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Show 204 REPORT CONCERNING INDIANS 1N COLOILATjO. r i g .\I1 ihr ~uamlall ibor (;n <h r~dei t,.h& wna p~rior;,led 1," ~c;;lians, i rK~ , l e i I n t h o . Tlaerr rwrneystnlls tvatrr rlae Indisn lanilr almq rllt.:an .Inan and I'idra rivcn, <,I,t he rasu-rl> end of tl~t.allvfrl~la,~l ,rrionoit he reserve. White settlers have taken advantage of the Government expenditures in several instances and ta ped the Indian ditches to secure water for ranches settled on. The Department of &stice has taken hold of this question, and a trial m e i i~n ow in court pending a decisi0n.l Leasing.-Leasing of the lands belonging to these Indians should be encouraged, hut the requirements of the Department are practically prohibitory. The lands being covered with sagebrush, without trees or grass, as before stated, should be leased to white men on reasonable terms, enahlingthe Indian to go upan an improved farm at the expiration of the lease. They will not, except in rare cases, properly improve a farm for themselves, and a whole family of relahons will reside on one small place instead of endeavorin to im rove their indil~iduaal llotments. The terms of leasing at this agency should% moxified and a good class of lessors invited to settle on the undeveloped allotments. Deaortment.-There have been few mimes committed hv Indirtns. and these of a m i I . .\ r r r y untluirahle ole* of 3lrxitans ;r+i<le :~III\;IIF IIIC: I~~J i aua , wirho~lta !,\. visible tnenjl* oi rnp[mn, deriving a l ivcl ih~~io~nlm rl.en. I,? yxmblinp, bool!ei:jrtg slaisky,rtv . and iotopt caeed oi criure alhl rhrfl cut) lr. tr.i<<..lI (, hlexican ,.>,,,,- A As ... , Education.-A majority of the allotted Utes wear citizen's dress and present a clean and civilized appearance. They eonvemreadil in the language of the country, i. e., Mexican, besides their native tongue; hut they gave steadfastly refused to recognim Fort Lewis as their reservation school, and it has been extremely difficult to get children to attend there, though everv fair effort has heen made in that direction. There were 22 children sent to this.schao1 m the past year, 3 of whom died. There is authorized, and will be built this summer and fall, a hoarding school at the Ignacio Agency of 80 pupils apacity, and there is little doubt that this insti-tution will be liberally patranlzed, as the Indians express great eatisfaction over the fact that they are going to have a school of their own. Un~llotted Utes.-There is little encouraging to report regarding these people. Their condition is gradually growing worse w ~ t h each succeeding year since they wela removed to the desert in which they live, and instead of advancing they are drifting backward. A trip to the Navaho Springs Agency and through the reservation will discover hut few Indians. They drift up into the mountain fastnesses and shun the presence of the white man. This condition has been the subject of many com-munications to the Department by agents, inspectors, aud others who have seen the situation. In 1895 a comtnissioner from the Department, Major Kidd, was sent to this agency to treat for a portion of the Tndian lands. I was at that time an employee of this agruc) and iu prtscnt whvn rhr treaty war nbarlr. Thr \Vi t ~ ~ i x ~ ~ ~Clw~ae- ~ l , a t ~ ~ arc* to giritty up any tnorc oi their land, rilginx thry had ~rulnilllyI rvn tlrin,t,n hvk\vanl irom rlbr eastern ~l u o eu i the. K o ~ ~ ukn~til~ i~lbwa tlwv I n d but s warrow strip of land in the southwesteh portion of the now State the? once owned. The 1 l u i c . l~a~ud ('npote handa, howover. ucre inJ11enl to wc e p t ~ a l l ~ t ~ n ra~tidl vr,l jr \\'iminurllr pro!nised hy thr rt.prcrcntative of the i)rparr~ra.nr a syrteur of irri~il-tam rf thev ~0111.1 rcrnove to thv n.i.rtcrn mn uf thr n.rrrrsrion. thrn ant1 rlow a veritable desert. Through these aesmnc& and the persuasion of'interested parties irl rhr rity ui 1)urango who \rishcl tu an. tllr lard up;necl tt, rrttlrnlt?nt. the-trcvty w~ u l a d e a n dth e Indians mo\,rtl ro Zlavalt<,S prirrgs, wlrenanagency \va~e?ctbli;lltd i t h ! t With rostornarv t l i l i ~ h l i~nc f~il e ulaftrr ~i lttditul twa t i e~th e Govrrnnarnr has not as yet fulfilled i t i pled&, and the Indian with his characteristic patience is still waiting for his watersupply. They are now in a sad plight, and the long drought of the p-nt season has d r~e du p the few springs and the Indians, as usual, have eone to the mountains away from the reserve in search of food and water. " The Department is awari of the trouble arising each year, from these excursions, between the Indians and stockmen of the West. The Indians have very little stock besides ponies, though the few sheep and goats they do own are taken to placea where grass and water may be had. Comp:ainta are made to the agent to return the Indians, and the governors of this State and of Utah have taken the matter up - Lsee page e6 of this report. |