Evening star., 1935-02-17
SIOUX SUE j. s.
ASKING S1S,00O,0(l)
IIIiteracy of Elder TribeSmen
Blamed on Alleged Bro
ken Faith.

Recollections of the old Powder
River road to Montana in the days
of the gold rush, of covered wagons
beset by Red Cloud and MS warriors,
and of the Indian War of 1878, that
included the Custer massacre, were
unfolded in the Court of Claims yes
terday. A claim Of $l8,000,00O was
entered against the United States
Government by the Sioux tribe OF In
dians.
This claim is the outgrowth of
brief filed some time ago on behalf
of the Sioux. The evidence is on file
in the Court of Claims, the case Is
closed and on the record the big
chiefs from the Rosebud Indian Res
ervation, from Standing Rock. Pine
Ridge, Cheyenne River, Grow Creek
and the Santee-reServationS in the
Dakotas and Montana-claim Uncle
Sam failed to furnish educational
facilities promised by the treaty made
at Laramie in 1868.
Previous to that time white men
were trekking to the West in search
of gold in Montana. They disturbed
the hunting grounds of the Indians.
The Indians retaliated. Fight after
fight ensued. In return for the priv
ilege of unmoleSted overland passage,
the Indians accepted certain gestures
made by the United States Govern
rr1l.a to ich 10
in previous cases, failed to satisfy
the Indians.
Indians Want New Deal.
Now come the warriors of the Sioux
mot one of them over IS years OF
age-calling for a new deal. They
are Justin Black Eagle, Paul Bull
Eagle, Ernest Two Runs and Tom
Muskrat. Not one of them can speak,
read or write a word of English,
which forms the basis of their COM
plant. They claim that had Uncle
Sam established the schools he set
out to furnish in the Indian terri
tories of the Dakotas, wyoming and
Montana, all of them now would be
able to enjoy the pleasures OF read
ing by the fireside.
No schools were provided for the
Sioux when these men were of school
age-and not enough schools are yet
provided for all their sons and grand
sons, their daughters and grand
daughters So the old chiefs claim.
The Sioux Indians in their brief
claim that there were some $500 or
more Sioux children who were ready
and willing to receive the blessings of
education but who never got 1t under
the terms of the treaty. Now, the
old chiefs add up the sum that would
have been spent by Uncle Sam in
this philanthropic work and they find
1t to approximate $l8000,000. They
are coming to Westinghouse the
home Of the Great White Father-to
collect.
Attorneys for the Sioux are Ralph
H Case, attorney of record and
Kingman Brewster, j. S. Y. WINS, c.
c. Calhoun, attorneys in fact.
Case Knows Indians.
Mai. Case, a World War veteran,
and a past commander of the National
Press Club Post, No 90 the American
Legion. has lived among the Sioux
Indians and is said to know more
about them than any man in Wash
ington. He recently returned from
the many reservations whose tribes
men are involved in the current suit.
In recalling the events leading up
to the present suit, Maj. Case said
yesterday:
iy-il Uov hncaT1
1861, gold in fabulous quantities was
discovered in the territory of Mon
tana. A great tide of immigrants
moving along the valley of the Platte
River went to the Black Hills and
into the placer mining district in
Montana. This route. following the
Powder River, was known as the
Powder River road, The Sioux re-
sisted this invasion of their hunting
ground. The result was the Red
Cloud War of 1665-67.
Red Cloud was the great chief Of
the Ogalala He and his chiefs COM
manded the fighting strength of other
Teton bands. To combat them the
United States sent military detach-
ments along the Powder River road
and fortified it by the erection of
Forts Kearney, Reno and Smith-in
the present States Of Wyoming and
Montana.
Indians Terms Agreed.
ITO secure peace in the Sioux
country, the Government started
negotiations with the Indians at old
Fort Laramie, in the Wyoming Terri
tory-and the treaty under which the
present suit is filed was drawn up
there in 1868-after the peace COM
mission had assembled from Wash
ington. 1t brought about the end of
the Red Cloud War In this treaty
the United States acceded to every
demand made by the Indians"
After that, according to Maj. Case.
"the Government apparently regarded
the educational provisions of the
treaty of 1868 as self-operating''-and
let it go at that.
THE failure of the Government
to observe the Sioux treaty of 1868
is the cause of the high illiteracy
among the Sioux Indians" Maj.
Case says.
The present suit, if won by the In
dians, would establish school houses