On the 21st
of August, 1847, the Pillager Indians at Leech Lake, Minn., ceded to
the United
States a tract of land bounded as follows:
Beginning
at the south end of Otter Tail Lake; thence southerly on the boundary line
between the Sioux and Chippewa Indians, to Long Prairie River; thence up
said river to Crow Wing River; thence up Crow Wing River to Leaf River;
thence
up Leaf River to the head of said river; and thence in direct
line to the place of beginning.
This tract
contains nearly 700,000 acres, and was sold to the Government for about
$15,000. The Pillagers parted with it,
believing, as they were told, that it was for the occupancy of the
Menomonee
Indians, a tribe at peace with them as well as with the Sioux.
For generations a fierce war had raged
between these two last-named tribes.
The Pillagers believed that if the friendly Menomonees were between the
belligerents peace might follow. By the
treaty of October 18, 1848, the United States ceded to the Menomonees
the above
described tract in exchange for all their lands in the State of
Wisconsin.
The
Menomonees, manifesting a great unwillingness to remove west of the
Mississippi, by treaty dated May 12, 1884, receded to the United States
the
foregoing tract in exchange for a part of their old home in Wisconsin
and the
sum of $242,686, for which the Pillagers received less than
$15,000.
According to Indian reasoning the
consideration stipulated was never paid; that is, the occupancy of said
tract
by the Menomonees, thus protecting them from the incursions of Sioux
war
parties.
The
Pillagers, at the time of the cession, were told by commissioners that
the said
tract would be held as Indian lands are usually held, and that their
friends,
the Menomonees, would occupy it. The commissioners
were Isaac A. Verplank and Henry M. Rice.
The Pillagers from the time that they heard that the tract was not to
be
occupied by the Menomonees, as stipulated, have to this day considered
that
they have been injuriously overreached.
They have never ceased to complain of this, and never will until
reparation shall be made. We can not
too strongly urge that the Government cause this matter to be carefully
investigated, and in some way allow the Pillagers what may be found in
equity
due them. Indians are not unreasonable
when fairly dealt with, and as they are about starting out as citizens
under
this act, aid will be of greater benefit now than heretofore, and is
more needful
now than it can be at any future time.
As to the damage
done by the overflow of the reservoir dams, the Department is
respectfully
referred to the following communication:
[House of Representatives,
Forty-eighth Congress, first
session, Ex. Doc. No. 76.]
DEPARTMENT
OF THE INTERIOR, OFFICE OF INDIAN AFFAIRS
Washington, December 19, 1883
SIR: By a provision in the river and harbor act of June 14,
1880 (21 Stat., 193), the sum of $75,000 as appropriated for the
reservoirs at
the headwaters of the Mississippi River, to be used in the construction
of a
dam at Lake Winnebagoshish, with the proviso that all injuries
occasioned to
individuals by overflow of their lands shall be ascertained and
determined by
agreement, in accordance with the laws of Minnesota, and shall not
exceed in the
aggregate $5,000, etc.; and by a provision in the river and harbor act
of March
3, 1881 (Id. 481), the sum of $150,000 was appropriated for
reservoirs
upon the headwaters of the Mississippi River and its tributaries, and
the
Secretary of the Interior is authorized and directed to ascertain what,
if any,
injury is occasioned to the rights of any friendly Indians occupying
any Indian
reservation by the construction of any of said dams, or the cutting or
the removal
of the trees or other materials from any such reservation for the
construction
or erection of any of said dams, and to determine the amount of damages
payable
to such Indians therefor, which damages, when determined, to be paid by
the
United States, with the proviso that such damages shall not exceed 10
per
centum of the
