OCR Text |
Show We are considering the right disposition of over one and a half million acr& in southeastern Oklahoma known as the proposed for-est reserve, which covers lands tributary to the Red River, and the right handling of which would undoubtedly effect great savings in the necessary frequent dredging of the river. We believe we should take back under single Indian 05ce admiiis-tration several million acres of timbered lands on Executive order Indian reservations transferred in part in the early period of the year 1909 to the jurisdiction of the Forest Service because of lack of means to handle them as they should be handled on the part of the Indian Office. Legislation passed subsequent to that time has re-lieved this defect and the office can now lay its plans to handle these tracts and from the proceeds of timber, cut according to conservation principles, make the administration of Indian affairs on the reserva-tions involved substantially self-supporting and no longer a burden on the general funds of the Treasury. THE WHITE FARTH SITUATION. Immediately after original discoveries bp a special agent of the Indian Office, the department, in the summer of 1909, sent a United States Indian inspector, together with the special agent, to investigate further the affairs of the White Earth Indians, due to the attempted alienation of lands by full-blood and minor Indians under the pro-visions of the act of June 21,1906 (34 Stat. L., 325, 853), which re-moved the restrictions from lands of adult mixed-blood Indians of the White Earth Reservation. It was early discovered that there existed hundreds of fraudulent conveyances of both land and timber of full-blood and minor Indians, nnd the question of protecting the interests of these Indians by actions in the courts was, as soon as the facts could be obtained, referred to the Department of Justice. The Attorney Qeneral of the United States assigned to the work Hon. M. C. Burch, special assist-ant to the Attorney General, and as his assistant Hon. E. H. Long, special assistant to the Attorney General, with offices at Detroit, M i . The department detailed Mr. J. H. Hinton of the Indian O5ce as special Indian agent to assist. During the past year 901 equity suits have been filed. About 60 more were ready to be filed on the next rule day of the court after June 30, 1911. About 125 cases require further consideration before they are readg to be filed. This will make a total of 1,086 cases. Since the work has begun 18 mortgages have been released, 7 quitclaim deeds received, 1,800 acres restored to the Indians without decree of any court, and 3 criminal indictments have been obtained involving lo persons. |