The Tomahawk. [volume] (White Earth, Becker County, Minn.) 1903-192?, 1925-10-08
A COMMUNICATION.
(By Frank Cajune, in the Cass
Lake, Mimi, Times.
Dear Editor:

would like to comment upon the
article that appeared in your pa
per September 3rd, 1925, written
by Mr.. j. !. coffey.
! have not taken part in Indian
politics for some time and did not
intend to take any part so long as
the self.styled leaders kept wrangl-
irg among themselves, but after
the above mentioned article and
several other articles that have ap-
peared from time to time in the
different newspapers of the State,
I feel it my duty to the Chippewa
Indians of Minnesota to give a
true version of the situation.
In the first place the so called
leaders of the different factions are
continually playing upon the ig-
norance of the uneducated and in
competent Indian. and thereby
keeping up the turmoil among
them. They do not take the
trouble to try and teach these In
dians the true facts about their
claims, but continue to enlarge
upon the short comings of the op-
posing factions, and if any other
member of the tribe tries to offer
. suggestion. or give his views as
TO the most feasible solution of the
problem, right away he is set up
on by these leaders and branded
as a crook, a know.nothing or is
looking for personal honors.
1 have attended a number Of
councils and at all of said councils
only three or four of the delegates
would do all the talking and if any
one of the others would speak, and
if he happened to not be in accord
with the leaders of this particular
faction, be would be set upon by
the more eloquent members and
intimidated from the floor. So
you see that everything is cut and
dried by the said leaders before
hand and they expect the poor In
dian to vote their way and to take
for granted that they are right
without trying to make him un
derstapd what he is voting for.
belong to the White Earth
band and am a mixed blood In
dian and proud of it, and l resent
the intimation that is being broad
casted time and again that all the
White Earth mixed bloods are
thieves, highwaymen, liars, crooks
and in fact anything but gentle
men. ...
Now, why does not Mr.. Coffey
be little more explicit in his
charges, and why does he not play
fair with the Indian and shed his
personal animosity toward the
White Earth mixed-bloods, and if
he wants to help his people, be
should teach facts to them instead
of tearing around the country
condemning the major ,portion OF
the tribe and come out in the open.
Just a word about the Ball Club
Council; First, there was not to
exceed over 300 Indians present
at any time and when the adoption
of Mr.. Knutson was taken up &c
voted for adoption, five against,
and the majority did not vote
either way.
There was no objection to the
adoption of Mr.. Knutson into the
tribe, but there was against his
campaigning for Mr.. 0. j. Larson
for the appointment of attorney
to represent the Chippewa Indians
in the State Swamp Land Case.
personally think that so long as
the Commissioner of Indian
Affairs has intimated that the In
dians should select an attorney
that the choice should be left to
them, and that they should be
given a chance to vote upon the
question, and l think that Mr..
Knutson has played poor politics
when be tried to pay off political