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Show REPORT OF THE BOARD OF INDIAN COMMISSIONERS. 121 own food; but it is not so. We never have done so, and we cannot raise enough to live on. The people told you about wagons ; it is an old story ; we wanted them long ago. I I cannot look you in the face ; I am ashamed. White men have carried away our women. What do you think ? White men do these things, and say it is right. I have been here seven-teen years and am the same as when I came here. I expect the President thinks we are doing well, because he has sent funds for us, but we never used them ; were it not for the fish we would have starved to death. The mountains where we used to hunt we still hunt over. I am an old man ; I work hard to try and raise my children ; so with my farm ; I work till I sweat, to make a living for my children ; Captain Smith gives us grain to sow, but it is not enough for even one little farm. Mr. BRUNOT. When the surveyor gets through in the Sinemarsh country, Captain Smith wants those who have no farms to pick out farms there ; he thinks it is better. I want to go to- morrow and look at it, and I hope when Captain Smith is ready that any of the Indians who have not farms will pick out farms for themselves. When the white man takes up a farm he makes a fence, builds a house, ploughs his lands, and plants them. When the Indian goes to farm, he has a great many horses ; they give him trouble to keep them away from his crops. When he has no farm, and hunts or goes to war, he wants a great many ponies. But when you try to be like white men, what is the use of so many ponies ? You only need two or three to ride about. If I were an Indian, and was getting a farm, I would take some of the horses and trade for a cow. I would sell all my horses except just what I had need for, and I would buy cows ; they would have calves ; and if the wheat crop failed I would have meat to eat. When I got fields planted and ready for harvest, I would sell more ponies and buy a machine ; sell what I do not want and buy what I need. When Hol- o- quil- a was talking, and said he had to throw wheat up and wait for the wind, I thought if he had sold a horse that was not of much use, he could buy a wind- machine ; is not that so ? That is the way the white man gets these things. Remember this, and some day you will remember the white man who told you how the white men get rich. When the white men had a great war, ( you know about it, ) some of them wanted to break away and not have the same chief and the same laws. The headmen were Lincoln and Jeff. Davis. Many people were killed, but now we all have the same laws. Sometimes some bands of Indiams on the reservation think they ought to break away. It is not right; you must all try and stick together and be like brothers. When we had the great war the Jeff. Davis men had slaves. When we came together and tried to do right they let all the slaves go free ; Lincoln said they must. General Grant, the President, found some Indians had slaves. He said, and all white people said, there should be no more slaves anywhere ; nothing but dumb animals must be slaves. The President heard there were some slaves among the Indians, taken from the Snakes and Crows, and he appointed men to hunt them up and set them free. If there are any slaves among these Indians the President wants them sent back to their friends, and when he tries to do what is good for the Indians, he expects them to do what is right. There is one thing more I want to speak about. The Great Spirit told the white man he should have but one wife, and all over the land the whites are increasing. Before the Indians learned what the Great Spirit wanted, some of them had more than one wife some have more than one now. It is not right. If the Indians keep on in their old way, every year they get fewer. There are not so many now as there were five years ago. If they live in their old way, in a few years, there will be no more Indians. We do not want to see that ; we want them to increase in numbers, as well as in all that is good. The young men must only have one wife hereafter. When you get one wife and a farm, not too many horses, but cows instead, and wear clothes like the white man, and come to hear about the white man's God, then I think you are starting right, and if I come back again I will expect to see you more like white men. When I say white men, I mean good white men. There are many bad white men. I do not mean for you to be like such. If a man was to come and tell me to throw away my clothes, wear a blanket, and sleep in the dirt, I would know that man did not tell me what is for my good. If a man was to bring me whisky, and say " drink it," and I knew it would make me like a brute, I would not take it. A great many of these Indians have as good sense as I have ; they know what is right. When bad white men tell you bad things, you know it is wrong. Do what is right, and after awhile you will be happy. I will carry what you have told me to the Great Father, and he will be glad to hear that J have seen you, and can tell about you, and he will be glad to hear you are trying to do what is right. Captain SMITH. I have much to say, but I will not say it now. In a few weeks, when all are done hunting and fishing, I want all the Indians on the reservation to meet here. I am ordered to enroll all the men and women and children, and to give each an American name. These lands are being surveyed, so that we can give each a piece of land, and give it to him in his American name. We are putting up four more wagons. We hope by next spring to give each a set of harness to keep. Each one who goes on a piece of land, when they call for a wagon, shall have it. We cannot give each one a wagon, but I will promise one to each section for so many persons, and they can all use it. If you go to the Sinemarsh country we will go and help you to build houses and break up the land. In a few days we will make out the list for your annuity goods. We will get plows and things you need. Some of you are as well- off as I am, and ought to help yourselves. Those that |