43-1Public LandsReport on Ottawa and Chippewa Lands in Michigan. [1623] Issuance of land patents to Indians not provided for under the treaty of 31 July 1855.1874-8

House of Representatives Report No. 186, 43d Congress, 1st Session (1874)

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43D CONGRESS, } 1st Session. · HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. {REPORT · No.186. OTTAWA AND CHIPPEWA INDIAN LANDS IN MICHIGAN.~ FEBRUARY 25, 1874.-Committed to the Committee of the Whole House ou the state of the Union and ordered to be printed. Mr. BRADLEY, from the Committe.e on the Public Lands, suu'mitted the following REPORT: [To accompany bill H. R. 1700.] The Committee on the Public Lands, to whom was referred House bill1700, being a bill to amend the· act of June 10, 1872, which act provides for the restoration to market of certain lands in Michigan heretofore withdra.wn from market pursuant to the terms of a treaty made with the Ottawa and Chippewa Indians of Michigan, under date of July 31, 1855, s~tbmit the following report : .. · By the terms of said treaty the Indians therein described were to be allowed to select from the reservations lands for homesteads. After the selections had been made, the Indian agent went among them and is- · sued certificates of selection t6 them, and reported the list thereof to the Interior Department, and upon such reported lists patents were issued and the act of .June 10, 1872, was passed, authorizing such issu-ance, and further authorizing that the balance of s~id reserved lands should be open for entry, under the homestead laws, for the space of six months; that such .of the Indians as bad arrived at the age of twenty-one years since the date of the treaty, who were not provided for under it, might be permitted to enter land; but after the expiration of said six months, all ,lands undisposed of were to be restored to market. But, upon the delivery of the patents above mentioned to the Indians, it was found that three hundred and twenty still held certificates of selections · that had not been reported to the Department, and eonsequently no patents had issued to them. When this wa,s discovered your committee were informed that great dissatisfaction was manifested on the part of the Jnjian~ so overlooked, and when they carne to und~rstand that the lanus had been placed in market, it was with the greatest diffi-cu lty, on the part of the agent, that they could be made to understand that the Government would do what was right with them, and tlley are now manifesting great anxiety to know when they can have their lands. 'J'he act of restoration of lOth June, 1872, had placed it out of the power of the Secretary of the Interior to grant the relief necessary, and deeming It important that these Indians should be pro-vided for before the lands were offered for sale, all action, as your com-mittee understand, has been suspended. This bill provides for the issuing of patents to these three hundred and twenty Indians, and for the extension of the time for homestead entry for one year from the pas-sage of this act~ that the Indians· above spoken of, as not having been ·provided for under the treaty, may have ample opportunity to enter 2 OTTAWA AND CHIPPE WA INDIAN LANDS IN MICHIGAN. lands and locate them near others of their people; and also to afford opportunity for others than Indians to secure homes. A large number of such people, your committee understand, are living in the country around the reservations, as is set forth in the following letter, to which we invite the attention of tlJC Rouse: CROSS VILLAGE, Febmary 13, 18i4. DEAR SIR: I see by the papers that there is soon to be a bill introduced in Con-gress in regard to the vammt lauds of this Indian reserve. I write yon for the purpose of contrilmting my mite toward helping the poor and uneducated people of this coun-try. There are large numbers of poor men with large families in this country who are uneducated, and not fitted for any kind of business, that must soon go to farming in order ·to make a living. Heretofore these people have made a scanty living by huntingr fishing, cbopping wood on public lands, getting out pine, &c.; but the time is near at band when the timber will be out of their reach; as the country settles up the animals which they trap for furs are becoming scarce, (there being a decrease of nearly 25 per cent. in the last :five years;) :fishing is decreasing also. So you see at once it is of the· utmost importance that there should be something done to help these people. Many ()fthese men have some Indian blood, but not enough to entitle them to the rites and! privileges of an Indian, and no better educated; consequently not as well oft' as the Indians. There are also some white men who have lived in this country for many years, and as there was no land for sale, they squatted on vacant land and have im-proved tbe lands, have built houses, some of which are worth two to three hundred dollars. Now, of this class of men, there is not one of my acquaintance that is able t(} bur their lands should they come in market. ' It is astonishing the number of land-lookers there has been through this country look-ing up every vacant lot on the whole reserve for speculators; they of course will buy these improved lands :first, if they get the chance. So you see it is of vital importance· to these poor people that this land be withheld from market for homesteaders for a time, in order to give these men a chance. I could forward petitions as long as the moral law, but I think it would be of little importance, as such things are usually carried by the most influential men. If there could be a law passed so poor men could take up homesteads, the country would be settled up in a very short time ; but it' speculators get hold of it, it will de~ prive these poor men of their homes and k eep the country unsettled for many years to come. By using your utmost in:fl uence in this matter you will confer a blessing on, and ever be remembered by, the people of this "bole northern country Very respectfully, yours, N. B. BRADLEY, Esq. , ITasMngton, D. C. .A. T. BURNETT. Section two of the bill provides for certain bands of these Indians who have been living on lands in 47 north, range 2 east, and 47 north, 3 west, and made improvements thereon, and bfling desirous still to remain, tp locate the same not exceeding eighty acres each, for the pur-poses of a borne. Your committee further find that there are some set-tlers who have located themselves on some of these reserved lands, but have, as we belie\e, done so in good faith, and they have asked to be permitted to enter their selections. Section three of the bill provides for this, the same to be made from lands not claimed by any Indians afte:r the expiration of the year from the passage of this act. The balance of the lands resen Ted, not disposed of, r.re to be sold as provided for by the said act of June 10, 1S72. 

Ottawa and Chippewa Indian lands in Michigan

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Ottawa and Chippewa Indian lands in Michigan

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