The Tomahawk. [volume] (White Earth, Becker County, Minn.) 1903-192?, 1926-03-25
A COMMUNICATION.
by Edward L Rogers, President
of the General Council, Minnesota
Chippewas
The ToMAHAwK, ~.
White Earth, Minn.

The ToMAHAwK, ~.
White Earth, Minn.
GENTLEMEN
note in your issue of March
II, 1925, there was considerable
mentioned degratory to Commits.
sioner Burke and the Indian Bur
eau. l., as a member of the Chip
pewa tribe, arise in defense of Mr..
Burke, and desire to say a few
words in commentator of the
attitude which he has taken with
reference to Chippewa Indians.
The Chippewas will recall that
one of the very first acts of the
present commissioner. upon his
accepsance'of the office which be
now holds, was 20 visit the Chip
pewa country and make a personal
investigation of conditions here.
The next thing he did was to give
all Chippewa matters his personal
attention, and since be is now in a
position where be is thoroughly
familiar with Chippewa matters,
he is endeavoring to do what he
believes is the best course to
pursue to eventually wind up our
affairs.
Our matters are 80 complicat-
ed that the ordinary laymen cannot
get an insight into them without
long intensive study. Not even
an attorney who is we'll versed in
law cau hope to become familiar
with all the legal phases involved
in Chippewa matters, without an
exhaustive study upon the subject.
1t was because of this condition
that we have had such a long, hard
fight, for as soon as we educated
and enlightened one committee of
Congress, new Congress and a
new administration would get into
power and We would have to begin
and educate them all over again.
We were fairly successful in.
convincing Congress that we were
right, but were always blocked by
the Indian Bureau. Today be-
lieve the present commissioner is
satisfied that the position we have
taken all these years is along tue
right lines, and that he is going to
try. out the policy we have advo-
Gated, with slight notifications.
In other words, he is going to
give US as fast as possible what we
have been asking for to see how it
works. =
What have we been asking
for9 Three things, namely, ad-.
judication of all our claims, a seq
regation of our funds, and a
classification of the Indians, so
that the competents may be paid
iu full and discharged. We are
now in a fair way of realizing that
for which we have worked all
these years. The Jurisdictional
bill, with the sanction of Mr..
Burke, is about to become a law,
and the Classification bill provid-
ing for segregation aud payment
would be we'll on its way through
Congress, except for the serious
illness of the commissioner. He
has given his approval of this last
bill and he is just as anxious to
see it passed as we are.
Personally, l have never found
any serious fault with past com
missioners. | have, however,
censured the Bureau aud the sys
tenn under which it operates, and
= T. BEL &. b b
has operated for the past eighty
five years. 1t is a system that no
commissioner hardly dares to op-
pose; even in small way. But
we find Mr.. Burke, our present
commissioner, taking an active and
personal interest in Chippewa
matters, and being commissioners
not hardly six years, he is endors-
,ino Our hills which ara in direct