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-40- money
is concerned, and at the same time you retain your share of
the proceeds of the ceded land, that is the lands ceded by the
agreement of
1889. Now it is for you to decide
whether you want this protection that I offer you or take your
chances under
the act of January 14, 1889, whereby the proceeds of your surplus
lands, after
your allotments are made, will go into the common fund of the Chippewas
of
Minnesota and each receive a proportionate share, but my offer secures
the
proceeds of this cession to you Indians of Red Lake reservation alone. It is to the interest
of the Indians of the other
Chippewa Agencies of Minnesota to have you reject this proposition so
that
these lands may be opened under the act of 1889, that they may thus
share in
the proceeds, and the selfishness of some of those people has been such
as to
try and prevent and discourage you in accepting any proposition or
entering
into an agreement for any of your lands. I
wish my friends that I
could understand and speak the Chippewa Indian language, as well as my
friend,
the interpreter here. If I could I
would remain with you here this evening in your councils, and am
confident that
I could convince you of the wisdom of your accepting this proposition. The white people demand the land and the
Department Officials desire to help you and allow you the best
condition
possible, which is evidenced by what I have offered you. I
am on record, and therefore the Department
is on record, in the offer that I have made you of $3.75 per acre. A very liberal offer. The highest offer
I
ever made for land. I never gave more
than $2.50 per acre for Indian reservation lands in any agreement that
I have
made; the most of them being for a great deal less.
How bear in mind when you are considering this that the
offer
that I have made you is a very liberal one. This
offer will go before the Department and go before
Congress and they
will see that it has been made to you, and I hope that you will not
reject
it. If it is accepted by you |
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