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Show Jim Atwine: (Uintah Band) The men who have acted before on behalf of tne tribe have been men of honesty. What those other men have brought up in regard the money matters is to be a fact. My father was a leading man of the tribe. He was one to sign the agreement with the attorneys in regard to this last matter. I want to speak of the range now. Dick knows the conditions of this man. I think Dick has good reasons for bringing this complaint against this man. What we want is another range rider for this district. Henry Harris, (Uintah Band) "I would like to say a few words in regard to Chapter Work. Two years ago we organized what we call a Farm Chapter. The first year I had a rough road to travel trying to get my people to farm. I had no backing. Our former Superintendent was thoroughly in favor of it but did not push the thing, so I did the best I could because I knew that it was better for my people. When Mr. Tidwell came here I went to him and asked him how he felt towards this Farm Chapter work. He encouraged it and told me he believed in it and for me to go ahead and get more Indian interested in it. I called several meetings after I talked with him and told him what we had done. I have some forty members in my chapter who are doing very nicely. They are putting in their spring seed and those who do not have the money to buy their seed outright, our Superintendent has issued them seed on the reimburseable plan. We know our Superintendent's authority is limited and so I ask you two gentlemen to help us out. We have nothing to do anything with along the lines of machinery etc. We have had money but I suppose our money has been thrown to the winds, we might say. Some Indians have homes and have paid for them and still others have homes but have not finished paying for them. Indians have good homes and stables have no stock and those Indians who have stock have what I would consider no good homes or stables for the stock. If we ever have any money coming to us we want that money to be spent for our benefit only. If there is any money coming to us I would like to have it placed it individual credit and put under the supervision of our Superintendent for improving the Indian's places only. I will guarantee that the 657. of the young Indians will farm if they have something to work with. Their farms now are leased for a number of years, done by our former Superintendent, and they are idle where they should be on their places. I have asked Mr. Tidwell to cancel the leases whenever he can and he has done it to place some of these Indians on their places. If they want to build roads out of our money, tax us the same as they do anybody else. That is all I have to say about this. In 1921 Superintendent Kneal told us Indians in open council there were two men authorized by the Indian Office to contract with us. The contract was drawn up but signed by only a few of the Whiterivers. The contract was never signed by Mr. Kneale nor approved by the Secretary or the Commissioner of Indian Affairs. I don't believe they had proper authority to contract with us. If we do employ any other attorneys we want it understood by these other men that they are no longer employed by and to act as our attorneys for I believe they may come back on us. We held council and asked Mr. Bonnin to come out and represent us and he said he would if he could bear his expenses. We wrote back and told him that we would not. Those people who have spoken to you this afternoon are always opposed to anything but before them. I consider Mr. Tidwell my friend and do not consider any other white man a friend when it comes to any tribal matters. I am in favor of advancement of my people. It has been forty-five years and nothing has been done. I believe that is all I have to say to you." |