OCR Text |
Show 6 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. their removal to the Uinta reservation. beconfirmed. or else anew treatv I* mndc. The Inclianuare poor, anrl {he game uljod which thcy depenj for si~haisrencei8 by no means abundant. Jt celTaiuly is very desirable that their title to the land* in the Trrritnrvlle rutinm~ished;.a nd t11evI)e permanently located on the reservation rebred to, ;here they con18 be helped, and put in the way of being made fielf-sustaining in the course of time. A treaty shollld be made with the Ottoes and Missourias in Nebraska, and with the Stockbridges in Wisconsin. Both of these tribes are in a destitute condition, but they have valuable lands, much of which is no benefit or ur.wtica1 use to them. Bv the .vroceeds of a sale of t l i r ~1n~111 19 they ein be rorufurr;~l)lyso l~po&d a;~d l~ro\idcclw it11 lue;illn to engage in induntri:11 pursilita, n11d to eduente tl~virc hilclren. I ran but e x~r e swi hat is so auuareut. and what has heretofore been seen and reron~&~mc\iend e o~nmu~k:~tiuton auu d frou thiaoffiev, t i e iropriity and nrcessit,~o f tllrre L~.irigs om~tr eaty aITnngemrlits e~~terricnlt o with tribes in Now \ft!xico. Arizo~lu. Nevada. ond \Vaslrinnt<rn Torritiwi1.9. having no treaty relations with the go$ernment, espe~idlyw ith tho& tribes inhabiting or claiming rich agricultural districts or mining regions, in order that their rights may bedetermined and secured, peace relations established, and proper measures adopted for their civilization, and, at the sametime, the righp of settlers protected, and desirable wastes of country opened for occupancy and improvement by citizens. The tribes in these Territories, as well as others, have long roamed free and uncontrolled over the countries they occupy, which they claim as their own, and it is ' not surprising they regard with jealousy and bitterness of spirit the encroachments of the whites, who, in many instances, not only ignore their rights but treat them with contempt, and despoil them of life and property. The passing through their country of a continuous stream of emigration, dispersing or destroying the butfalo, is on8 of the causes of great discontent and suffering with them. Treated thus,,andno adequate compensation being made to them for what they have ylelded up or lost, their resources of subsistence and trade diminished, with starvation in the future staring them in the face, the wonder is that there prevails any degree of forbearance on their part, with such provocations to discontent and retaliation. The best policy to pursue towards tribes in this con-dition and vhich justice and humanity dictate, is to treat with them, recogiize their rights, relieve them from suffering, remunerate them for that of which they have beendeprived, anclprovidefortheirconcentration upon tracts of country guaranteed to them for their possession against any intrusion by whites, aud then teach and assist them in whatever will tend to make them ultimately, and at no distant day a self-sustaining, intelligent people. Under the beneficial measures OH such a policy it may be reasonably hoped that with these tribes, now so wild and war-like, there would be manifested gradually evidences of moral and social improvement, and a condition ere long reached as encouraging and as creditable as that presented by some of ourbest tribes, such as the Choctaws and others. In this connection1 desirc to call attention to the reuort of the peace commissioners to the President. dated the '7th of .l:iuuary, amo~igti le doeun~c.l~thdv lewith, rollt;+il~i~thrvii r uuggestions a1111r eeomrner~dnr~ouRHs to t h p~hi la most advisable td he innu,qxnted for the I-i\.i\izutionu f the lndi:ms, espevixllv with rcferrnvu to tl~<,sneo t now permanently located upon rekegationi, in the hope that Congress wilI favorably consider them, and make appropriate legislation for the carrying into effect that plan. |