Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-07-14

accustomed to get their annual heritage
from commissioners who arrive by plane. For
several years q plane has taken the place OF
canoe and portage. The big Bee" as the
Indian calls the plane cuts the trip that took
at least three months by the old method to
about third Of that time
The paymaster of the party sits down at
table which has been hastily taken from
house at the post. The doctor Is nearby ana
there is a royal Canadian mounted policeman
not far away. -
Indians come up, chatting and watching the
man Immediately in front of the paymaster
receive his money and get medical examina-
ton. Their cardboard ticket they pull from
hidden recesses of their clothing. carefully
wrapped up Some of the older folks carry It
on q string around the neck. Sometimes the
commissioner asks the Indian his name for 1t
must be remembered that many OF the names
have been given the Indians by the registering
commissioner from Ottawa. @E
case arose not long ago, one OF these COM
missioners told me, when an Indian was asked
his name and gave one which was not listed.
The commissioner had recollection OF seeing
the man before under another name. The mao
had lost his ticket and had therefore been
asked his name. But no trace OF the name ne
gave could be found on the list.
It was hard problem to solve, for the In
dian was positive that that was his name and
that only. So It could not be settled at the
time. There was much correspondence over
the matter when the commissioner arrived back
in Ottawa and planes were still running to take
the mail into the northland. Finally, six
months later, the Indians name was estab-
lished. the one that Ottawa had listed The
whole trouble was In the Indians pronuncia.
ton of the name given him by white man.
When the treaty money has been paid the
festivities begin. There are campfires, dances.
singing, chanting and all the other ceremonials
that the Indians have been accustomed to In
years gone by There Is . feeling Of happiness
about the camp and old tales are revived, old
pals of the hunt swap" stories, and one thinks
of q convention.
The next day the plane leaves, but the fes-
tivities 60 on, the trading store does . good
business, and then the camp gradually .melts
away, each family moving back to continue
whatever line Of work 1t had been doing.
no not for q moment think that the I'M
dams are poor or that the Canadian gov
eminent is not giving them square deal There
will be new reserves established this year in
the northland reserves where the Indians who
are surrendering their land will still be the
only inhabitants allowed. One square mile h
set aside for every family of i've Indians in the
tribe at the time the treaty was signed. These
reserves are solely for the red man. No white
man may enter them without permission from
the government and the consent Of the Indians
Often, these reserves bscome too large for the
Indians to operate. Then the government adj
vises selling. The proceeds of such a sale.
usually part Of q reserve, are kept in custody
by the Dominion government. There IS at pres
ent more than $4,000, 900 at Ottawa belonging
to the Indians Of Canada. Most of this money
comes from the sale Of land and the accumula-
Of iw,kn 80 nyAA
monies paid to the Indians. There are. Indians
in Western Canada, who. through the sale of
lands, receive in the neighborhood Of 500 to
$4,000 year.
For a number Of years the writer has camped
on an Indian reserve, an island not far from
Toronto. That island has been for sale for
number Of years. 1t is about a mile and a
half long by half mile wide. Every Summer
Indians Of the family which once lived on the
island come down from the main reservation to
live there. An old chief, descendant of the
former chiefs, can be found roaming around
all day. Sometimes he visits the old graveyard
Of the island, on q headland overlooking the
lake. But mainly he and his children and
relatives are engaged in work for the populous
Summer colony on the mainland
The island is valued by the Indians In the
neighborhood Of 100000 1t has been ru-
mored sold a number Of times. The latest
information from my friend the Indian agent:
is that another deal has fallen through. Tracts
Of land such as this, for which the Indian really
has no use for the island cannot be cultivated
but would make a splendid Summer resort
such tracts are for sale if the tribe needs some
money ..'. --., esq., So. So. ttr
In Manitoba not. so long ago large tract
OF woodland on a reserve was the basis of
negotiations. The government advised selling
because in case of fire the Indians had no
means OF protecting such large area of forest.
But the old chief who had seen the trees grow
up, some from saplings and others from youth,
was loath to part with his beloved forest. He
would not SELL Then one day he died. Shortly
thereafter the councillors of the tribe asked
the government to sell the land. It brought
them 81 ,0O0.0 600.
About the same time some Indians in Ontario