OCR Text |
Show : '. ;. . , ., . . . i REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONEE OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. v \ Government woultl assure title to the land; and praying for. at least a little. of his 'Lfa ther's country," in order that he might see his children settled thereon before his death. By letter of April 12,1890, this office was advised that the non-res- Grvation Indians located in the northern part of Washington were in danger of losingtheir lands by reason of the encroachments of the whites. On the 18th day of April, 1890, a communication was received stat-ing that there were some one hundred and fifty Indians residing in southern Washington, who had abandoned their tribal relations, set-tled upon public lands, and would become prosperous if protected in their holdings. From information on file in this office it is apparent that in many cases white men hare :$tempted to dispossess Indians of lands long in their possession, and upon which they hire madevaluable improve-ment., cultivating the soil and supporting themselves without aid from the Government. Many such cases have been reported, and in erery iu~tancep rompt action has been taken in the interest of the Indiaus. For the purpose of saving to non-reservation Indians lands long claimed, used, and occupied by them a special agent was instructed, under date of July 23,1887, to proceed to Washington Territory and elsewhere, as the duties enjoined upon him might require, and assist the Indians in making applications for allotments under thefourth sec-tion of said act; but only a small portion of the work assigned to him under the instructions referred to was-accomplished owing to his assigu-ment to duty elsewhere shortly afterward. In the meantime the rush of popnlation to the West further increased the necessity of render-ing such assistance to the Indians; aecordingly another special agent was detailed May 14, 1889, to complete the unfinished work above alluded to, but owing to his resignation it was not even entered upon. July 17,1890, the President, upon official recommendation, appointed George P. Litchfield, of Salem, Oregon, a special agent for the pr'ose-cution of this work, which this office expects to carry vigorously ior-ward through the ensuing year, thus securing permanent homes to many of the non-reservation Indians. Under the provisions of section 15 of an act approved March 3, 1875 (18 Stata., 420), any Indian born in the United States who is the head of a family, or who has arrived at the age of twenty-one, and hae aban-doned, or may hereafter abandon, his tribal relations, shall, on giving satisfactory proof of the same, be entitled, under rules pre~cribed by th;! Department, to the benefits of the homestead act, approved May , , 20, 1862 (12 Stats., p. 392), and the amendments thereto, excepting the provisions of its eighth section. By act of July 4,1884 (23 Stats.. 96), it was provided 'that any In. dians then located on the public domain, or who should thereafter w> locate, might avail themselves of the privileges of the homestead lawa as fully and to the same extent as citieens of the United States, but. |