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Show XL REPORT OF TEE COXXISSIOXER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. timber, and for agricolture wonld not be worth the heavy expense of clearing it. The three thousand Indians at White Earth and Red Lake are prac-tically self-supporting, having harvested this year 39,000 bushels of wheat, 13,000 bushels of corn, and 23,000 bushels of potatoes. Nearly all at White Earth wear citizen's dress, live in houses, send their chil-dren to school, attend church on the Sabbath, and lead a quiet, indus-trious, agricultural life. Many have surrounded themselves with the comforts of civilized life, and a casual observer would notice but little difference betmeen their settlement arid the mhite farming communities of t,he frontier. For many xears the Red Lake India.11~h ave managed to take care of t.bemselres, sl~pplemeuling the fish and small game of the reserve with moderate but never failing crops of corn, and some potatoes. For sev-eral years past their garden patches have been enlarged each year; some property, in the way of stock cattle and implemeuts, has been accumulated, and wheat-raising has been successfl~llyin troduced. One after another they are renouncing wigwams for lop-houses, built b j their own hands; and, with very small expenditures of money, are slowly and steadily advancing to that degree of civilization which the White Earth Indians reached in a few years, by means of liberal appropriations from Congress and generous contributions from missionary societies. The Red Lake Reserve is remote from settlements, is suited to all the wants of the Indians there, and, on the whole, is as good a home as could be found for them, and one to bhich they are devotedly attached. The only hope for the Pillager Chippewas at Leech Lake lies ill their removal to White Earth ; and thoughsuch removal a few years ago would have met with determined opposition, it is believed that many are now beginning to realize the hopelessness of the situation at Leekh Lake, and the advantages which the White Earth Reserr~at~ioonff ers. VOithout doubt if a yoke of cattle, or a house, or some other assistance in the way of getting established at a new place could be offered tliem, many faul-ilies would be ready to remove thither at once. Agradual removal of this sort would be more advantageous and economical than to undertake to transplant the whole tribe it one time. But without some appropriation from Congress for the purchase of cattle, building of houses, furnishing seed, impleme~~t&s,e ., for the first season, nothing in this direction can be attempted with any hope of success. At White Oak Point and vicinity, and at Mille Lac and Snake River are770,525, and 250 Chippewas, respectively. The White Oak-Point Chip. pewas have a barren, worthless reserve on which they cannot live. The Mille Lacs are on a fine tract of land, which can never be their own (their only title to it being the privilege of occupancy during good behavior) and mhich is coveted and trespassed on by the whites. The branch of the Milk Lacs at Snake River are on small tracts of laud purchased by themselves at government rates, id the neighborhood of Bn~nswick, |
