OCR Text |
Show Ridge to 1,000,000 pounds, and lesser amounts at the other agencies. This aation of the Deuartment. followine immediatelvafter tbe successful issue of our nee-o tiations. I oan nor fail ro have an in,juri~~uaeffuer1. 1 will beimpossiMe loaonvince the Indians that the rodueliol~ i6 nut due ro the fact rhat the Governmcut having obraiosd their I land has less concern in looking after their materid interests than-before. I t will be looked upon sa a breach of faith, and especiallg as a violatitionof the express i statements of the Commissioners. Already this action is being osed by the Indians opposed to the bill, notably at , . Pine Ridge, as an argument in sopport of the wisdom of their opposition. . In forwarding this report to Congress the Department called special attention to the above-quoted statements of the Commission and said: Tbe Commission further remarks that a9 to tbe quality of ratious furnished there seems to he no just cause far complaint, but tbat it waa particularly to be avoided that there shonld he any diminution of the ratious promised under the former treaties at this time, as the Indians would attribute it to their assent to the bill. Such diminution certainly should not be allowed, as the Government is bound in good faith to carry into effect the former treaties where not directly and positively affected by the mt, and if under the provisions of the treaty itself the ration is st any time reduced, the Commissioners recornmen4 that the Indian should be notified before spring opens, so tbat crop8 mag be cultivated. It is desirable that tha recent reduction made should be restored, as it ia now impossible to convince the Indians tba* it waq not due to the fact that the Government, having obtained their lands, had less aon-oern in looking after their material interests. Notwithstanding this plea of the Oommission and of the Department, the appropriation made for the subsistence and civilization of the Sioux for 1890 wan only $950,000, or $50,000 less than the amount estimated and appropriated for 1888 and 1889, and the appropriation not having ' been made until August 19, rations had to be temporarily parchased and t issued in limited quantities pending arrival of new *supplies to be secured from that appropriation.* , ' It was not until January, 1891, after the troubles, that an appropria-tion of $100,000 was made by Congress for additional beef for the Sioux. t Seventh. Other promises made by tiue Sioux Co~nmissiou and the agreement were not protnptly fulfilled; among them were increase of appropriations for education, for which this office bad asked an appro-priation of $150,000; the payment of $200,000, in compensation for ponies taken from the Sioux in 1876 and 1877 ; and the reimbursement of the Crow (:reek Indians for a rednation made in their per capita allow-ance of land as comparetl with the am'ount allowed other Sioux, which ealled for an appropriation of $187,039. The fulfillment of all these promises except the last named, was coutained in the act of January 19, 1891. *The amount of supplies sotoally issued is given io my communieatioos to the Department, of January 6 and 6,1891. See Appendix, pages 191 and 197.) t A bill containing thisitem of $104000 passed the Senate April 26,1890. The Rouse Committee reported it favorably pith the statement that the appropriation wss in pursuance of pronlises made by the Couomisaioo to the Indians, which were reasonable and should be faithfully kept ; hot the bill failed of pwage in the Honae. |