OCR Text |
Show illegal and fraudulent, being for land not subject to allotment, and being made for speculative purposes and for the benefit of persons other than the allottee. This trust patent was finally canceled by the Commissioner of the General Land Office July 24.1901, and since that date a number of other patents for lands in that land district have also been canceled. Allotments of Sioux ceded lands, Sonth Dakota.-Under section 13 of the Sioux act approved March 2, 1889 (25 Stats., 888), many Indians receiving and entitled to rations and annuities at the agencies on what wm then known as the Great Sioux Reservation applied for and received allotments upon what is known as the Sioux ceded tract, South Dakota-the same having been a part of the great reservation of the Sioux nation. Some of the allottees who received allotments on this tract relinquished the same to the United States soon thereafter and returned to the reservations to which they respectively belonged. From time to tihe other allottees have relinquished their allotted lands to the United States and removed to their reservations. The Chey-enne River Indians are still offering relinquishments of their allot-ments. It is the policy of the Department to accept and confilm these relinquishments and to allow the Indians to return to their reservations and receive allotments thereon if found to be entitled. Because of this action on the part of the Indians the Sioux ceded F allotments have not been presented to the Department for approval and instructions as to the issuance of patents. AGREEMENTS FOR THE CESSION OF LANDS. Qrande Ronde Reservation, 0reg.-Special Agent Armstrong was instructed by the Department last spring, in accordance with tbe recom-mendation of this office, to make careful investigation and ascertain whether it would be desirable for the lndians of the Grande Ronde Reservation in Oregon to cede their surplus or uuallotted lands, about 26,500 acres, to the United States. In his report dated May 16, 1901, he stated that he found that the surplus lands of these Indians were bringing them no revenue, but were monopolized by people who paid nothing therefor; that a considerable portion would make good homes for settlers, if opened up, and that some of the land contained mer-chantable timber which was not needed by the Indians, as they had sufficient timber on their respective allotments to supply their own needs. He urgently recommended that an agreement be made with these Indians providing for the cesslon of their surplus lands. In compliance with Department directions the o6ce prepared a draft of instructions June 19, for the guidanceof Inspector James McLaugh-lin in the conduct of such negotiations. With his report, dated June |