The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1935-08-01

suasion by the agents and traders one after an
other of the chiefs agreed to sign the treaty and
1t WAS concluded on September 28. 1t provided
for the cession OF the Indian lands west OF Lake
Michigan, also their remaining reservation In
southwestern Michigan, tract OF about 100000
acres. and their removal within three years
beyond the Mississippi river.
In return the Pottawatomes were to receive
b,OoO,0O0 acres of land In the West; the United
States was to transport them to their new home
and pay the cost of their support for one year;
and various sums OF money. totalllng almost ST.
100000, were to be expended In their behalf On
the face of 1t these terms were very liberal But
as was SO often the case In the white mans deal
ings with the Indian for his lands, there was a
Joker concealed somewhere In the proposed
deal.
OF the $10OO,0O0 appropriation, $4,000 was
set aside for the payment OF $4,000 annuity
for period OF 20 years; $4,000 was to be
expended for the erection of mills blacksmith
shops and houses andsthe employment OF physI-
clans. blacksmlths and mechanics; and $4,000
was to be devoted to educational purposes and
the encouragement OF the domestic arts All OF
these were enterprises with which no fault can
be found
Considerably different, however, were certain
other clauses In the treaty. One OF them was
600 should be distributed to the Indians, one
portion when the treaty signed and the re-
mainder during the coming year. Another was
setting aside the sum OF $4,000 for "sundry
individuals In behalf of whom reservations were
asked. which the commissioners refused to
grant" Among these individuals were white
traders and half-breeds who had married into
the tribe, and members Of their families The
proprety OF their being paid money which be-
longed to the Indians was dubious, to say the
least
But more astounding than that was another
clause which provided for the payment of S175-
GOO to various individuals to satisfy claims made
by them against the tribes concerned In the
treaty, which they have admitted to be Justly
due OF this provision Andreas. the Chicago
historian has said, 1T was an apportonment OF
the ready money Of the tribes among all the
whites who could bring claim against any
Indian. The honest debtor and the unjust and
dishonest claimant absorbed the fund How large
a portion of 1t represented robbery, theft and
perjury Will never be known until the great book
Is opened on the last day." Certainly 1t was one
OF the most shameless instances of greed fraud
and dishonesty In the history OF our dealings
with the Indian, common though those things
have been from beginning to end
Shortly after the treaty was signed $4,000 worth
OF the Sl-ouUO worm or the goods which the
Indians were to receive were distributed to them
In addition to the first years annuity Of $4,000
In cash. 1.-THE Indians profted little by the
wealth bestowed upon them" says Quaife 1.-THE
greater part OF 1t quickly passed from their hands
to the Golfers OF the traders. much OF It In ex-
change for bad whiskey and the red man was
probably more Injured than benefited by the mess
of pottage for which he had surrendered his
brthrlght"
No doubt during the next two years the Potta-
watomies realized that fact and a sullen resent
ment must have burned In their hearts al the
thought, especially as the time drew near for
them to journey. both fguratvely and literally,
toward the setting sun. Such was their feeling
as they assembled In Chicago In the summer OF
1885 to receive the last payment OF their annuity
In their native land and to prepare for that
journey.
Chicago had long been favorite resort with
the Pottawatomies. Here they had come to hold
their councils and to receive their annuIties
Here almost quarter Of a century before they
that was crowdlng them ever westward
Since the last great gathering two years before.
the sprawlng village had developed Into what
must have seemed to the unsophstlcated red
man veritable metropolis. The signs OF civza-
ton which 1t presented to their wondering gaze,
although crude enough from the point OF view of
the Twentieth century, must have brought home
to them the realization that their birthright had