Glacier County chief., 1940-06-14

ment IN university history were DR..
owned that country, by the treaty of
1861"
The bill provides, Gilchrist pointed
out, that they should inquire into
and award judgment for one-eighth of
the mineral rights if they find there
lodge replied he understood it to be
so, and that is our contention" and
further: We expect we would be en-
titled to interest from the time it was
taken until settlement according to
whatever the interest rate was at the
time it was taken
The Iowa representative commented
on the fact that the interest would
amount to more than the premium.
1T depends upon the amount OF in
terest," countered Rowlodge.
Three times as MUCH said Gill
christ.
1T depends upon the amount of the
contention"
Representative Gilchrist thought, he
said, it would not make any difference
whether the principal was 81 or a
million dollars, the interest would
amount to 200 or 300 percent on the
principal.
so after all he continued, 'it does
not depend on the amount found. The
three times the amount of the prin-
cipal. You are asking that. aren't you?
Yes" said Rowlodge.
Representative O'Connor of Mon
tana, author of the jurisdictional bill
for the Arapahoe and Cheyenne In
dams, when Attorney Goodwin was
testifying at the hearing, brought up
ly, when Goodwin stated:
L overlooked one thing. l neglected
to state that there was bill passed
by congress permitting the Arapahoes
and Cheyennes to intervene in the
Sioux case in connection with the
intervention but that in my judgment
is the weakest case. If that was the
only case, do not believe I would act
for them as the chances are that they
would recover nothing out of the Black
Hills case. think the Black Hills area
is entirely outside that described In
the treaty of 1851. Under the proceed
base our claim on some treaty or agree
ment with these Indians
The Sioux had a treaty about the
Black Hills?" interposed Representa-
tive Gilchrist.
Yes" Goodwin replied. but the
not parties to that particular treaty
The Arapahoes and the Cheyennes did
join in a ceSsion to the United States
of some of this land but that does not
include the Black Hills and I doubt
very much if the Black Hills suit has
anything whatever to do with the
claims of the Arapahoes and the
Cheyennes.
Claim Would Total Millions
Now, there is claim as indicated
by one OF the witnesses in Colorado
prior to the treaty of 1861 Some gold
was mined unlawfully on the Indian
treaty lands at that time and after
ward they had the notorious 'Chiving-
ton massacre when some 500 Arapa-
down by American soldiers. Those
tribes then owned this land on which
! gold was found and subsequent to the
massacre the treaty was made and this
| land was coded to the United States.
There was gold that was removed prior
to the date of that treaty as shown
by the records. 1t is a very difficult
matter to prove, and that, of course,
comes within the purview Of this act
and the Indians should be entitled to
this royalty that Is provided of one
eighth. The best records that could
obtain seem to indicate that probably
from seven to eight million dollars of
gold has been unlawfully taken from
the land and one-eighth of that would
go to the Indians"
That would be the royalty on the
go aWss g asked o'connor
How long ago was that when it
occurred?"
1T would be along in the early six
ties, before the treaty of 1851"
In reply to O'Connor's question If
there was any doubt about the owner
ship Of the land at that time, Goodwin
said 1t was covered by the treaty with
| the AranahoeS and Cheveppec and
was set out In the Fort Laramie treaty
Of 1851.
and that treaty was superseded by
subsequent treaties7" asked Represen-
tative Gilchrist.
Eyes"
And then there was subsequent
treaties?" he asked again.
Yes: when they ceded the land. but