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Show XVI REPORT OF THE COMMI8SIONER OF IBDIAN AFFAIRS. CLAIMS OF THE SIOUX FOR THE RELINQUISHXENT OP NEUTRAL TERRI-TORY IN NEBRASKA. It will be remembered that the visit of a delegation of Sioux to Wash- I ington, in May, 1875, resulted in an agreement whereby, in oonsidera-tion of the sum of $25,000 appropriated by Congress, they surrendered their treatv-nrivileze of huutine in Nebraska. The"v were also induced ~~ to rdillqoi';l; snch&irn as thr~pos sesuvt~o lt l~atp ortion of ~ e b r a s i a ~ ~ i l l g ~ o lolt tthb eso~athdiridaoft he Si~jbrnmI{ iver, which, by the terrnd of the treat!. of lS6'~". should be l~elda uil eu11siderc.d uuceded Iudiau territor~,a i d no white person or persons should be permitted to settle lipon or occupy any portion of the same, or without the consent of the Indians first had and obt,aiued, should pass through the same." The Sioux, never haring made a clear distinction between the terri-tory described by the treaty of 1868 as neutral and that designated as their permanent reservation, were very unwilling to accede to the wishes I of the Department, and conseuted to the cession of their rights in the above-described territory only on receiving the pledge, given by the Sec-retarv of the Interior. that their reouest for an additional $25.000 in consi&r;atiou of auch ;.ession should Ge presented to Congress. ' This rltlin~ thilcd to be (:ousiderrtl hy Cougrcss at its last sessioll. Tllu 111dii11mi iud srelus incn~);ibleo f discriminiltin-c bctweun a ~)romisa to l~rrseuta cl;iilu to Cbngress a11<t1i promise to p.11 ' the amouut o i the clail~~,:~tnlade co~n~nissiourecentlsehargewtli th obtaiuin): filrtherconees-sionsfrom tbe Sionx were illet :I[ ereiy axcncy wirh cirnpluinra of the falilurr ot theCovernrnent to filltill what the llldians eou&itlcr its solemn I pledge. 111 view of the above, alld of the iu~port:i~aoefe tile ~ ~ e g o t i ~ t i o n ~ laow pendiug, I trli~itt liac LIol~gressw ill giro this niattrr favordble con-sideratiola :it its nest aession. TIae expenditure,:it their owla recluest, of the $25,000 already rereived iu the ~~ol.cl~toif aec ows, horses, harness, and wnKorls for the Sioux is a guarantee that the amount h~re:itttr to be al~liroprinte~~ vl i l lb e of clirrct tissihta~~ctoe tlaeGoreru~ne~iu~ ct arry-in, o ollr irs purposes for their civilization, :IS iudicnte~lb ~tl.i e uiYurt u o~r biiug uatle to srcure their scttleluzut ill the Intliilu Territory. NEZ PERC* CO~ISSION. A oommission consistingof D. H. Jerome, esq.,of Michigan j Brig. Gen. 0. 0. Howard, U. S. A.; Maj. H. Clay Wood, A. A. Q., U. S. 8.; Will-iam Sticlmey, esq., of Washiugton, and A. O. Barstow, esq., of llhode Island, has been appointed during the present month by the Secretary of the Interior, to inquire into tlle status and claims of the so.called non-treaty Nee Percbs, and to effect a settlement on a permanent basis of the difficulties existing between them and settlers. These diEcult,ies have arisen maioly from iutnision by settlers upon the Wallows Valley, Oregon, which the Nez Per& chief, Joseph, claims as unceded Indian territory. and have beenag-g-r avated by the receut murder by white men of one dfJosenh7s band. ~ . ~~ ~ The i:ommissiol~i s also nutborizcd to visit roving I~andsi n Idalao and W B H ~ ~ ~TCerIrOitoIriIe s, with a view to plncina them upolt reservatious; and hay.,; been reqoestril to taku into cnrefi~le nnsidrrition the subject of rediucing by cons~)lldntiout he i~umbcrof reser\.ations in Iduho and \\'ashi~~grouT erritories and Oregon. REMOVAL OF THE PONCAS. Steps are being taken for the removal of the Poncas from their present locatiou in the southeastern corner of Dakota to the Indian Territory. |
