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Show 2 REPORT OF THE 00MldI68IONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. public may form an intelligent judgment on the matters involved. For this purpose it is necessary to go over some familiar ground and give it a somewhat extended notice. The present movement began some two years ago, and arose out of a communication from chiefs and headmen of the Sioux Indians of the Rosebud Agency. About October, 1900, they addressed a letter t o the President representing that they were the headmen of the Sioux Indians of Rosebud Agency and represented the tribe; that under the "Black Hills treaty" of 1876 they were to be given certain rations; that these rations had been cut down from time to time until they were getting much less than the amount stated in that agreement; that they were hungry most of the time, especially the old and crippled, and that before the winter was over they would suffer very much; that in former years they could make yome money by freighting, but as their annuity goods had been taken away, alarge part of their freighting had fallen off; that in years past they got the hides from the beef cattle killed for issue, which were a great help in procuring things to eat; that they would obtain more benefit from the hides if issued to them direct than if they were sold and the money paid to them once a year; tbat they needed the hides to make moccasins and covering for their beds, etc. ; that as they got little freighting and no beef hides, and were unable to raise much on their land, they had to depend on the rations issued by the Great Father; that while they wanted to obey his orders, yet they could not sitdown and see their people starve; tbat they had talked many times with their agent, who was powerless to do anything without the authority of his superiors, and that they would like to have some assurance that something would be done for their relief. They therefore asked the President to answer them through their agent and tell them if he could help their people. Recognizing that the tone of that letter was probably sympton~atic of the feeling then pervading the Sioux people generally gnd that the conditions at Rosebud were similar to those existing at the other Sioux agencies, and further that the action taken with regard to the Sioux would have an important bearing upon other tribes similarly situated, the ofice, with a view of contributing to the better understanding of the matters referred to, submitted to the Department, along with the Indians' letter to go to the President, a communication treating of the Sioux Nation as a whole. That commuuicatiou, after reciting the sub-stance of the Indians' letter, took up the consideration of the Black Hills treaty, the true intent andmeaning of which has been thesubject of so much contention, and quoted the articles of that agreement relating to the matters under discussion as follows: AWTICI4E. The Government of the United States and the mid Indians, ,being mutually desirous that the latter ehall be located in a country where they may eventually become self-supporting and acquire the art* of civilized life, it is therefore agreed that the mid Indians shall select a delegation of five or more chief8 and prim |