The Fort Peck press., 1936-04-09
Cree Chippewa Halfbloods Are Seeking
Land AllOtmentS and Enforcement

OF the first traders among the Indians
Most of the Indians are of ChippeW
blood, their forbearS having been east
ern Indians who were pushed weStWar'
by the whites. Many of them came int
this territory as the entering Wedg
between the white men and the In
dians when the latter were still hoStll
to the newcomers.
One of the most interesting and GER
tainly the largest family is that OF thu
Doney clan. Four brothers, Gregory
who died a few months ago; Joe, who
died last year, Lallie, dead for a NUM-
Der of years, and John, who still lives
in the southern part of the county
founded the family of which to date
there are 1870 descendants.
The brothers were half French ano
half Chippewa. The three eldest en-
listed with the United States army and
served for many years as scouts and
mail carriers between forts. They acted
also as interpreters. Lallie Loney, or
DeLoney as the original name was
spelled, spoke seven languages ana was
of invaluable service to the first white
men in the country.
After several enlistments in the army
the brothers married and started in
business for themselves as traders. They
married women of the various tribes
and travelled with the Indians through
out the territory. Some idea Of the eX-
tent of their travels can be obtained
by stories told of purchasing supplies
in st. Paul, Grand Forks, Fort Benton
and other widely separated towns.
Mrs. Thompson's father, Lallie DON
ey, was accompanied on his journey for
years by a Catholic priest and each
morning mass was said in the encamp-
ment. He was known among many
tribes as the Tall White Indian Man"
and through his intercession many ar
guments were settled peaceably and
paths were opened to the white
and traders.
While the three elder Doney BROTH
erS were all eligible for an army PEN
sion, none of them ever applied for 1t:
Lal1ie Doney and his brother, well
known throughout the northern part
Of the state as Kootenai Brown, were
the trading business together for
many years. During their travels with
he Indians, which were mainly for the
purpose of trading supplies for buffalo
'obes, they made it a point to build
cabins and shelters for their animals
along a river at the approach of winter.
Because of this they were the first
cal settlers of the Missouri and Milk
liver valleys as we'll as the MariaS and
Yellowstone rivers.
Mrs. Thompson herself vas born in
tent on the present site of the Great
Northern hotel in Malta when the only
Indication that a town would ever be
'uilt there was a railway water tank
nd the railway construction crews. The
My white men in the country were
he caretaker of the tank and R. M.
pioneer merchant, who had a
post where Wagner is now 10
ated.
1t is understood that the few of these
settlers and their descendants,
ill receive allotments and government
id in establishing themselves on the
,ocky Boy reservation in the near flu
IRE and that, under the new deal
lans for the Indians, they will become
elf-governing. They hope to secure, in
ONE measure, the rights granted to
hem in 1868 when the American gov
signed a treaty with them
guaranteeing them sufficient territory
} provide for them. But for so years
ley have been known as the home
eSs" or "landless' Indians, moving
ON town to town, securing work where
could and adding to the relief rolls
/ the counties where they have re-
ded because they had no mean of
roviding for their numerous progeny. !