OCR Text |
Show XXXVI REPORT OP THE COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN ABFAIES. having the remainder of the tribe brought to the Territory, that they ma,y be together. An arrangement could probably be made to start these Western Modocs next spring, and with the expenditwe of about five thousand dollars they could be brought to the Indian Territory and located with the remainder of the tribe to mnt~~aadlv antage. THE PONCAS. At the time of the presentation of the last a~mnarle port of this office, the Ponca Indians were on the northern portion of the Quapaw Reserva-tion, within three miles of Baxter Spriugs. They were not satisfied with the location, which, in several respects, was an unsnitable one for In-dians beginning civilization. Many persons in the adjacent town did not scruple to sell them whisky, and although the Indians wonld r e t ~ m reeling into the camps it was impossible to ascertaiii who furnished the liquor. . The chiefs at once expressed the desire to find a more congenial loca-tion, in another part of the Territorg, and, accompanied by an Indian in-spector, made a careful examination of two locations and selected a tract on the west bank of the Arkansas River, which covers both banks of the Salt Fork at its jnnction with the Arkansas. The land is admirable in quality, well wooded and watered, an4 the locati n of the agency is the finest site for the purpose that co ul'd !bbe chos n, on h.~ ght able land; surrounded on three sides by wa,ter, and fringed by fine forest trees. A warehouse has been completed and agency buildings and a school-house are in conrse of erection, and before winter sets in eveqything will be fairly advanced toward settlement. A steam saw-mill is iii running order, which will fi~nushth e Indians with lumber for their own bailding purposes. The Poncas are beconling more reconciled to their new home, and now askthat they be compensated for the 96,000 acres the)- relinq~ushedi n Dakota, and that the title to their new homes be confirmed to them by the United States. A bill to effect this will be prepared for presentation to Co~igress at its next session, which shonld receive immediate action. It should be remembered that their old reservation in Dakota was confirmed to the Poncas by solemn treaty and at the time of making the treaty they received promises of certa.in annuities in consideration of the cession to the United States of alarge tract of land. That treaty, which is still in force, also recognized certain depredation claims which are still unadjusted. By a blunder in makiig the Sioux treaty of 1868, the 96,000 acres belonging to the Poncas were ceded to the Sioux. The negotiators had no right whatever to make the cession, and the bad feel-ing between the Sioux and the Poncas, which had existed for a lons time, compelled the removal of the latter to the Indian Territory. In this removal, I am sorry to be compelled to say, the Poncas were wronged, and restitution should be made as far as it is in the power of the government to do so. For the violation of their treaty no adequate |