The Tomahawk. [volume] (White Earth, Becker County, Minn.) 1903-192?, 1925-12-17
MANY BILLS PERTAINING TO CHIPPEWA
AFFAIRS INTRODUCED IN CONGRESS.
Representative Wefa|d, Senators SCha||
and king Back Of Jurisdctiona| Bill.

amount recovered, and then places
a further Limitation upon the al.
lowance which shall not exceed
$4,000. The maximum amount
the attorneys could receive would
be $4,000 per year. The effect
of this provision would be to dis.
courage the attorneys from prose-
cutting all the claims of the Indians.
The two attorneys could prosecute
Two or three of the main claims of
the Indians and would be entitled
to che maximum fee. They could
ignore the smaller or more difficult
claims as they would receive no
additional compensation for prose.
cutting them. To carry the limita
ton beyond FIVE per cent of the
total amount recovered is prejudic,
ial to the interests of the Indians.
The Indians want every dollar the
United States justly owes them
and they do not want limitations
upon the fees to be paid their
attorneys which will tend 20 dis
courage the prosecution of ali their
claims against the United States.
For this reason the indians are
opposed to the last provision which
prohibits the court from allowing
the attorneys an amount in excess
of $40, 900. The Indians are unan-
imously opposedIto Section 8 which
gives the Commissioner of Indian
Affairs the power to appoint the
attorneys for the Indians in the
event they sould not make selec.
ton satisfactory, to the Commits.
sioner and the Secretary within
six months after the approval of
the Act. Under this provision the
Commissioner could object to the
attorneys selected by the Indians
and thus prevent an appointment
for six months, and then he would
be at liberty to name one of his
own friends and clothe him with
authority to prosecute the claims
of the Indians against the Com.
missioner's own Bureau. The
Chippewa Indians when they un.
dersta nd H. R. 17S, introduced by
Mr.. Knutson, will be unanimously
opposed to its enactment into law.
The Seeonc jurisdictional bill, H.
K. 33l, introduced by Mr.. Knut-
son is unobjectionable except that
it contains the same provision in
Section 2 as contained in H. r.
17S. ri
Mr.. Knutson also introduced a
bill H. R. 179, authorizing the
Pillager Bands of Chippewa In
dians to submit their claims to the
Court of Claims. The object of
this bill is to enable the Pillager
Indians to prosecute what is known
as the Long Prairie Claim" This
claim belongs to the Chippewa In,
dians of Minnesota, and the pro
ceeds of any Judgment obtained
should go to all the Chippewa In
dians of Minnesota. This claim
could be prosecuted under the
general jurisdictional bill, and the
rights of all the Chippewa Indians
as we'll as the Pdlager Bands could
be determined In that suit Pro-
vision is contained in all the juris-
dictional bills whereby any band,
or part of a band, that claim an
interest in any Judgment greater
than per capita interest with all
the other Chippewa Indians shall
be made a party to the suit and
court shall determine their inter.
ests. This bill should not be en-
acted into law.
Congressman Wefal1 has intro.
duced in the House H. r. AL,
which authorizes the Chippewa
Indiaus to hold q general council
which shall be recognized by the