The Tomahawk., 1922-05-04

The Commissioner of In
dian Affairs has definitely
taken his stand in favor of
the continued reputation of
the agreement Of the United
States with the Chippewa
Indians of Minnesota. This
means that the Chippewa
people will lose the greater
portion of their estate, and
that the little pittance now
and hereafter to be paid into
the trust fund is to be consumed in
defraying the regular expenses of the
Indian Bureau in Minnesota if it is
carried into effect. If there had been
an honest administration of the Chip
pewa estate under the agreement of
1889 the Chippewa people would today
have in the Treasury of the United
States approximately fifty million dol
lars and an annual distribution Of
$2,5OO,OOO in interest alone, or more
than 5000 per capita. AS the result
of the regulations of the agreement
of 1889 we have less than $5,000,O0O
in the Treasury of the United States,
with only small amount, possibly
two or three million dollars additional
yet to be received under the plan of
administration adopted by the pres
ent Commissioner of Indian Affairs.
The Chippewa Indians will not
meekly submit to the further plumb
ering of their estate by the officers
of the Indian Bureau. We call upon
every Chippewa Indian irrespective of
faction, upon every Indian through
out the United States, and upon every
citizen of the United States who be-
lieves in square deal to come to our
aid in the fight we are now making
for the preservation of our homes,
our property and our future. Through
John c.. Morrison we have appealed to
the courts for redress and to the Sem
ate of the United States. We are ably
represented bv man who has given
US his time, energy and effort with
out any adequate consideration but
who will stand by US until our wrongs
have been righted. A part of the
crimes committed by the officers of
the United States are set out in the
bill filed by our attorney, Webster
Ballinger, in the Supreme Court of the
District of Columbia.
In the Supreme Court of the District
of Columbia:
John c.. Morrison, Jr. ct al.,\
Plaintiffs,
Albert Bacon Fall,
Secretary of the Interior,
Charles H. Burke,
Commissioner of Indian Equity,
Affairs M
William Spry,
Commissioner of the Gen.
Land Office,
and
Andrew w. Mellon,
Secretary of the Treasury,
Defendants
Bill of Complaint.
Plaintiff, John G.. Morrison, Jr., re-
specially shows to the Court:
/. That he is citizen of the Unit !
ed States, a citizen and resident of the
State of Minnesota, and was duly en-
rolled as member Of the former
White Earth Band then existing and
was duly allotted land on the White
Earth Reservation as such, and is a
member of that class of persons de-
scribed as "all the Chippewa Indians
nj the State of Minnesota"in anagree- |
ment or agreements duly entered into
with the United States and hereinaf
ter more particularly described, and
therein declared to be the sole owners |
and beneficiaries of the net funds re-
ceived from the sale and disposition
of certain lands and timber thereon
coded to the United States in trust
under said agreement or agreements.
as hereinafter set out, and brings this
suit in his own right as we'll as for
and on behalf of all other persons in
cluded within said class named in said
agreement or agreements and slmll-
arly situated.
2. That the defendant, Albert Ba-
con Fall, is citizen of the United
States, resident of the State of
New Mexico, cormorant OF the Dis,
trict of Columbia, and Secretary of
the Interior, and is sued herein IN ms
official capacity; that the defendant,
Charles ii. Burke, is a citizen of the
United States, a resident of the State
of South Dakota, cormorant of the
District of Columbia, and Commits
sioner of Indian Affairs, and is sued
herein in his official capacity; that
the defendant, William Spry, is cit
izen of the United States, resident
Of the State Of Utah, cormorant of the
District Of Columbit, and Commission
er Of the General Land Office, and is
sued herein in his official capacity,
hat the defendant, Andrew w: Mel
on, is a citizen of the United States,
j resident of the State of Penpsyl- J.