Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1942-07-24

mounted police sergeant Asked II he
was the detachment of British troops,
he replied: mo, indeed. I have with
me one policeman. left him in camp
washing the breakfast dishes"
1t appears that the Canadians were
no more anxious to secure the return
Of the prodigals than the people of
Montana were to keep them and had
considered that they were fulfilling
the letter, If not the spirit of their
agreement when they furnished an
escort Of two policemen to guide the
Indians to their allotted reservation.
1t may have been the keen disap-
pointment of our soldiers at not meet
| ing and visiting with their British
fellows, or the strenuous effects of
their vigilance while in charge of the
Indians, or the possession of unused
refreshments, or all ombined-anyway
our troops went into camp for several
days. Some say, who we're with the
expedition. that the time was spent
in consuming the supplies taken to
entertain the British and which it
was felt would be an unnecessary en-
cumbrance upon the return trip.
The Canadians evidently did not use
much effort to retain their new set
tiers for the Indians came back and
many families with their tents, horses
and equipment went through Box
Elder before the soldiers returned to
Fort Assinniboine The Indians evil
IDENTIFY preferred the husks and swill
in the land of the free to the flesh
pots of Canada.
Reservation Given Indians
Fol Al foi IN ri nf
our unwelcome guests by force. they
continued their mode of living for
several years. During this period some
of our benevolent and public spirited
citizens began to devise ways and
means to secure for these people a
place upon American soil where they
could be placed under the control and
supervision of our Indian department.
Two of the principal advocates of
| the Indians were the late w. M. Bole
of the Great Falls Tribune, and Theo-
dore Gibson, also of Great Falls. They
consistently espoused the cause of
these people, but without much sue
cess until the opening of the Fort As
sinniboine military reservation in Hill
county to settlement, when they sue
ceeded in getting set aside some %
townships of this reservation for the
establishment of an agency and home
for them. The Indian reserve was
named Rocky Boy after the aged
chieftain. Poor Rocky Boy had a little
better luck than Moses, for he lived
to enter the promised land and lived
| for a year or two after the reservation
was set aside for his people.
The family history of the members
/ of the tribe was taken in May, 1917.
The roll was approved by Secretary
Franklin K. Lane July Is, 1917. The
reserve was set aside in 1916, and the
intervening time being utilized to en-
able the scattered families to gather
from all portions of Montana. When
finally completed the total number Of
members was about $50. The popula-
ton at this time is about 400.
Progress Is Marvellous
John B. Parker of the Indian serv-
! ice took charge of the reservation in
May, 1917, for the Indian department.
At that time the only buildings were
few rude log huts that the Indians
had built to winter in the previous
winter while they were gathering.
Parker was compelled to reside in one
of these cabins until such time as he
could build quarters. The contrast be-
tween this first effort of the Indians
without direction, and the present
splendid, though modest, agency is
rather surprising to anyone who had
not visited the agency since that time.
The progress of these poor, home
less, detected and untaught people
towards self-support, self-respect.
clean living and success in agriculture
is a marvel to all who knew them
during the time of their pilgrimage
through the wilderness.