OCR Text |
Show REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. 63 ing a cheap fuel supply, as it will be necessary to maintain pumping plants to raise the water to the irrigable lands. The field work of the survey of a number of townships in the southern part of the reservation is finished. Hoopa Valley, California.-During the last year this reservation has been surveyed and work in the field finished: but the plats have not yet been approved by the Commissioner of the General Land Office. Jicarilla, New Meoico.Specia1 Allotting Agent Ralph Aspaas is reallotting lands on this reservation in accordance with the provisions of the act of March 4,1907 (34 Stat. L., 1413). He has finished 396 reallotments to the Indians. Klamath, Oregon.-Special Allotting Agent Hiram F. White is engaged in making allotments to the children of the Klamath Indians as provided for in the act of May 27,1902 (32 Stat. L., 260). EIe has finished 180 allotments. Makah, Washington.-In my report for 1907 I said that a special allotting agent had been appointed by the President to allot agricul-tural lands in the Makah Reservation under the provisions of the act of February 8, 1887 (24 Stat. L., 388), as amended by the act of February 28,1891 (26 Stat. L., 794), and that he had been instructed to allot 10 acres to each Indian belonging on the reservation, and to reserve the necessary tracts for school and other purposes, including such lands adjoining the town site of Neah Bay as might be needed hereafter for town-site purposes. These allotments have been fiu-ished. A schedule of them which was transmitted to this office has not been approved because the descriptions of some of the allotments do not conform to the public survey; but these can probably be readjusted so that patents may issue to the allottees. The Makah Indians are an extremely interesting people; they are skillful fishermen, whalers, sailors and pilots, and for generations have depended on the sea for their livelihood. They catch large quantities of fish for market every year, at times making wages of from $3 to $10 a day, besides obtaining a sufficient amount of fish for home consumption. They understand the value of money and its purchasing power, and being alive to the importance of adopting modern methods in connection with their fishing industry, are con-stantly supplying themselves with better boats, and have even adopted the gasoline engine as a means of propulsion. The coast-wise trips made by them in their small boats are remarkable, and show their skill as mariners. At one time, before promiscuous seal-ing on the Alaskan coast was prohibited, they owned several small schooners which they manned and navigated themselves, making rich hauls of fur seal. |