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Show REPORT OF THE OOMMISSIONER or INDIAN AFBAIRS. 163 LOWER BRULa RESERVATION. Inspector James McLaughlin concluded an agreement with the Lower BwlQ Indians of South Dakota on February 21, 1906, amend-ing an agreement concluded by him with this band on May 6, 1901. , i The agreement was ratified by the act of April 21, 1906 (34 Stat. L., 124). It provides for the cession to the United States of the west half of the Lower Brul6 Reservation, embracing approximately 54,240 acres; for granting sections. 16 and 36 to the State of South Dakota, to be . paid for by the United States at $1.25 per acre; for allowing Indians who have allotments on the ceded tract to relinquish and select lands on the diminished reservation; for the appraisement of the ceded lands and their disposal, under the homestead act, at not less than their appraised valuation', and for the deposit of the net proceeds of the sale in the Treasury of the United States to the credit of the In-dians. To pay for the land granted to South Dakota $5,000 is appropriated. A11 opened lands which remain undisposed of at the . expiration of five years from the date of opening may be ilisposed of by the Secretary of the Interior under rules and regulations pre-scribed by himself. The United States shall act as trustee for the Indians in disposing of the lands and disbursing the funds received, but is not bound to purchase any of the lands opened or to find pur-chasers for them. Robert H. Somers, Indian agent at Lower Brulk Agency, has been designated to make the appraisements, which will hardly be com-pleted before November, and it is not probable that the proclamation opening these lands will be issued before the spring of 1907. The terms of the agreement are fair, and it is believed that within a short time after the opening sufficient funds will be available for the pur-chase of stock and for other purposes beneficial tothe Indians. ROSEBUD " ROLL OF HONOR." In paying the first annual installment of the proceeds of their "Gregory County 'lands" to the Indians belonging on the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota under the act of April 23, 1904 (33 Stat. L., 256, 258), the shares of all minors were withheld in accord-ance with instructions from this Office approved by the Department December 8, 1902, and the money was returned to the United States Treasury, to be there held in trust for the children until they should attain their majority and become competent to receive and receipt for the money in their own behalf. A delegation of Rosebud Sioux visited this city in March, 1905, in the hope of procurillg some modification of the rule above referred to, but I could not then see my way clear to recommend the desired |
