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Show 64 O O M ~ I O N E BO F INDIAN AFFAIBS. them into that relation with the Qovenunent which will hasten their earlier acceptance of civilization. Schools are always an important element in the transition of the Indians from their native state, and accordingly provision is being made for educational facilities. In the past there has been great difficulty in inducing these Indians to attend any kind of a school. Recently a few of the Seminoles have entered the public schoois oi Fort Lauderdale and Indiantown. One Seminole boy has attended the Carlisle School. The Florida Seminoles have been reluctant in accepting assistance from the Government; they have retained a deep-seated suspicion of the white man's civilization,.largdy because of historicd grievances. The prosecution of John Ashley, convicted for killing a Seminole Indian, has modiied their attitude, and other recent administrative acts of the Indian Bureau have developed a better feeling among them, so that now there is reason to believe that they are responsive to the friendly disposition of the Indian Office and that much greater p r o w may hereafter be expected than has heretofore been accomplished. I am deeply interested in the welfare of the Seminoles and other similarly forgotten small tribes of Indim and shall do evexything in my power to better their condition. ROCKY BOY INDIANS. As mentioned in my last annual report, a reserve has been set aside by Congress for the Rocb Boy Indians, consisting of several fractional townships in the southern part of the old Assinniboine military reserve, in Montana. In appreciation of this action, most of them have given up their former nomadic habits and settled upon the reservation, where they are endeavoring to achieve self-support. They have built houses for themselves from the timber available on the reservation, and constructed a barn, storehouse, and other build-ings, besides cultivating several hundred acres of land during the past year. As the Indians have not suffioient stock at this time to utilize fdly the grazing land on the reservation, a lease has been negotiated with a white stockman for 1,600 head of cattle, at $5.25 per head per annum, which is the highest price ever paid for grazing land in that part of the country. This will produce a substantial revenue for the Indians each year until their own stock has increased sufficiently to utilize the entire grazing reserve, when the lease will be dii-continued. A census of all Indians claiming to be members of the band has been made, which comprises 657 names, and compiled the complete family history of each group. After careful consideration of the |