OCR Text |
Show .CO~ISSIONER'O F I N D I ~A F ~ ~ ~ I R S . and ha;ve insisted with great earnestness hatthe ~oven&ent should ' pay them for it., . .Their proximity to the ~ritish~ossesfflonhsa s brought many Indians, half-breeds, and whites ofthat country to the reservation, and their close affiliation with them has been followed by an admixture of blood of na: - tives and foreigners, which complicates the adjustvent of their aEairs. The Indian appropriation act of Angust 19,1890, provided that a com-mission should visit md negotiate wit& these Indians for the purpose of - settlingtheir alleged claimand removing them £corn such surroundings.. .Though the commission did not succeed in effeo&ingth ose objects, their visit was evidently procluctive of somegood, as the Indians have since - . manifested a decided disposition to renew negotiations. The Indian appropriation act of July 13, 1892, again makes pro-vision for a commission * uegotiab yith these Indians for the cegsion . . . and relinquishment to the-United Staha Of ~whiltever ight or interest they may have in the lands claimed by them, and for their removal to a more suitable reservation. 1ns~ct ions . fotrh e guidance of the e now being prepared by this office. . The Cherokee Gonimi8don.-Since,my lagt annual report agreements . . haye been concluded by the Cherokee Commission with the Mexican - . . . Kickapoos and the Tonkawas in Oklahoma and the. Cherokees in Indian Territory, which are now pending ratification by 'bangross.* In.the Indian appropriation act approved July 13,1892, the appro-priation of $15,000 was made to enable the Secretary of the Interior to continue the Cherokee Comm&sion, provided for hy section 14 of the act of Harch 2,1889 p5 St$.; 1005), so that it might enter into ~ie~otitltiownist h such tribes in Oklahoma and the Indian Territoeas , have not yet conoluded agreements for cessions of land. oo Reservation, 0kla.-The Kickap~o~agreemewnta s : cay September 9,1891, and provides that the In-dians cede to the Unit& States the land$ embraced in their reserd - tion in Oklahoma; that out of the reservation thus ceded a tract of 80 acres shall tie allotted to each member of the tribe, native or tobe made within ninety days after zatificafion of . the agreement; and that $64,650 .shall be distributed among the tribe ' -per capita, provided that if the numbe* of dlotqents shall exceed 300 ijleduction of $50 shall be made from that hmoiiat for every allotment inexcess of 300. I do not consider such a deduction to be~W, - ivni ew of the fact that the' money consideration agreed upon for t l ~ asn rlilus land in the reser-- vation will not amount to. more than $28 per a1Totment; moreover no ' : provision is made for increase should the &lotments number less than 300. I am also doubtful as to the wisdom of making a per capita ten %n agreement hm been coneluded witb tke Kiowea, the oession of by-fmr the larargerportionof their rgwva- |