OCR Text |
Show REPORT OF THE COMMISSlONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. 57' United States district attorney for Wyoming had been instructed "to indict the parties and prosecute the case with vigor." Meantime this office, September 20, 1895, instruoted Mr. Province McCormick, inspector United States Indian service, as follows: I am instructed by the honorable Secretmy of the Interior to direat you to pro-ceed to the State of Wyoming and to the Fort Hall Agency, in Idaho, as a repre-sentative of thia Dspartmeut, for the purpose of conferring with the governor of Wyoming and such other officials of said State, or other persons as may be n0CE8- sarv. relative to certain matters of im~ortilnce( emlained a t length heroaftar) in ~~~~ conneetian kith the recent tmnb1t.e het&een the ilainook I n d i m ilnd the whites in what is known ss the Jacksons Hole country, Wyoming. Ton will therefore proceed to Omaha, Nehr., 80 aa-to meet Brig. Gen. John J. Coppinger, U. 8. A., in that city on the 26th instant and socompany him to Wyoming. ' * * In order that you may have full information of the facts relative to the late troubles between the Bannocks and whites, I briefly ststs the oase as follows: After a r6sum6 of the case, substantially as contained in report of this Bureau for 1895, the letter continued- I dsaire you to confer with the governor of Wyoming with referenee to the right of these Indians to hunt off their reservation in the territory in qlleation and sscer-tnin his views upon the subject. The actions of the lawless whites in this region should be olearlv laid before him: so also shonld the trest.7 rights of these Indiana. aa held 1,y thi8i)opartnlent. YO; will stsru to him that i h i s l ~ e p a r twu d~o~ets nut claairr to haveauy tranhle with thosett1ers;that it ir ul~xiaoaandw illing todoevery- I thine it can to orevent the Indians under its char-m from committin-e dep- redations upon the whites or annoying them in any way; but that it will insis6 on protecting the Indians in their right6 goarmteed to them by the United States. In caae the governor is unwilling to concede the rights of the Indians to hunt as above indicated, you will propose to him that there shall be a test, oase mde and a deciiliun arrived s t aa to the right of the Indiana to hunt on public lands under their treaty, either by having an Indian arrested bg the Stste officiak for hunting, and an spplioation brought by the United States attorney for Wyoming for a writ of habeas oorpU8 for the release of such prisoner, or in some other wsy, and that he shall agree that in case it shall he decided that the Indians have rs right to hunt, snd that the lsns of Wyoming are of no effect es against them, then, in that event, he, Governor Richards, shall, by all the means in hls power, protect the Indiana in such right; and on the other hsud, if it shall he deoided bv the courts that the Iudiaus haveno right to hnrat, in r,ioladoo of t l ~ nS tate Inas, or, in other worcle, that the State Inns oparnretu abridpnr defeat rhuir eaidtrouty rights, the" this Dopwt-ment will recommend to Congress that an agreement be made with them for the relinqniahmnt of the rights guaranteed to them by the tresty of 1868, and nhich they claim and believe are still in full force. In case Governor Richrda agrees to the above proposition and is willing to have such test case made, the Indian's arrest oould be secured through proper consult% tion with the United Strates Indian agent of the Fort Hall Agency, in whioh case thia o5ce shoold be notified of such action in order that the United States district attorney for Wyoming might be properly instructed to proaeed in the matter in the interest of the Government. After SOU shall have concluded your interviews with Governor Richards, and such other o5cials of the said State of Wyoming as you may deem necessary, yon will then proceed to Fort Hall Agency where SOU will, without causing too muoh incon-venience to the Indians, coall a council and explain to them the action which tbia . Department has taken inregard to the wrongs whiah they have suffered at the haurla |