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United States. Office of Indian Affairs / Annual report of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, for the year 1873
([1873])
[Omaha agency], pp. 191-193
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Page 191
REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. L1 ' The plan of issuing crackers, at the noon recess, to each scholar in attendance at the schools, has been adopted with great satisfaction to the scholars. It was previously the custom to issue weekly rations of flour, for regular attendance, to the parents of the scholars. WISCONSIN WINNEBAGOES. As it seems to be the settled purpose of the Government to move the Wisconsin Win- nebagoes, numbering 1,000, to this reservation, I would respectfully urge the necessity, before such a step is taken, of providing more timber-land for them adjoining the present reservation. The amount of timber owned by the tribe at present is barely sufficient for the use of the Nebraska branch of the tribe until they plant and raise timber on their farms; this they should be encouraged to do immediately, by offering them premiums for successful tree-culture. MINNESOTA WINNEBAGOES. When the Winnebagos were removed from Minnesota in 1863, about 160 members of the tribe, who were mostly half-breeds, remained; these have since, in accordance with an act of Congress, been naturalized, and paid their proportion of the trust-funds belonging to the tribe, amounting at that time, ag the Wisconsin Winnebagoes were not considered a part 6f the tribe, to over $800 per head. The honorable Secretary of the Interior has recently decided that the Wisconsin branch of the tribe are entitled to and will hereafter receive their proportion of the interest on the Winnebago trust- funds. Several of these naturalized Indians, who have disposed of all their money, have since moved to this reservation, and no doubt look forward to being again admitted into membership with the tribe. I have carefully avoided showing them favors, and have, as far as possible, discouraged their remaining here. Very respectfully, thy son, HOWARD WHITE, United States Indian Agent. BARCLAY WHITE, Superintendent of Indian -Affairs, Omaha, Nebr. 10. OMAHA AGENCY, NEBR., Eighthmonth 29, 1873. RESPECTED FRIEND: I herewith submit my fifth annual report of the affairs of the Omaha Agency, as follows: Since my report last year an effort has been made to carry out the provisions of the act of Congress for the sale of a portion of the Omaha reservation, amounting in the aggregate to nearly 50,000 acres. Unfortunately, however, for the prosperity of these Indians, only a small portion of the tract offered for sale was disposed of, owing, it is presumed, to the minimum rate fixed by Congress ($2.50 per acre) being too high to meet the views of those desiring to make investments. The want of success in consum- mating this sale is more to be regretted on account of the discouraging tendency it has upon the efforts of the Indians to subsist by agricultural pursuits. Many who are dis- posed to be industrious among them have not the teams, plows, and aother necessary appliances for prosperous farming; neither have they the means for purchasing stock, which in this country is the most profitable branch of husbandry. As the sale of these surplus lands is the principal hope of securing means for the per- manent improvement of the farms allotted to the Omahas in severalty, it seems very desirable that additional legislation by Congress should be secured so as to effect that object. Since it has been decided by the Indian Department to remove the Wisconsin Winne- bagoes to the reservation adjoining that of the Omahas, a proposition has been made by the special commissioner appointed to the duty of superintending the said removal to purchase from the Omaha tribe, for the benefit of the Winnebagoes, now being re- moved, a strip of laud two miles in width, lying along the south boundary of the Winnebago reservation, and extending westward from the Missouri River about ten miles, to where the Winnebago reserve widens out from four to eight miles in width, embracing about 12000 acres. This proposition has been sanctioned by the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, and tie price offered for the said tract is at the-rate of $2.50 per acre. The substance of this proposition has been submitted to the chiefs and head-men of the Omaha tribe, who are now out on the hunt, and a reply through the sub-agent or care-taker sent out with them has been received to the effect that 7 - vp- -Im- MW Iq
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