The Tomahawk. [volume], April 10, 1919, Image 1

About The Tomahawk. [volume] (White Earth, Becker County, Minn.) 1903-192?

Image provided by: Minnesota Historical Society; Saint Paul, MN

                
Vol. XVI.
Chippewas.
Justice and Fair Dealing for
every Indian who desires to
become a good Citizen.
THE TOMAHAWK,
Official Organ of the Minnesota time to co operate, but as long as
GUS MEAULIEU, Founder.
Edited by THE TOMAHAWK PUB. CO,
White Earth Agency, Minnesota.
Entered at the Postoffice.at White Ration can be expected in
direction. Thus it will be
Earth, Minn., as mail matter ot
thethat
second class.
SUBSCRIPTION: SI.50 PER TEAR I I ADVANCE
April 21st, is the date set for
the "Victory Loan Drive."Some
thing like $6,000,000,000 will
probably be needed by "Uncle
Sara," that's all. Can the amount
be raised? why sure thing, with
wheat at $3.00 per bushel, bacon
60 cts. a pound, eggs at 50 cts per
dozen, butter 60 cts. per 'pound.
Why this country has more ready
money than some people have hay.
Within the pa*t year or more the
American people rasied all of the
money required by the four pre
viou? Liberty Loans and raised
hell with Germany besides, Don't
worry, when it comes to raising
things the American people can be
depended upon to do their share,
and then some.
Indians Ready to Sur
render lands,
Movement Launched in Clearwater
Opening of Part of Red Lake
Reservation.
Clcarbrook, Minn.,The secre
tary of the interior having object
ed to the oppni.ig of the Red Lake
Indian reservation, holding that
an equitable division of the timber
on the reservation cannot be made
at this time, a movement h?s been
started here by Albert Anderson
and other citizens for the opening
of that part of the reservation in
Clearwater county and immediately
north. Indian residents of that
section have apppoved the plan, it
is said.
Allotments would not have to
be made for the whole reservation
in order to open this section. All
that would be necessary would be
to allot only that nart to be opened
to actual present residents of the
district to be opened. After allot
ments have boon mide to resident
Indians, the remainder of the
land could Le opened for settle
meat for the benefit of soldiers
and sailors, with government aid
for the development of the traGt.
There is virtually no timber in
the district suggested fr settle
ment except for a small patch
along the Sandy river on, the Bel
trami county line. When the
remaining reservation or anj* part viding "that not more than 200,-
of it is opened for settlement and 000 of the amount herein appro-
the Indians therecn are siren their priated may be expended for the
rights, the former Indians, now
citiz ns, or th ir descendants, who in the Tublic Schools."
are at present loca'ed on the ^vest
em section, could share likewise
in all benefits from sale of lands
and timber in t' eastern section, |children belonging to the remnant
except that they would have no of the Mille Lacs bands, residing
right to acquire at other allotment (near Vineland, Mille Lacs county,
Mr. Anderson sa.vs: "There is
no sound and sane reason why the
rights of all the Indians, the pres
ent generation and their children,
cannot be protected as to allot
n.ent in rilty and division of all
fund* on the opened and unopened
setion, providing an act is pa*sed
ou the lines suggested. Coa-
gressman Halvor Steeneraon says
that Congress stands ready at anyThere
the administration is opposed to
opening the reservation, no
legislation can be expected.
Thus, it will be seen that it is up
to the Indian department to act."
Minneapolis Journal.
