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Show REPORT OF THE BOARD OF INDIAN COMMISSIONERS. 129 The President sent agents to help the Indians. Some of the young men hear the good whites say good words, and they wait for the agents to keep that. The agents say, " In twenty years your money will all be paid," and we wait for that. Every agent has done wrong. I know all of them. I hear what you say; but I never say anything 1 to the superintendent. They all say, " No money comes from Washington." I am glad to see you : you ore a good man and will hear me. If I am well, I will take some money and go to Washington, and tell the President how things are done. McKirmey ( the superin-tendent) has gone to the woods. He knows something is bad. When he came before ail the Indians were glad to see him; he came from Washington; the Indians heard what he said. McKitmey was talking in the wrong way. When he talked it seemed as if a big wind blew all the Indians away. There were many Indians on this reservation ; all looked at McKinney and thought he would do right; he don't do anything. Since he came almost all the Indians have been killed. The Indians have been scared by the agent; they leave their houses ; the agents see the empty houses and break them down, and take them. The Indians built the houses themselves. The carpenter was here, but he did not build them ; all is true that I tell you. We hope the President will help us. All the young Indians want to live as white people; they are not lazy. They see the Indian agent; he works for him self and never helps the Indian. If you get time I will take you about the b- ay, and I will shoAv yon what the Government has given the Indian. I cannot tell yon many stories from the beginning ; the sun would go down before I finished. My head is flat, but I know what has been done here. O, sir, you will be my messenger to the President. Tell him there are many old Indians with white hair; they cannot see you; some are blind. They Jay on the reservation ; they lay on the ground ; they have nothing to cover themselves. We feel sorry for them. We heard, when the treaty was made, that when an old man or woman got poor the Government would keep them. When we know this we ought not to have to keep them ; it is the agent's place to do so. These old men and women cannot work ; let the Government help them. All these old people ought to be kept by the Government. God! gave their; the land arid they sold it to the Government. I tell j ron this for them. You must hear rne, good sir; it is good. I would say the same to McKinney. All thought he would help us, but he did nothing for us. He helps the school, that * is all : that is alt Father Chirouse does; he is only the schoolmaster. He sent Peter to Olympia to see McKiuney. McKinney built the big church on the mission. Another agent, Mr. Howe, sawed ws lumber for our houses. We built the houses ourselves; we spent all our money to build them. There is an Indian there who did not know how to work ; he was trying to build a house with his own money ; the whites took it for an ox- house at the log- earn p. We want the- Government to give us cows or pigs, or something that is of use, and to give blankets to the old men. I am not asking money of the President for the agent, but for the Indian. I' will be glad to see the Government help the old people. My father was Napoleon's brother; that is why I say take pity on them. Mr. BRUNOT. It would take four months to go to Washington in a canoe ; if I go by boats and railroads it would take two weeks, and I have much to do and little time in which to do it. I must go to two more reservations before I start home, so 1 have little* time to spend here. I am going to stay here just half an hour longer, then I must go.. Whoever talks must know I can only give half an hour here. CLUJVI SHEL; ON. I will talk and you must listen. I will tell you how our agents have-done. We are almost all gone. Our agents always do wrong when they come to Tnlalip. The President promises much and the Indians agree to the treaty. They agree to be) p us ;: we never have seen any money come for our land ; you commissioners from Washington, look at that blanket; [ throwing a blanket contemptuously on the ground ;] I got it from the- Government. Is that what bought our laud? Is that money ? We got these. The agent keeps the best. The Government promises good goods, such as white men get. This blanket is new, but it looks old. Is that the money for our land ? When the goods come,, there are none to give the old Indians. We had some cattle. The agent said they belonged to the Indians; when we want to use the oxen, they never let the Indians have them. We-are poor and miserable on this reservation. Tell the Great Father what we are; tell him to give us what we want. I am old ; I want to see something before I die to make the young people happy. We are very poor and miserable on this reservation. WILLIAM. God is my Heavenly Father, you are my father from Washington. If yoir look at our houses you will see they are very poor. I tell you we are very poor ; see the tools we work with; [ exhibiting a stone hammer, and other Indian tools ;} it is with these we have to build our bouses; we use a stone for a hammer. We are almost all dead, but we are glad to see you. One of our employers treats us like dogs; he uses us like slaves. I tell you the truth, he struck an Indian on the face, and the blood gushed out. You tell us to talk freely, and I do so. The whites cheat us, and some of our agents cheat us. JB speak to you ; I talk in the presence of the God who made us. I talk to you as my father. I am glad to see you ; I came from one of these tribes. I have no land now. I am a poor old man. God made me ; the whites took our lard. Here is my country below this reserva* tion ; near it is Tulalip. I want a paper to keep any white men away when they come-* They scare the old men and want to kill us. HALLUM. Did you come from Washington? I don't believe you, for many said thej 9iC |