There is no regular medicine-man-that is, none who practices as formerly, but there are men amongst them who have medicine made from various herbs, which they give to the sick; still, some of these men come at times to be treated by me. I have frequent calls to visit the sick, who are not able to come to the agency, and a great many come to the dispensary when they are suffering from slight ailment. Respectfully, yours, T. A. COSKERY, I have often been asked if it is possible to civilize and make the Indians self-supporting. I answer that it is possible to make the Indians self-supporting, and to a certain extent civilized; but it never will be done until the Indian Department is removed from politics and political influence, and run on business principles in the interest of the Indians. * * * I have the honor to be, sir, very respectfully, The COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. JOHN W. CRAMSIE, U. S. Indian Agent. REPORT OF FORT BERTHOLD AGENCY. FORT BERTHOLD AGENCY, DAKOTA, August 8, 1888. SIR: In compliance with the instructions contained in circular letter from the Indian Office, dated July 1, 1888, I have the honor to present the following as a concise view of the affairs at this agency, together with a brief summary of the condition of our Indians for the past year and as my annual report. This reservation, with perhaps a few exceptions, is the best in the Territory for general farming and stock-raising purposes, containing, as it does, many thousand acres of desirable river-bottom land noted for its great producing qualities and its general fertility, the reservation being almost equally divided and watered by the Missouri River. So, also, I might say that the physical geography of the entire western portion of the reservation is such as to make it peculiarly adapted to the industry of cattle and horse raising. These two items together render this reservation one of the most desirable in the service. The Indians occupying this reservation by an Executive order are the remnants of the three once powerful tribes occupying this great northwestern territory—the Arickarees, Gros Ventres, and Mandans, numbering as follows: Arickarees, 501; Gros Ventres, 502; Mandans, 286; total, 1,289. Of this number 170 Gros Ventres, although living on the reservation, seceded from agency control about eighteen years ago, in consequence of trouble arising in regard to the ruling powers of the chiefs, and who still refuse as a body to return to the authority of the agent and to share in the benefits bestowed upon the other Indians, because I have exacted that they must take allotments of land and surrender their children to the school. From the census-roll, revised June 30, 1888, I am enabled to give the following as a correct count and tribal classification of the Indians within this domain: Since the complete abandonment of the Indian village at this agency, which has been in the course of abandonment for the past four years, every family has settled upon an allotment of land and has commenced a life leading to complete independence, and all are engaged more or less, as they are able, in farming, adding continually each year to their improvements, all of which has had a tendency to destroy their former nomadic habits and to make them more contented and satisfied with their new mode of life; no trouble is now experienced by complaints from white settlers of roving bands of Indians, as was formerly frequently the case. The progress from year to year made by the Indians can not be denied by those who knew them in their idleness and degradation of a few years ago, and who are now able to see them successfully at work improving and cultivating the lands about their homes and living a comparatively happy life. The amount of land under cultivation, which is from time to time being increased, has now reached very nearly 2,000 acres. Their crops of grain last year were poor, owing to the continued drought during the early season, yet the rains came in time to save their oats, which yielded them between 3,000 and 4,000 bushels. The amount of seeding done by the Indians would have, with an average yield, brought them at least 16,000 to 18,000 bushels of wheat, while in reality only 800 bushels were realized. Their potatoes, however, brought them an average yield, and their caches contained at least 8,000 bushels, with from 5,000 to 8,000 bushels of corn. There seems to be a prevailing idea among these Indians that they are making their cultivated patches too large and that they will not be able to properly care for the maturing crop, an idea originating from the inexperience of the Indian as to his own abilities and qualifications, and it is only by actual demonstration that he is convinced of his real ability. Looking to success among the Indians as practical farmers, I am convinced that they must be taught to look more to diversified farming and stock-raising. The droughts, which are so liable to prevail and destroy the grain before reaching maturity, should be met by the Indians by more attention to raising small herds of cattle, sheep, and swine, which, in the event of the total failure of crops, will profit them something, as they can be made to thrive to success with but little trouble or expense. EDUCATION. All the children of school age belonging to this agency have been transferred to the school at Fort Stevenson, 17 miles distant, save a few who are at the mission school at the agency and a few at other schools, which are enumerated below: The Mission Home school conducted by the American Missionary Association at this agency has, according to the quarterly reports, had an average attendance of thirty pupils. The following is a list of names of the teachers employed at this school, together with the salaries paid each: The Fort Stevenson school being a separate and independent institution and beyond my control, I would make reference to the report of the superintendent of that school for the advancement of the children of this agency in education. CIVILIZATION. A visit to these Indians and to compare their present condition with that of a few years ago will go far toward demonstrating that they are truly well on the right road to civilization. The civilizing influences surrounding an agricultural home have been the means of this great change, and I am confident that no power or pressure could be brought to bear to induce these Indians to return again to