"As long as the Indian Bureau
is opposed to opening the Redbenefits
Lake. Indian reservation," no leg- that
seen
the most monumental political
farce of the century, the Indian
Bureau, has heretofore, and is
now, hampering and obstructing
the qualified stipulation of the
legislation of 1889, better known
as the Nelson Bill, viz: the allot
ment in severalty to said Red Lake
Indiaus in conformity to said bill,
and placing on the market the
surplus land of the said reserva
tion "not otherwise needed for
allotment*" for sale and settle
ment, and that all moneys accruing
from the sale of timber and agri
cultural lands thereof to be placed
"to the credit of said Minnesota
Chippewas." The sinister and
contemptible purpose of the Inprovision
dian Bureau in its insistent opposi
tion to the "allotment of land in
severalty to the Red Lake Indian?,"
in accordance with the provisions
of the said Nelson Bill, and which
law required that said allotment
should have proceeded immediately
or "as soon as the census had been
taken and the relinquishment had
been obtained," are palpably
obvious Sumed up in a nut shell
the obvious reasons are that if the
atfotmenVto the feed Lake Indians
had been -permitted to proccd in
far strict accordance to law the allot
ments to the Minnesota Indians
would long ago have been com
pleted and the Indian Bureau, as
far as the said Minnesota Chip
pewas were concerned, would have
been OUT OF BUSINESS. The
continued delay of alloting the
Red Lake Indians is a monstrous
injustice to the general interests,
morally and otherwise, of the
Minnesota Chippewa*, costly and
detrimental and without warrant
or color of law. And it is to be
hoped that Congress will take
early and r.idical steps to abolish
this long continued wrong, not
only against the Chippewas proper
but progressive civilization in
izeneral, e\en to abolishing the
Indian Bureau if it becomes neces
sary to accomplish the desired
reform.
$!,650,OOOfor Support of
Indian Schools for Year
EndingJune 30,1919.
Last year Congress voted an ap
propriation of $1,650,000, for the
support of Indian schools, includ
ing about $75,000 from the Chip
pewa tribal funds and as provided
in the legislation of 1889. A pro
vision was inserted in the bill pro
tuition of Indian children enrolled
Upon in
quiry we find that of the 1.200
orin
more Indian pupils attending the
public school*, only a few of the
Minn., received any benefits from
THE TOMAHAWK
OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE'MINNESOTA CHIPPEWAS.
Truth before RFvor."
the $200,000 so appropriated.
are upwards of 1,200 Indian
pupils who are now, and who have,
heretofore been in regular attend
ance in the Becker, Mahnomen.
Clearwater, Cass and Itasca conu
ties public schools, including at
tendance in the several high schools
of said counties and who have not
received one penny's worth of the
of the amount above stip
ulated. And the question arises,
why this discrimination?
The same act or bill also provides
$350,000 for various, purposes
among which are enumerated:
"construction, lease, purchase,
REPAIR and improvement of school
and agency buildings," etc. This
being the case, why has not'some
thing been done to "repair" the
damage occasioned by the explos
ion of the boarding school gas
lighting plant at this agency Dec.
3d. 1918 i the wreckage, which
lend an air of utter desolation to
otherwise pleasant surroundings,
has not even been cleared away.
WHO IS TO BLAME?
One fourth of the interest on
the Chippewa tribal funds is, by
of the legislation of
1889, annually provided for the
"establishment and maintenance of
a system of free schools among
said Indians," etc. There are up
wards of 6,000 Indians, or over
half the Indian population of the
Minnesota Chippewas, residents of
the White Earth- reservation, yet
we are reliably informed that the
Indian bureau apportioned less
than one third of the amount, so
appropriated, for school purposes
on this reservation. There is wo
denying the fact that if this
amount of money, $75,000, was
equitably apportioned per capita
and judiciously handled there
would be no need of concern or
worry over "closing the boarding
school," before the end of the
school year, which generally oc
curs about June first of any fiscal
year.
Furthermore, since two of the
big boarding schools of this reser
vation have been abolished within
the past few years as also several
of the Government day schools and
only one boarding school and two
or three day schools remain in
active operation, it would seem
consistent and plausible that in
stead of a shortage there should
be a very large surplus of funds
on hand to properly conduct the
boarding school at this agency
until the end of the present fiscal
year and, if not, WHY NOT?
Society of American
Indians.
The add notice of the Society of
American Indians carried in our
columns should receive careful
reading and ready response by
such Chippewa Indians who recog
nize race common interests. TH E
TOMAHAWK is the official organ of
the Chippewa Indians and faith
fully and correctly reports the
accomplishments of the General
Council, its executive committee
and its legislative committee when
Washington. As an official
organ, it naturally attends to
family interests first.
And if we may ba permitted a
slight digression from the purpose
of this article, we would call the
attention of all Chippewas to the
duty of subscription, for it is from
subscriptions hope is entertained
for the financial end of the enter
prise of publication.
Any enterprise is best promoted
by the aid of individual compon
ents and each Chippewa should
White Earth, Becker County, Minnesota, Thursday, April 10, 1919. No. 51.
strive to realize his part of the
whole.
