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Show REPORT OF THE COMXISSIOXER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. XX~II which caries with it no title at ail. This system of allotment, so far as carried intoeffect, has been fraught with much success and encouraging improvement. The fact, however, that the Indians are not guaranteed a title affording them perfect security from molestation, aud the fear that their lands may be taken from them, has created apprehension in the minds of many, and has been a bar to progress in this direction. The allotment system tends to break up tribal relations. It has the effect of creating individuality, responsibility, and a desire to accuma-late property. It teaches the Indians habits of induskry andfrugality, and stimulates them to loolr forward to a better and more useful life, and, in the end, it mill relieve the government of large innual appro-priations. As stated in the annual report of this office for the year 1880, the desireto take lands in severalty is almost univefsal among the Indians. They see that iillthe near future the settlement of the couutry by whitea, i~udth e consequent disappearance of game, the expiration of the annuity pco~isiqnso f their treaties, and other causes will necessitate t,hc adoption of some measures on their part providilig for the future support and welfareof themselves and their children. As illustrating the desire on the part of t,he I~idianto take laud in severalty, to adopt. the habits and pursnits of civili~a~tiotno, provide a home for himself and family, and to guard against future want, I iuvitc attention to the fol-lowing extracts from a report made by C. A. Maxwell, United States special agent, dated September 23,1851, upon a council held with the Crow Indians at their agencr, in Montana, on the 22d of Augustlast, 1%: It will be observed by reference to the minutes of the oouooil that the main point of conversation on the part of the Indiana was the sobject of more cattle, houses to live in, farmioo. ... s o d a. zeneral deaire to live like the white men aod t o adoot t h e habirs and pt~rsoil*u f civilired life,. Tbn Tnd8anr aro very anri<,ua in rc,zanl to the marwur of pag~neotf or tllo right of wax of rhsNorrher!t P s i d s Railmad rllrougll th6,ir reservation: . a n agreement forwhioh tbe"v si.g. ned on t h e a2d of An-ru s t isst. i.ud also 1 the money whioh they believeis due them for the western portion of the reservation, a n ~ g r e eme nfto r the ceaaioo of whioh they signed J u n e 12,1860. It appears t o be al-most the uoenimona wish of the tribe that the money due or to beodme doe themnuder both sgreemeotg should be invested in cattle for the heads of families and individual merubera of the tribe,the ereition of houses, and the porohese of agrioultar&I imple-ments, whioh oertaiiuly shows a commendable spirit on the part of such wild and un-totored savages, and tends to demonstrate the faot thilt, no matter how wild and nomadic Indians are, they can be taught to follow the porsuits of the white man and to enter upon a mace naafml life, and, in tima, become aelfsopporting. I t is but a queation of short time when the rapid settlement of the country and the disappear-anoeof the buffalo will neoessitate the ooo6oement bf the Crows to their reisrvatiun, in whioh event they will, fur the greater portion of each year, be in a destitute oan-dition oolesa some msaaures are adapted to render them salf.sopportiog.. . From what I observed while a t tllo ageooy, the Crows are very willing to be in-strooted in and learn of the white m:%o the ways of oivilizstioo. It appears that as late as the spring of 1879 not ooe of the Crows wan eogaxed, or had attempted to en-gage, in agriculture, while a t the present time quitea ntzmber of theleading ohiefa are ocoupying ootufortable log cabins and c u l t i v n t i n ~a wall parcels of gruuud, solne of them having their land inclosed. The Indians manifest great intersst and ooosideril-hlepride i n this step toward civilization and the self-aupport of them~alvesa nd fam- |