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Show written down at these meetings and sent to the Commissioner. It is the duty of the Superintendent to protect us and when any matters come up you should ask us who is the best man suited for this purpose. Then we can select the right man. I know the conditions of this reservatin. We want to get together and cooperate. I will follow this Business Committee and see what results they get. Maybe your are not writing down just what I am sayingbut writing down something else that won't amount to anything. I am talking to the three of you. I was given the understanding that the agency was never to be moved from Whiterocks to Ft. Duchesne. Many Indians don't consider this as the agency, but consider it as a military post. I will wait and see how this Business Committee comes out. This is all I have to say. John Starr, (Uintah Band) "I don't know whether to believe that you came from Washington or not. I kind of believe it and then again I don't. I am not going to talk long, At one time we had all the food and clothing that we needed. What has become of our money now? We had an attorney to go back to Washington at one time but he didn't find out. I am in favor of this committee and we will try this and see what we will accomplish by it." Tim Johnson, (Whiteriver Band) "I hope that when you go back to Washington you will be able to help us out. I have made trips to Washington three different time, a part of which the letter is composed of which I just showed you. After one of our trips to Washington a man came out here to act as our attorney. We signed an agreement with this man at Price. We were receiving money from this agreement until just a few years ago. I have been wondering what has become of this money. I hope this new committee will do something for the old people and gladden their hearts. I am well posted on all money matters and still I don't tell everybody what is going on. I want to know if you can take that message back there and let us know what you accomplish." Happy Jack, (Uintah Band) "I was glad to know what you had to say here today." John Duncan, (Uintah Band) "The matter that Tim Johnson has spoke of has resulted in nothing. We have never benefitted from it. About this time another man came along and wanted to handle our affairs for us. I understand that our Superintendent, Mr. Tidwell, has approved of letting O'Donnell and Hatch handle our affairs now. One from Vernal and one from Heber. The Government wants us to get out and farm bur we have nothing to farm with. We used to get our monthly allowances and our grass money but not any more so we have nothing to farm with now. We have no machinery and nothing to start out with. It has always been my wishes to comply with the wishes of the INdian Office for the betterment of my people. That is all I have to say." Dick Wanrodes, (Uintah Band) "I was glad to hear what you men had to say. We know it to be a fact that there has been a large number of us Indians here who have not pulled together. We hope to do better from now on. No matter who happened to be Superintendent here it has been the custom of these Indians to jangle. We could never get anywhere. I was glad to hear what you had to say about pulling together. We know that the agent who was here before Mr. Tidwell never made much effort on this matter as you have spoken of today. We want him to help us in that way then we can all get along. This other matter is pertaining to our range on the west end. We feel that on the western range our ranger has not been doing his duty and has not helped us at all. There had been much timber taken off of our grazing, where he is stationed. We have never know him to make his round. He just goes around for a little while and then back to his cabin to stay. He is not on the grazing at all but visiting with some white people. We have heard that this ranger has allowed men to build fences and then run their cattle on the range for pay and that is against the Government regulations. The range belongs to the tribe and we don't feel that one man can use it to benefit himself only. Perhaps the agent here before had something to do with this matter. We want to ask that another range rider be stationed at this part of the range. We want some Indian boy who can take care of this part of the range. |
