at Cass Lake on
he 10th of this month. 1t is I'm ,
lerstood that Webster Balllnger
las advised the Commissioner of
indian Affairs that the Chippewa
indians might make no objection {
o the appraisal of the remaining
imber, and might appoint CON-
for that purpose If it
we're distinctly understood that by
o doing they would not waive ]
heir claims against the United 9
states for the difference between G
l.25 an acre, for the land included I
within the forest reserve and its t
resent market value, and the i
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