-4-
trust period, after
which the allotment belongs to the
allottee, with the right to do what he pleased with it.
Indian reservation lands held in common by
Indians cannot be sold or disposed of except to the United States; and
while
the fee or rested right to the lands is in the United States, the right
of the
Indians to the occupancy is as sacred as that of the Government to the
fee. Indians have a right to the use of
their reservation and benefits of what it produces, whether from the
results of
their own labor or of natural growth, so that they do not commit waste. They are therefore simply tenants for life,
having free use of the lands during their lives and the same right
passes down
to their children and grand children, if not sooner relinquished to the
Government, but as I said before they cannot sell any such lands except
to the
United States, which sale is called extinguishment of the Indian title,
and it
is for the extinguishment of your title to the western portion of your
present reservation
that I am now here to negotiate with you,
My friends, the
surplus lands of every Indian
Reservation will sooner or later be opened to settlement and it is only
a
question of time until such will be consumated. It
is coming as sure as the day succeeds the night, and the best
course for Indians to pursue in every such instance is to make the best
bargain
possible in disposing of lands they do not need and provide for their
wants
from the proceeds. The department who has charge of Indian Affairs and
even the
President who is our chief executive, are, owing to the pressing demand
for
homes for new settlers, powerless to prevent the opening of the surplus
lands
of Indian reservations, which the Indians do not actually need and
cannot make
proper use of. Public opinion
demands
it and popular sentiment cannot be overcome, and all that the
department can do
in the matter is to protect the Indians by obtaining for them
reasonable
compensation for their surplus land. If
you needed this tract of land that I am talking to you about, it would
be quite
different, but you have no need of it and are deriving little or no
benefit
from
