OCR Text |
Show '42 ' REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. On the Devil's Lake Reservation, in North Dakota, it will doubtless be finished during the present season. On the Nez Per& Reservation, Fdaho, there is fair prospect of com-pletiug the work in the field before winter. Work on the Jiearilla Apache Reservation, ln New Mexico, is nearly wmpleted. Reports from the Siletz Reservation, in Oregon, do not indicate very rapid progress. Allotments to the Tonkawas, in Oklahoma, are finished. , . Allotments are progressing on the Otoe Reservation, though with considerable opposition. Satisfactory progress is being made on the Crow Creek and Lower Brul6 reservations. Very little has been accomplished among the Eickapoos and Potta-watomies, of Kansas. Allotments are in progress on the Umatilla Reservation, Oregon. In April last a corps of five agents was appointed to make allotments on the Cheyenne and Arapaho Reser'vation, in Oklahoma, as provided in the agreement with these 'Indians ratified by the act of Congress approved March 3,1891 (26 Stats., 1022). They proceeded to duty, early in May, but owing to the refusal of the Indians to take allotments, until they had received the payment stipulated, they were unable to wmmence work before the middle of July. Subsequently two more agents were added to the corps. On the 13th of September they had made some 1,335 allotments, the total number entitled to allotments being about 3,300. The appropriation of $16,000 available for prose-cuting the work became exhausted on the 30th of September, and it was therefore found necessary (on the 26th) to discontinue further work in the field. Work is in progress on the Sioux ceded lands in South Dakota. Surveys have been executed on the Wind River Reservation, in Wyoming, with a view to future allotments, and have been contracted for on the Moqni Reservation, in Arizona, and the Rosebud Reserva-tion, in South Dakota. The present season will close the work on a large number of reserva-tions. Hereafter it will doubtless proceed more slowly, the Indians on many of the uunllotted reservations being wholly unprepared for this important change in their condition. ALLOTMENTS TO NON-RESERVATION INDIANS. Under the 4th section of the general allotment act of 1887, anum-ber of applications for allotments have been presented by Indians of3 reservations; but owing to the press of other duties during the year and the lack of proper clerical force allotments have not as yet ,been made. Prior to March 3, 1891, no appropriation had been' made to assist non-reservation Indimnn in making applications for allotment under said section, and in consequelice but little progress could be niade in ! |