Year: 1877

Panca Indians at the Executive Mansion


this afternoon heard the response OF the


President to their statement. The Presl-
dent said:


MI FRIENDs:-l hsye carefully con-
sidered what you have said to me.
know you have always been good friends
to the white people. There is none Of their


blood on your hands. You have always
listened to what the government OF the


white people said to you and you havs
done what you were told TO do. You
have therefore my sincere and hearty
sympathy and will do all can to help
you. You were renewed from your old
reservation TO guard you from collision
with other Indians, who we're untriendly
to you. l desire that you should live IN
peace and security and for this reason l
think it would not be good for your well
fare that you should go back SO great
distance to the same place. Your people
are now in the Indian Territory
with other Indian tribes who are friendly
to you and with whom you can live
IN peace. You complain that on the land
you now occupy you are exposed to much
annoyance from bad men who steal your
cattle and ponies and demoralize your
people with whisky. Mindful OF your
conduct, desire to consult your wishes
There is much good land IN Indian Ter
ritory farther away from the white SET
Elements where you would not not be eI-
posed to such annoyances. For the land
which you LETT on the Missouri river you
shall have tract as large and as fertile,
with plenty of timber and many water
courses. | will permit you to send out
some OF your chiefs to make selection
for your people among the lands which
still belong to the government in the In
dian Territory. rhe land 80 selected
you shall have, and cultivate it and raise
crops and cattle for yourselves and your
children. | know you left be
hind you on the Missouri river
several log cabins and agricultural
implements. shall see TO it that on the
lsuds you are to occupy houses shall be
built for you, as good as those you had
on the Missouri river, and you yourselves
will be employed in building them and
paid Tor the work you do. | will also as
certain what agricultural implements
you left behind you, and you shall be
supplied with like quantity and also
with cattle, 80 you shall lose nothing. l
will try to see to it that you have schools
for your children, to give them knowI-
edge of many things that are good for
them and to bring them up
in industrious habits know that
the first settlement in q country is at
tended with much hardship, and | sym
pathlze with you, but il you 60 TO WORK
with a good heart, making good use OF
your time in planting fields and raising
crops, your condition will soon be better
and you will be prosperous and content
ed, as many thousand Indians who set
people first came TO this country through
which you have Travelled on your way
here, and in which you have seen such
hourishing farms and large towns, they
also were poor and they suffered much
hardships, but they went to work with
courage and industry and became rich
and happy as you now see them. on
must olIow their example and 90 To
work, and thus you will soon better your
condition. II you do tAat | shall remem
Der the Pancss as good Indians, and |
shall do all that is in my power TO lend
you d helping hand. mean to be
a good friend to you as you have
been 10 the white people. | have been
glad to see you here, and my best wishes
will be with you in your new homes.


When the Presidents address WAS con-
cluded, the Indians ali expressed desire
to confer further with the President say
irg they had some additional complaints
to make. Standing Buffalo said he was
only afraid of the whites in his location,
not the Indians. Before closing the in
terview the President said: | want TO say
q few words more to my good friends.
understand they do not know whether
they may go back to old Pancs again,
where they came from. That land has
been given up 10 otner people, s. they
cannot have it again, but | want to give
them as good land rs the Government
has in the Indian Territory.