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Show 128 REPORT OF THE BOARD OF INDIAN COMMISSIONERS. can get far ahead unless you try. You cannot spend your money for whisky and at the same time get a house with it. You cannot gamble and get rich ; white men cannot do it any more than Indians. Instead of spending your money for what is bad, use it to buy a cow, or a horse, or sheep, or pigs, or something that will increase, and after a while will make you rich, or will help you build and furnish a house. Suppose this reservation belonged to me, what do you think I would do with it ? If I had nothing else but a blanket and a pair of pants, a shovel, and an ax if I had these, and nothing else, I would soon be richer than the President. I would go somewhere and work a week or two, and get a little money and buy something to eat, with it. Then I would take my blanket, ax, and shovel, and I would go to the Beaver Meadow Swamp and begin digging a ditch. As long as my provision lasted I would dig at it. Then I would go and earn more, and I would keep on digging till the marsh was drained, and when it was drained I would cut the hay, and soon be as rich as the President. I could do that if I had nobody to help me. You have this reservation ; there is plenty of good land ; you have strong arms and good brains ; you know what is right, and I want to know why you do not go to work at this ? Is it not good ? Can you not do it? I know you can. I want you to put your heads together and agree to go to work at this ditch. Father Chirouse will help you, and you can make money out of it. I could tell you many things you could do for your good, but it would take all day. I know you can think it out yourselves. You can help each other, for the reservaticn belongs to all of you, and in this way you can all get rich. I will not talk any more now, but I want you to say what you wish me to know. You need not be afraid of anybody, but speak right out. I have been talking for the President and all the chiefs at Washington. If all the chiefs came here from Washington and talked, we would be kept all week ; so if all you men talk, each for himself, it would keep me too long. I want you to select two or three to talk for all the rest, and I will listen to what they have to say. You must not talk about little things, but what concerns all of you, and I will have it put on paper, and the President can read it ; he does not want any little talk, or bad talk. GENERAL McKiNNEY. I want to say a few words. I did not come here to make a speech, but I came to hear what Mr. Brunot had to say. I am glad to hear all he has said; you all know it is like what I have said to you. I want all to speak freely and not to be afraid, and lest some will be afraid to say what you want, Father Chirouse and I will walk while you talk. FATHER CHIROUSE. Be free and speak what you wish. CHARLEY ( LITTLE.) I understand you, and am glad to hear your advice about working our lands. We have not tools to work with. If I split rails I would have to pack them on my shoulders. We never have had any ditching tools. I will promise to go and wr ork my lands. I came here to see one of the employes and asked for a scythe. He let me have one; in two days I returned it, and the employe" got mad at me. Since then I never asked for any tools. I feel happy and glad, and thank you for the advice you gave us, and I will act on it. NAPOLEON, the chief, came forward with much dignity and laid before Mr. Brunot a bunch of split sticks, saying with great earnestness : These represent the number of my people killed by the whites during the past year, all Indian chiefs, fifteen of them, and yet noth-ing has been done by the Government to punish these wicked white men who killed my people. These fifteen men were not white men. but were Indians, whom the whites have killed. They killed them by selling them whisky. We always receive and keep good advice. I do not speak of these fifteen men killed because of a bad heart, but I want you to know what kind of people live about us. Governor Stevens, at the treaty, gave me a head chiefs paper. I have always kept it. Governor Stevens has done what he promised. The agents and superintendent, after they came, did not do right. Stevens and Simmons did what they promised. Tke whites now scare all the Indians, and we look now wonder-ing when all the Indians will be killed. We are glad to see you, and our hearts will be up. The poor Indians are scared now by the bad whites, and your coming has made our hearts strong. We never saw any man as agent on the reservation who had pity on the Indians ; they all frightened them. As soon as the new agent comes on the reservation the Indians go away ; they wander all over the country, get whisky, and are killed. When some of our agents who are gone were here there were many Indians on the reservation. The agents brought whisky on the reservation, and drank it ; the Indians thought it must be good, and now they drink it. That is what killed the Indians, and we feel sad ; that is what I want to tell you ; that is what makes the Indians leave the reservation. There is no farm, because there are no Indians to make it. You come here and don't see any farming. The Indians are scared and feel afraid. The whites say, " You will all be killed soon/' and the Indians don't care to work the land. I think you will give us advice that is good. Mr. Garfielde, before he went to Washington, gave us good advice. I keep it in my heart. PETER. I will tell you the truth, and you will hear me. Twelve years ago the treaty was made. I know how the Indians have grown, and what the agents have done. All the young Indians wait, for they have been promising many things to us. We wait till the agent does as he promises ; till he fixes our houses and lands. Some of the boys talk English and have sense. When we got a new agent he never did right ; they always did wrong. They never help the Indians, and never do what the President wants them to do. |