The Council has no desire to
ila the lole of paternalism nor
assume entire paternal responsibil
ity. It asks individuals to "pick
up sticks" to keep the tire going
that keep the council pot "a boil-
ing." Certain gentlemen are do
ing tremendously more than their
"tare and the tribe should be fair
to ttietti.
This digression finished, we remen
sume the thought underlying men
tion of the Society of American
Indians. There was a time when
this society was too much influenced
by the Indian Office and mushy
sentimentalists. The Indians are
always greatful for sympathy but
they feel too that a sympathy that
would take command is not the
kind that is really helpful to the
Indian trying to realize bis man
hood and its responsibilities
The present day Indian on theIndian
whole feel himself sturdy enough
to stand on his own feet, strong
OVERLAND
CARS.
Neighbors influence tho sale
of OVERLAND CARS to
each other. They tell each
other of the Comfort, Beauty
and Economy of the MODEL
90. You want a cartake the
advice of 000,000 Overland
owners, and come and see the
one we have on our floor.
Young Bros.,
(DEALERS)
If
Minnesota.
enough in leg to progress without
the aid of such crutches as too
tender sympathy would put under
his arm pits. This much as to
well intended but misdirected sym
pathy. As to the Indian Office,
its willing tools are no longer iu
official standing within the Society
of American Indians.
Following the lapse in office of
estimable gentlemen like Mr.
Parker and Rev. Coolidge? sturdy
like Dr. Eastman, Dr. Monte
zuma and Father Gordan have
have come to the front, and as in
these days woman's influence is
recognized, THE TOMAHAWK will
not omit making mention of Mrs.
Gertrude Bonniu, secretary and
now editor of the magazine. The
new officials of the Society are not
tied to the apron strings of the
Indian Office nor weakly perverted
by the sentimentalists.
They are bitterly opposed to the
Office and heartily wish
that its existence would cease.
They one and all would see tho
Indian Office dead and buried.
The United States Government is
all right, a glorious oue by com
parison with others of this earth,
but it has a sore snot in its Indian
Office, a member in the whole that
is one of dishonor. The Society
of American Indians under its new
leadership wishes to accomplish a
moral surgical act, and it can but
do this by the financial aid which
would follow a large membership
in the Society.
By the way what a happy co
incident that two physicians are
of the Society ready and willing
to operate on Uncle Sam and
remove his tumor, the Indian
Office.
When you want
the best
In Groceries, Dry Goods, Winter
Clothing, Footwear, etc., call on
us.
We're right here every day in the year (except Sunday) to supply you
with any tuid everything you may need in
THE BEST AND PUREST GROCERIES IN THE MARKET.
TheB.L. Fairbanks
Company,
White Earth, ilinnesota.
W&r 4it' -tfWV. -X-t,A.^
SOCIETv
Published in behalf of, and
to secure the welfare of the
Indians of the United States.
yyyMMj Vrh fmdh IWh Hi *fc -%th mdh I
3?
Indian Songs and Music.
In a recent Sunday issue, of the
Pioneer Press was printed a very
interesting article entitled "Indian
Music Owes Preservation Mainly
to One Minnesota Woman." The
"Minnesota Woman" referred to
is Miss Frances Den^more, who is
well known to many of the people
ot White Earth, as she has spent
several summers here in perfecting
her knowledge of Chippewa Indian
songs and music. The following
excerpts are taken from the article
in question1
"It is a pleasure to realize that
the work or preserving Indian
songs has been proceeding sys
tematically, under government
auspices, for nearly a dozen years.
To people of this part of the Unit
ed States that pleasure is increased
by th.} knowledge that the work
has been done, almost single hand
ed, by a Minnesota woman, and
principally among Minnesota In
dians.
To Frances Densmore of Red
Wing, Minn, belong the honor
and credit of having done far more
than anyone else in the world to
save the songs of the Indians from
extinction. She has recorded, an
alyzed and published, for the
Bureau of American Ethnology at
the Smithsonian Institution, Wash
ington, D. more than 1,000
Indian songs, chiefly those of the
Chippewa and Sioux.
"That her work has been done
at a crucial time in the history of
Indian music is shown in the state
ment that a few years ago, when
(Contained on 8th page.)