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Show - ( the white people are on their lands wrongfully. Their demand i3 that the government go on giving them rations and annuities, and in short that they be permitted to remain "Indian1, and do nothing. This band, or many of them, is declining to do any thing that means acceptance of their allotments,, hence are making few or no h improvements,: farm little, or, none, and are the "hold-backers" of '__•_. , .-L. * m, .refuse ••/'..;, the oribe. Tney even go so far as to/consent to sales of heirship y lands, and where some of the younger ones would like to sell?the old men interpose and prohibit signing, of the necessary papers. They have generally declined to enter into hearings for the purpose of determining heirship, but now I am getting some of them to appear aa witnesses. They require an unusual amount of patience and diplomacy, but considerable progress is being made. Their attitude of obstruction is one of the great obstacles in the general developement of the tribe. While the majority of the tribe do not adhere to this band, yet their attitude has its effect on most all. 1}o entertain their petition and permit them to visit "Washington could not but prove most unfortunate. It would give the leaders of this band greatly added prestige, and would put them where they could assert things that were said or done at Washington for years afterward. As.their talks before me show, they have noth-.w-ing of import to talk about, and their request bust be interpreted largely as a "political" move to gain prestige. 'Ay recommendation must, therefore, be that the request be denied, and that the Office be rather positive in its stand. The "whys"'' must be set forth, for it is never wise to make these denials with-.,-.'/ out giving such reasons as will appeal to the Indians. A3 the first', o.nx r.ost important I would suggest that there is nothing of any |