OCR Text |
Show - are competent(such competency to be determined by the chiefs of the respective tribes and the Indian agent), and the shares of minor orphans to be paid to guardians appointed by the probate court in and for Chero-kee County, Eans. Under this provision payment was made as quickly as practicable, but the nnavoidable delay was severely felt by the Indians. The Sac and Fox Indians, in Iowa, still express dissatisfaction with the pro rata division of their tribal funds between themselves and that branch of the tribe located in the Indian Territory, and especially with the decision which deprives them of any part of the provision made for the support of the tribal government and for pay of the chiefs. They have refused to receive their last annuity. At an early day an effort will be made to ascertain the true cause of their grievances. Until recently Big Hawk's band of Wisconsin Winnebagoes have persistently refused to receive their shares, nearly $7,000, of the money provided by act of January 1S,18S1 (21 Stat., 315); hut they have no-tified the Office that they are now willing to accept it. A special agent, - at. present engaged in paying the whole tribe in Wisconsin their regu-lar annuity for the last fiscal year, has been instructed to pay these back shares to Big Hawk's band, and money has been placed to his official credit for that purpose. The largest regular, annuity recently paid to any tribe is that paid to the Osages, which amounted to nearly $250,U00 last year, or about $160 to each ruan, woman, and child. This, and their stock and farming in-terests, the latter in a great measure conducted by hired whites, make the Osages almost independent of labor, and as they are louated where it is diffioult to prevent them from proonring intoxicants or indulging their gambling propensities a very bad element is growing up amongst the younger members of the tribe, so that to many this money, with the idleness which it permits, is rather a harm than a benefit. Indians as a class, however, are fast learning the proper use of money, and ?re generally as careful in its expenditure as are whites. The Office is steadily endeavoring to encourage and reward the deserving 1 by purchasing from them, whenever practicable, oats, hay; and other gr?in and supplies for agency and school use, giving Indians the prefer-unce when such parchases are to be made; also by employing them as freighters, agenry and 8~h00l employ6s, police, etc.. By this means they received last year, in small cash payments, sums which will aggregate very nearly as follows : Regular Indian employ68 at agencies .............................. $15,000 Irre~ulara nd misoellsneoua employ68 .............................. 30,000 Interpreters ....................................................... 26,000 Policemen ..................................... .:. ................ 75, OUO J o d g e ~o f "ooortaof Indian offenses" ............................. 5,000 Transportation of Iudisn slzppliea ............................. : ... @5,000 Pnrohases of produce and for breaking land.. ...................... 65,000 -- Total ...................................... .......,.. ...... 360,000 |