The Tomahawk., 1922-05-18
hands, Governor Preus said. st.
Paul Pioneer Press.
Mr. Webster Ballinger. legal

Mr.. Webster Ballinger, lega
representative of the Genera
Council, Minnesota Chippewas
got busy a short time ago and fi|e(
a suit in the Supreme Court of th'
| District of Columbia for the pro
lection Of the rights of the Mime
sofa >Chippewas and which included
the swamp land matters quoted
above. The fling of this suit wa'
resorted to after all other peaceful
resources had been exhausted ir
endeavors to persuade the govern
ment to ''play fair' with the Min
nesota Chippewas and to no avail
The filing of the suit burst upon
the lisrless adolescence of the Indian
Bureau like a thunder bolt from 8
clear sky and, manifestly, some
one of its 1000 employees woke
up, especially in the matter of the
Forestry Reserve and Swamp
Land controversy.
In many matters, especially mat
ters which concern the Indians.
Uncle Sam is much similar to Rip
Van Wrinkle, the old gentleman
does love to slumber and is addict
ed to some xery long maps. For
instance our venerable Uncle has
been sleeping on the Red Lake In
dian allotment proposition for the
past thirty three years. Recently
through the dilligent efficiency of
Mr.. Webster Ballinger the dusty
and cobwebbed covered Indian
Bureau alarm clock suddenly
broke loose and it was discovered
that the Chippewa National Forest
,ry Reserve bill, passed by Con-
gress as a rider over the agree
ment of 1889, on May %, 1908,
and~whereby some 200, 900 acres of
valuable agricultural and timber
lands within the Winnebagoshish,
Gass Lakesand Mississippi unocs
cupied reservations, the latter
reservations practically belongs to
the. White Earth reservation Miss
issippi bands, =. had practically
never been ratified or rather that
its provisions had never been ap.
proved by the Indians OF the sew.
eral reservations mentioned. Yet
in spite of this amazing manifes-
tation of ine&cieDcy and neglect
on the part of the Indian Bureau,
it is reported that the larger ma
jority of the standing mature pine
timber; contained within the Ma
tional Forest, has been cut and
removed within the past II years,
excepting possibly 100000 on
Star Island and 1900, 900 or Pine
Point. The latter two mentioned
places being designated as beauty
spots" and public play grounds, "
and for the exclusive pleasure of
the we'll to do people as summer
lounging places and at the cost
and expense of the Minnesota
Chippewas, and for which they
receive no compensation whatever.
About ten days ago it was whis.
pered that notice had been received
at this agency to the effect that a
call would be issued to the Chip
pewas of the Winnebagoshish, Cass
Lake, Leech Lake and Mississippi
bands to assemble at Cass Lake
for the purpose of electing men,
Der of some one of the bands
named t. serve as member Of a
Commission provided in the said
Forestry bill, IS Stat, 268, speci-
ally provided sx
. II THAT a Commission of three
persons SHALL AT ONCE be ap.
pointed, consisting of one person
to be designated by the President,
one by the Secretary of the Inter.
ior and one by General Council
Of the Indians of the Winneba-|
goshish, Cass Lake Leech Lake
and Chippewas of the Mississippi
Reservations to be held under the
of the Agent at Leech
Lake Indian Agency, !" etc.
This Commission was to proceed