the village life of idleness, superstition, and degradation. They have, so far as they are able to, substituted civilized wearing apparel for the breech cloth and blanket, and have assumed many other ways of the whites. The completion of the Saint Paul, Minneapolis and Manitoba Railway through this reservation has been and will continue to be of great assistance to the Indians in their efforts toward civilization, besides affording them a market for their produce. They have already taken advantage of this fact and have made several trips to Minot, a town on this railway, distant about 50 miles, where they have sold to good advantage their produce of last year, this being the first time that they have sold in market to any extent their farm productions. I regret to say, however, that I have found it always necessary that some one should accompany them on trips of this character in order that they may receive a just equivalent for their produce. The dealers are only too anxious to take advantage in every possible way of the ignorance and inexperience of the Indians in the way of trade. I am quite confident, however, that after they have been schooled in this manner for a few times they will soon be equal to the emergency and be fully able to protect their own rights. The delay attending the confirming and ratifying the agreement made December 14, 1886, between the commissioners and our Indians, by which they cede to the Government two-thirds of their reservation, has and is continuing to have a very unsavory effect upon the Indians. They are not able to understand the slow process and workings of Congress, neither am I; consequently a satisfactory explanation can not be given them. This agreement reached Congress by a message from the President January 17, 1887. No action being taken by the Forty-ninth Congress, I called the attention of the honorable Commissioner of Indian Affairs to the injustice of this delay and to the importance to the Indians of a speedy ratification of this agreement, December 12, 1887. On January 21, 1888, the honorable Secretary of the Treasury transmitted to Congress a letter from the honorable the Secretary of the Interior, together with the accompanying papers, stating the importance of the speedy ratification of this agreement, among which was a letter from the honorable Commissioner of Indian Affairs, from which I take the liberty to quote the following as giving clearly the situation: The agreement referred to was transmitted to Congress by the President January 17, 1887, and forms the subject matter of Senate Ex. Doc. No. 30, Forty-ninth Congress, second session. Presumably through lack of time no final action was taken thereon by the last Congress. Agent Gifford states that the Indians are looking for the ratification of the agreement with great anxiety and no little impatience, and that he finds it difficult to satisfy them with an explanation as to the cause of the delay. He says they are ready to take their lands in severalty as provided in the agreement, and that it would be an act of great injustice to them to compel them to wait the slower process of the general allotment act to obtain the much-needed means to establish themselves in individual homes through the sale of their surplus lands. The acceptance of the provisions of the agreement was, he observes, the unanimous act of the three tribes, and "it seems to them (he continues) the dawning of a new era, when they would shakeoff the yoke of pauperism which they as creatures of circumstances have been compelled to wear for so long a time, and become a civilized and useful people. To accomplish this greatly desired end they were willing to relinquish fully two-thirds of their lands, which they, their fathers, and their fathers' fathers have occupied so long, and for what? Not that they might receive and enjoy personally the coveted money, but that they might enjoy together the provisions of the agreement, all tending to lift them from the depths of their present degradation to a higher sphere of life." And again he says: "If it is expected that the reformation which has taken place among these Indians during the past three years is to continue to success, and that the labor already spent in their behalf is to be a lasting one, then I am sure no greater drawback could present itself than to have Congress adjourn its present session without ratifying this agreement." I concur in the opinion of Agent Gifford that the agreement ought to be ratified with as little delay as possible. In keeping with the policy of the Government it provides for the allotment of lands in severalty to the Indians, in quantity and with a similar restriction regarding alienation, as is provided in the severalty act, except that it does not authorize the President to extend nonalienation period beyond the twenty-five years specified. In all human probability it will be several years (two or three at least) before the Indians would derive any financial aid from the sale of their surplus lands if the general allotment act were applied in their case, but under the terms of the late agreement the money consideration would be forthcoming at once and could be expended in assisting them in beginning life on their individual allotments. This is a very important consideration, especially as the Indians are ripe for the application of the allotment plan, and are impatient to select their land in accordance with the agreement and go to work. Furthermore by the terms of this agreement a tract of land estimated to contain 1,600,009 acres is made available to white settlement. This also is an important consideration. As I remarked in my letter of January 8, 1887, forwarding the agreement for transmittal to Congress, I regard the agreement as exceedingly favorable alike to the Government and the Indians, as, if faithfully carried out, it will enable the Indians to become self-supporting and to be entirely independent of the Government at the expiration of the ten years for which the annual installments are to run. In order to insure action during the present session of Congress I have the honor to recommend that a clause be inserted in the Indian appropriation bill, as was done in the case of the Moses agreement (23 Statutes, page 79), ratifying and confirming the agreement now under consideration, and making necessary provision for carrying the same into effect. As the provisions of the severalty act are being