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Show REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS 47 - i . Congresswas requested to make an appropriation for this purpose. Instead, of granting the request, Congress, in the act making .appropri-ations for the current and contingent expenbes of the Indian Depart-ment for the year euding June 30,1890, directed that the Hoopa Valley Agency should he embraced within the Mission Tule River (consoli. dated) Agency, but made no provision for any increase of salary at the latter agency. This change appears to be of doubtful expediency. Under the Boopa Valley Agency are two reservations 30 miles apart; the Hoopa Valley reserve containing nearly 90,000 acres, the home of about 500 Indians, and the Klamath Kiver reserve containing about 26,000 acres occupied by about 200 Indians. Tbe Hoopa Valley Indiaus have become practi-cally self-supportiug arid are making progress towards civiliation. By their own labor they are provided with food, clothing, agricultural . . implements, stock, etc., and from the military p o ~ th ey have received assistance in transporting produce to inarket and bringing back sup-plies, and in obtaining opportunities for paid labor. The Klamath River Indians depend in a great measure ob fishing and lumbering, suffer much from trespassers on their fishing grounds, hdve easy access to intoxicants, and therefore need to be constantly withiu'reach of aal agent who bas experience, energy, good sense, and some legal acqniremeuts. The duties resting on the agent of Mission Tule River (consolidated) Agency before this.change would seem to have been sufficiently ouer-ous without adding the care of' another agency, for he already had three distinct and widely separated tribes and reservations under his super-vision, viz : (1) The Mission Indians, who constitute the Mission Agency proper and number about 3,000. Their numerous reserva.tions, aggrg-gatingabout 162,000 acres, are all surrounded by white settlers, who have for years trespassed thereon and still continue to do so. An agent should be with them as much as possible in order to look after their rights. (2) The'rule River Indians, who number abont 150. Their reser-vation, containing about 50,000 acres, is located some 150 milesnorth of the Mission Ageucy. They are under the immediate care of a farmer, and the agent can spare them hut Little of his time, which is unfortu-nate, since they need careful oversight because their reservation is not well adapted to agriculture, and they are obliged to Barn a livelihood by working for the surrounding whites, where they are brought in contact with whisky and other demoralizing influences. (3) TheYnmaIndians, who number about 975 persons. Their reservation of 50,000 acres is located about 125 miles south of the Mission Agency. They are natu- , rally peaceable and easily managed, but there are no white employ& allowed for them, and as the agent can not visit them often they aqe not improving. ) - The Hoopa Valley Agency is 900 miles distant from the Mission Agency, and the only practicable route thereto is from Ooltou to Ban . |
