CONDITIONS ON SIOUX RESERVATIONS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, The committee met at 11:45 a. m., Hon. Will Rogers (chairman of the committee) presiding. The CHAIRMAN. The committee will be in order. Mr. Case calls up H. R. 5753 and asked for a hearing at this time. Mr. CASE. I wonder if I cannot make a brief statement? The CHAIRMAN. Mr. Case would like to make a statement. Before you are recognized, Mr. Case, the Chair would like to ask that the bill be included in the record at this point. (The bill H. R. 5753 is as follows:) [H. R. 5753, 75th Cong., 1st sess.] A BILL To authorize payment of the amounts due on delinquent homestead entries on certain Indian reservations Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That there is hereby authorized to be appropriated an amount equal to the amount of the unpaid balance of principal and interest which the Secretary of the Interior may find to be on homestead and other entries on opened lands of the Cheyenne River, Colville, Fort Berthold, Fort Totten, Fort Peck, Pine Ridge, Rosebud, Shoshone, and Standing Rock Reservations, and the Chippewa lands in Minnesota opened in accordance with the Act of January 14, 1889 (25 Stat. L. 642), on the date of the enactment of this Act, less an amount equal to the amount of payments made on such homestead entries after the enactment of this Act and before the appropriation herein authorized has been made: Such an amount when appropriated shall be placed to the credit of the Indian tribes of such reservations in the Treasury of the United States, and shall be available upon the recommendation of the Indian tribe or tribes concerned for making permanent improvements on lands of the Indians, including the development of irrigation and the granting of aid to individual Indians in establishing permanent homes, and for the purchase of lands on said reservations from individual Indians or from white owners, in the discretion of the Secretary of the Interior, and under such regulations as he may prescribe. Title to any lands so purchased shall be taken in the name of the United States in trust for the respective Indian tribes and such lands shall not be allotted in severalty. SEC. 2. The provisions of this Act shall in no way affect the liability of entrymen on such opened lands in the said Indian reservations to complete payments on their entries. Any payments made by said homesteaders after the appropriation authorized by this Act has been made shall be covered into the general fund of the Treasury of the United States. If any entry shall be relinquished or canceled on which the United States shall have advanced payments to the Indians of the reservation involved, said payments shall be reimbursed to the United States out of any funds on deposit in the Treasury of the United States to the credit of the said Indians. The CHAIRMAN. The chairman is informed by the clerk that no report has been received on this bill, and the Chair understands that Congressman Case is merely calling this bill up for hearing at this time, with no idea of taking action. Congressman Case desires to make a statement on H. R. 5753. He is recognized for whatever time he desires. STATEMENT OF HON. FRANCIS H. CASE, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF SOUTH DAKOTA Mr. CASE. Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, I might say in connection with this bill that it particularly relates to the authorization of payments of amounts due on delinquent homestead entries on certain Indian reservations. It is a companion bill to the bill that Senator Murray has in the Senate, S. 188. This includes reservations throughout Montana, Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota. The bill provides that there be appropriated an amount equal to the amount of unpaid balance of principal and interest which the Secretary of the Interior may find to be on homestead and other entries on opened lands on the various reservations less an amount equal to the amount of payments made on such homestead entries, and that such an amount when appropriated shall be placed to the credit of the Indian tribes of said reservations in the Treasury of the United States, which money shall be available upon the recommendation of the Indian tribe or tribes concerned for making permanent improvements on land of the Indians, including the development of irrigation and the granting of aid to individual Indians in establishing permanent homes and also for the purchase of lands on said reservations from individual Indians or from white owners in the discretion of the Secretary of the Interior and under such regulations as he may prescribe. The purpose of this bill is to improve the condition of the Indians at this time of depression and drought. Most of the Indians on these reservations have suggested and are in favor of this measure. These lands have been opened up to homestead entry or purchase. They have been delinquent in their payments, and it means that the Indians have no income from this land, and on account of the drought they have not even had grazing fees that they might have had in a normal season. The Indians who are here today represent the Pine Ridge and the Rosebud Reservations in South Dakota. Together they cover some eight counties in South Dakota. The testimony these witnesses will give, of course, will deal with economic conditions of the Indians on these reservations. I recognize that the time is short and that it is not possible to get in the record what they want at this time. The CHAIRMAN. Mr. Case requests that by unanimous consent these witnesses be introduced this morning, and that a special committee be appointed to continue the hearing possibly tomorrow or Friday. Is there any objection to the request? The Chair hears none and the Chair would like to say that of course he expects Mr. Case to be one of the members of the subcommittee. The Chair would like to ask if there are two other members in addition who would volunteer to give some time to this hearing either tomorrow morning or Friday, whichever is preferred? Mr. SHEPPARD. I will be glad to sit tomorrow morning. The CHAIRMAN. Mr. Sheppard will be a member of the subcommittee. Are there any others? Mr. O'CONNOR. I would be glad to be a member of the committee if you could make it Friday morning. Mr. BUCKLER. I will be glad to serve Thursday morning. The CHAIRMAN. Mr. Buckler will also be a member of the subcommittee. Any other members, of course, who desire to attend may do so. We will now proceed with the hearing on H. R. 5753. Mr. CASE. Then, Mr. Chairman, I would like to introduce Mr. Edward Stover of the Pine Ridge Agency, S. Dak., who is the interpreter for the group. I would also like to introduce the following: Joseph Spotted Owl, chief and chairman of what is known as the Treaty Council, Pine Ridge Reservation, S. Dak.; Eugene Little, chairman of the treaty council on the Rosebud Reservation. These are two of the largest reservations in the entire country. Now I would also like to introduce Bull Man, Snow Fly, and Thin Elk. Unless the members of the committee desire to ask any questions I think that concludes the presentation this morning. The CHAIRMAN. Do any members of the committee desire to ask any questions of these representatives? Mr. CASE. Do you think we can get in all the testimony tomorrow? Mr. SHEPPARD. What time would you like to start? Would 10 o'clock be too early? Mr. CASE. No, that would not be too early for us. The CHAIRMAN. Then the Chair will make this statement, that further hearings on H. R. 5753 will be continued under the subcommittee that has been appointed, starting at 10 o'clock tomorrow morning. (Thereupon the hearing was concluded.) (The committee thereupon adjourned until Wednesday, Apr. 28, 1937.) |