OCR Text |
Show Joseph is regarded as a nonprogressive Indian, one who will not work, and it is alleged that the advancement of his people is greatly retarded by his influence which offers no encouragement to industrial pursuits. The inspector is convinced that he does not represent the wishes of his entire band regarding his desired change of location, but that a considerable number of them do not wish to leave Nespelim. From these facts it seemed clear that neither the welfare nor the happiness of the Indians nor the good of the service would be pro-moted by allowing Joseph and his band to remove from their present location to the Wall~waV alley, and this office reported accordingly to the Department July 21 last. This opinion was concurred in Septem-ber 4 and the United States Indian agent of the Collville Agency has been instrncted to advise Joseph of that decision. YAKIMA BOUNDARY CLAIM. For some years the Yakima Indians in Washingtqn have claimed that the southern and western boundary of their reservation as estab-lished by the Government survey was erroneous, and that they were deprived of lands which should properly be embraced within the res-ervation boundaries. Somewhat more than two years ago, after care-fully looking into the matter the office concluded, as indicated in a report to the Secretary of the Interior dated April 12,1808, that there were good grounds, at least, for the contention of the Indians that a portion of the tract intended to be reserved for them had been excluded on the west by the Government survey. During the fall of 1898, in accordance with departmental instruc-tions, Mr. E. C. Barnard, of the Geological Survey, proceeded to,the locality in question for the purpose of making an examination of the disputed west boundary. He was prevented, however, by heavy snows from completing the work at that time, and in accordance with instruc- . tions of the Department, dated August 23, 1899, the examination was renewed September 15 and concluded October 15, 1899. January 12, 1900, Mr. Barnard made his report to the Geogwpher of the Geological Survey, accompanied by a map of the reservation and of the territory in dispute. He states as a result of his investigation that the wording of the treaty of 1855 can not be made to conform to the topography of the country; that the reservation as at present surveyed does not extend to the main ridge of the Cascade Mountains, as provided in the treaty, and that in his opinion the Indians have been deprived by the survey of the boundary as it now exists of a tract of territory embracing about 357,878 acres. The boundary of the tract claimed by the Indians does not extend as far west as Mr. Barnard thinks it should and embraces a tract of only 293,837 acres, or @,Mi acres less than he thinks they are entitled to. |