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Show 5-1142 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR INDIAN FIELD SERVICE Uintah. & Ouray Agency Ft. Duchesne, Utah, November 8, 1927. Commissioner Of Indian Affairs, Washington, D. C» Sir: Some correspondence ha3 been had with the Pepartment on ths subject of trapping, fishing, and hunting by Ward Indians on Indian lard3 on this reservation,, Insofar 13 such trapping, hunting, and fishing conflicts with State game laws, .and from correspondence and a reading of court decisions on the subject, It Is ' ? very clearly shown that State game la?/s do not apply. Office letter of February 6, 1926 bearing the symbols "E-L 4684-25 J R Vn-to Senator Reed Smoot, points out that v/hila the Indian Bureau has from time to time requested Indians not to kill game except when necessary for food, and to observe the State laws so far as pract--..^ Ica'ole, 791 3ir£e the State law3 are not applicable to Indians within a reservation, such instructions have been only advisory, and not compulsory. For 3ome time past there ha3 been much friction between Indians of full blood and certain Indians of mixed blood over the trapping of beaver-. These certain mixed blood Indians trap only for commercial purposes, and make trapping their sole occupation for at least six months of the year. Fully 75;a of the trapping done on the reservation is done by them, the full bloods very seldom doing any trapping except in a limited way. Heretofore these men have confined their activities mainly to tribal grazing ground, on the upper part of the reservation, and on the national Forest, but their rain catch, beaver, have become so depleted through their operations that this autumn they have shifted to new grounds which happen to be trust allotments of the Uncompahgre Utes on the Whita river. The Uncompahgres very keenly resent this invasion of their land3 by men, who while 7ra.rds of the Government, and hence not liable to the State game laws, yet have but a modicum of Indian blood. Unless some method can be devised, or 3ome regulation.or law invoked whereby their activities can be curbed, a seriou3 situation, may develop, particularly If they persist in trapping wnere they are at present. 923. f I /CM (CO: /•oo;: ;:- t '^ yce : V 1 AD '"V \ -. r*\ R A v .'- ^^ c ==,>.^£=y.J ~n f~ j to 31 7x3 3 • Nj .svS / "*WJ*J" |