OCR Text |
Show ! COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFB1AIR8. 7 thw$ of the principal southern tribes, may be accounted for by the simple fact that the latter were permitted, for long periods, to remain undieturbed in their original locations ; where, surrounded by, or in close proximity with a white population, they, to a considerable extent, acquired settled habits and a knowledge of and taste for civil-ized occupations and pursuits. Our present policy, as you are aware, is entirely the reverse of that heretofore pursued in the three par-ticulars mentioned. It is to permanently locate the different tribes on resetlvations embracing only sufficient laud for their actcal occupancy ; to di'vide this among them in severalty, and require them to live upon and cultivate the tracts assigned to them ; and in lieu of money ann ities, to furnish them with stock animals, agricultural imple-men s, mechanic-shops, tools and materials, and manual labor schools for C 1 e industrial and lnental education of their youth. Most of the oldeb treaties, however, provide for annuities in money, and the depart-ment has, therefore, no authority to commute them even in cases where the Indians may desire, or could be influenced to agree to such a chadge. In view of this fact, and the better to enable the department to cdrry out its present and really more benevolent policy, I would respectfully recommend and urge that a law be enacted by Congress, empbwering and requiring the department, in all cases where money anndities are provided for by existing treaties, and the assent of the Indibns can be obtained, to commute them for objects and purposes of a beneficial character. The principle of recognising and respecting the usufruct right of the Indians to the lands occupied by them, has not been so strictly adhered to in the case of the tribes in the Territories of Oregon and Washington. When a territorial government was first provided for which then embraced the present Territory of Washington, were held out to our people to emigrate and settle ther without the usual arrangements being made, in advance, for the 2 xtinguishment of the title of the Indians who occupied and clai7 e d the lands. Intruded upon, ousted of their homes and posses- sions without any compensation, and deprived, in most cases? of their accudtomed means of support, without any arrangement havmg been made to enable them to establish and maintain themselves in other locat~ons,i t is not a matter of surprise that they have committed many deprddations upon our citizens, and been exasperated to frequent act6 of hostility. TbJe Indians in Oregon and Washington number about 42,000, and into 35 tribes and bands. The only treaties in force with are with those who inhabited the valuable sections of Rogue river, Umpqua and Willamette val-acts of hostility and continued depredations upon the white settlers, the Indians in Oregon were removed to, and are ow living upon the reservations, one on the western and the othe on the eastern side of the coast range of mountains; and the coun ry to which their title was extinguished has rapidly filled up t with an enterprising and thrifty population. In the year 1855, trea-ties &ere also entered into by the superintendent of Indian affairs for Oredon, and by Governor Stevens, e.z oficio superintendent for Wash- I |