OCR Text |
Show The appropriation for their relief was reduced at the last session of Congress from S10,000 to $5,000. So small an amount will scarcely suffice for the pur-pose intended, that of furnishing these Indians with enough of the necessary supplies to sustain life during the long inclement seasor) of that northern climate, so as to pteclude the necessity of stealing from the settlers. If any appropria-tion af the kind is made it chould he large enough to he of substantial use. MACKINAC AGENCY. The annual report of this agency, comprising the Indians of Michigan, is at hand hut not complete, owin-g to'the failure of statistics from one of its suhdi-visions. The tribes of the agency, as classed under various treaties, are as follows : Ottawas and Chippewas, 502; Chippewas of Saginaw, Swan creek, aud Black river, 1,562; Chippewas, Ottawas and Pottawatomies, 232; Chippewas of Lake Superior, 1,058 ; Pottawatomies of Huron, 46; total 7,925; showing an increase of 76 since the last report. The statistics deficient are those of the Chio~ewasof Saeinaw, &c. Leaving these hands out of the question, the number w<&e statisticsire reported is 6,363; and the number of bushels of grain raised is stated at 44,000; bushels of pot* I toes, 91,000; tons of hay, 2,500; pounds maple sugar, 233,000; and vdne of furs sold.. $.4 0..0 00. Among thr. educational statistics the Saginaw bands are included, and them are 22 schools with 934 scholars, and seventeen missionarios of different denomi-nations labor amorig them. Nothing of special interest has occurred in regard to these Indians during the past year, except the ratification of the treaty made in 1864 with the Chippe-was of Saginaw, &c., with amendments to which they have agrced. Good effectsare anticipated from the ope~ationo f this treaty, in tbe concentration of t l ~ epe ople upon one reservation, and the establishment of a good school thereon. The same policy should be pursued in regard to the other bands of this agency. Scattered as they are upon numerous reservations widely separated, it is impos- 1 sihle for an agent to give theh3 proper supervision, and the Indians suffer great 1 annoyance from being interspersed among the white settlements. Many of the people have expressed the desire to make the necessary treaty arrangements. Earnest efforts, which meet with considerable success, are being made by the agent to prevent the furnishing of liquor to the Indians; and n late decision of the Supreme Court of the United States in a case appealed from this agency, being in favor of the prosecution, has aided his efforts very materially. NEW YORIC AGENCY. The people nnder the charge of Agent Rich, whose hendquarters are at Akron, Erie county, New Tork, are the remains of the several tribes forming the a~icienat nd powerful confed~rationk nown as the Six Nations. They have now dwindled down to a population of about 4,000, residing mostiy in tlro southwest part of the State of New York, upon certain reservations long ago set apart, hnt some few hands and parties being scattered about nearer the con-tral part of the State. For the most part the people are industrioiie, as well as intelligent, in the care of their farms, and succeed in obtaining a fair living by their lnlior ; as to many of them, it may be said that they are not surpassed by the whites in the care and diligence with wliich they pursue their business, or the success which crowns their efforts, as may be seen at the annual fails which have been il~stituteda mong them. These Indians exhibit a great interest in the education of their children, and as their location is snch as to give them the benefit of the common school system of the State of Xew York, they are not slow to avail themselves of the piivilege, there being 23 schools among |