The Kusko times., 1930-02-22
vWICKERsHAM-ExPLMNs
 s4HASIs OF INDIAN SUIT

l. the Stroller's Weekly from Judge saJame& Wickersham relative to the :: suit which natives of :, Southeastern .- Alaska have filed against the federal s government with the hope of being
 reimbursed for propeftyt which they .s claim toshavs owned during Russian,
 ownership of Alaska and of which u theyzsay they were .:dispossessed when
 the United. States purchased the coun- .- try. -.Yhe Indians will be represented 5;.ia court by Judge, Wickersham and
 ". l. Paul, ketchikan attorney.
 Judge .Wickersham's statement is
 As follows:
 ''The -Thinglit and Haidi Indians, I residing in .. Southeastern Alaska, B. when. the Russians first settled here
 [ otrade in furs, owned homes, fish, q aries-.nuntiHgr grounds and other properties and maintained a system.
 of rules and customs for their protec- .: tion and government. Their villages l, of. great community houses, before ' which stood high, carved and painted : teteng poles, extenued from Yakutat ]: <andr kluckwan to those along Dixon's
 Entrance on the sou.n.
 -''..Ihera were. about 1000 Indians in l. that. area; they lived in permanent !, villages; were fishermen, boat-build-
 CTS, .4 carxers,. blanket-makers; had X fixed property rights, well understood k. by alL and respected by the tribes as well. aa ,individuals. The Russian fur
 traders always respected and protect !. ed these Indian property rights, and
 were forbidden by Russian laws to in-
 ,terfere with or destroy them. When
 the United States purchased Alaska l.-jns1se7, t agreed with Russia to ac- knowledge and protect the Indians in :. their rights of property. No treaty ,; or agreement of any kind had been | made by the Russians to uiet of pur- l. chase. the Indian properties, and none 4 has since been made by the United !. StaAea. Our government just assumed ; toa4ewn. the lands and propertiees of ...theAknd;ans in Alaska, and has gone. s..-4G.an assumed owner to sell th.. same Their homes, fisheries. :. huatsng gqrounds, e+:, nave been < salhur- reserved fo. sale in foorcst re- :, sclxas4 or sold % white settlers fur :. sst.MM cannery sites, townsltes, ! haLacxteads or n,ia,: !, or s:lcn other l. ssasassthe government wished. The i fiians. have not been consulted in s- suylway aDout these sales.
 .'A:..ltahes been the universal and just 1, rule of the United States from the s4: d2ts- of. the establishment of our gov s.-e1nnent. in 1776, to make treaties witA-.all.ths Indian tribes in the West = And+psy chem . fair price for their a5andianistitles. There are vast sums |, o4 money now in the United States | tEeasurys belonging to. the Indian t. trihes,- of. which annual installments $ aRe~paid out to them for their de- :s scsndsnts for their Indian titles and ialaadsl Hut no such treaty or settle '. 1nenk .was ever made with Alaska In- c. Aians.
 ~-t;:olur~ Alaska Indians can not. aud sAdo. not desire to recover these lands | and property rights, so taken from i. thenG4 by 4Ae government, but only :: aakfor just payment for them by the uAisedi. states, a they actually evneA. and occupied them when our geseFnment took suck properties i, SrnxhAhem for sale to our white peo- | n. Ss
 ssTsnseeurea payment for such prop ( ersya1tehts,n the Indians must, first. pjsrsnads Congress to pass law per ..s hitting them to bring suit against
 the United States in the Court of ' 8;laims iit Wilmington. D. c. Second, ! Sn>SAt.~ ~A vnvsAxy~s AkA}~