OCR Text |
Show suits are causing much anxiety among both Indians and white people. Most of the parties defendant have applied to Commissioner Suowden to know what the Government will do for them, and some of them have argued at great length that the Government ought to make good the title to the land which it has sold to purchasers who have relied upon it to do so. Mr. Ross has already made settlements with several parties. From the white people he usually asks to be reimbursed the money he orig-inally paid for his contracts, and he appears to have settled on this basis. Where the Indians have lauds remaining unsold he demands that they transfer to him enough to reimburse him for all he paid them, and the Indians are at a loss to know what to do with respect to these Ross contracts. Mr. Ross has instituted snit against the estate of Frank Santiago and certain other defendants (whites), purchasers of lands covered by , patent issued to Santiqo. The facts in the case were reported to the Department June 20, 1903, with the recommendation that the Depart-ment of Justice be requested to direct the United States attorney to appear in the case and defend the rights of the Indians interested. It is hoped that this will be done and that the case will be made a test one for the future guidmce of the whites as well as the Indians in regard to the so-called Ross contracts. The case 'of the Puyallup Indians illustrates the fact that it is bad policy to remove the restrictive clause from the sale of Indian lands and permit allottees and owners to sell them without any Government supervision. These Indians are disposing of their lands for an inade-quate consideration and are being defrauded and swindled. I am of the opinion that Indians in all cases should be aided and protected by the Government in making land sales. Th'ia is the case in the sale of inherited Indian lands, provided for by section 7 of the act of May 27, 1902 (32 Stat., 245-275), and this course appears to be resulting in good to the heirs of deceased allottees. WENATCHI INDIANS, WASHINGTON. After carefully investigating the subject on the ground, and con-ferringand counciling with theIndians, Agent Anderson of the Colville Agency reported September 8, 1902, that in his opinion the Weuatchi Indians should not be removed to the Colville Reservation as author-ized by the Indian appropriation act of May 27, 1902 (32 Stat., 260); that the Indians nearly all held lands in the vicinity of Mission and Wenatch'i of excellent quality, better than could be provided for them on the reservation; that they were quite comfortably situated and fairly prosperous; that they were very averse to leaving their homes and in fact were greatly exercised over the prospect of their proposed |