extended to other tribes and bands throughout the country, none of whom can be said to be better prepared or more anxious to accept the new order of things, it would be manifestly unjust to delay action upon the pending agreement with the Fort Berthold Indians, for until the agreement is disposed of one way or another no steps can be taken to give them the benefit of the severalty act. * * * As there is no provision in the agreement for subdividing the diminished reservation for allotment, the cost of the surveys will have to be borne by the Government; but this is a very small matter, considering the mutual benefits to be derived from the vast cession of lands made to the Government. The item to be inserted in the bill makes provision for the required surveys. * I have the honor to recommend that copies of this report and accompanying papers be transmitted to the Senate and House of Representatives, with request that the item ratifying and confirming said agreement and making the needed appropriation of money be substituted for my estimate of funds required for the subsistence and civilization of the Arickarees, Gros Ventres, and Mandans for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1889." It can not be denied that this agreement is in the main wise and satisfactory both to the Government and to the Indians, yet it may, judging from the great delay in its ratification, contain some objectionable clause to the fastidious committee to whom this matter has been referred. If so, why not reject or accept it rather than continue to practice this great injustice to the Indians, checking their desire to acquire the civilized pursuits which they might enjoy and obtain from the provisions of this agreement. Should it be necessary from any cause to again submit this matter to the consideration of the Indians, I fear their faith in commissions will be so shaken that they will, like their neighbors, the Sioux, refuse to consent to any change or modification, but will struggle along, arriving as near as possible at their aim of civilization as their very limited means will admit. While in Bismarck recently I learned that one of our Indians was confined in the penitentiary, convicted of a crime of which there was some question as to his guilt. Upon reviewing the case I discovered no evidence which to my mind warranted such a conviction. With the case I appeared before the governor and argued an application for a pardon. The governor, not like the jury that convicted the Indian, who believed that because he was an Indian that he was much better off in the penitentiary, manifessed an interest in the case, and after a careful review of the case saw the injustice and pardoned the Indian, who has again returned to the reservation. It is a lamentable fact that it is almost impossible for an Indian to obtain justice from a jury living so near him. They seem a class of men who see the Indians in the depths of their degradation and misfortune and judge them according to whites in the same condition, forgetting entirely why they are so unfortunate, and that they know nothing of the beauties of a civilized life, and believing that they have no rights which a white man is bound to respect. SANITARY. Since my assuming charge of this agency in May, 1884, I can see that the Indians are now enjoying better health, which undoubtedly is owing to the entire change in their mode of life. Living as they were, huddled together, the entire three tribes within a space of less than half a mile square and not observing any sanitary laws, was the means of breeding disease; but since they have deserted this place and now live separately from each other on farms of their own selection all diseases except those of an hereditary character have almost entirely disappeared. The importance and perhaps the absolute necessity of establishing and maintaining a hospital at this agency can not be disputed, and is a noticeable fact to all who visit this agency in the interest of the welfare and uplifting of these Indians. Were one established here I am sure many lives would be saved which are now lost from want of proper care and nursing, while the aged and infirm could at least spend their remaining days in comfortable surroundings. The convincing argument in favor of the establishment of such an institution here is simply to visit the houses of the sick and to notice the suffering and neglect of the aged and infirm. Upon the ground floor, lying on a blanket, will be seen an Indian stricken with a disease which by chance and by the aid of the science of the practice of medicine of to-day he might rally and soon be as well as ever. Whether in winter or summer a roaring fire is kept burning in the stove, which, in the ill-ventilated shack, produces a deadly atmosphere. The evil effects are unknown to the Indian. The agency physician, who is generously supplied with medicines, visits the patient and finds him and his relatives anxious that every effort should be made to restore the sick one to health. After some difficulty and patience, without the aid of an interpreter, the physician is able to trace the character of the disease from the symptoms, and prescribes accordingly, which, under the most favorable circumstances, would require careful watching and the regular administering of the medicines for perhaps several days. Those about the patient administer the medicines as directed perhaps for a day, after which, because the physician's treatment does not show magic and the patient does not immediately get up and walk a well man, they are discouraged and the medicines are thrown away, and the mockery practiced by the Indian medicine man is resumed and death to the patient is the ultimate result. There are also cases where the friends of the patient have still more faith in the agency physician and who will by encouragement from him from day to day administer the medicines regularly for a much longer time. In such cases, particularly when the patient begins to rally, proper nursing and diet is necessary to restore the patient to health, but these ignorant creatures know nothing of the art of nursing, neither do they know of preparing proper diet and perhaps delicacies so necessary with the sick, even among these savages, who are withal human, and the result is relapse and death to the patient from want of proper care and nourishment. The remedy for this glaring evil is the establishment of an hospital where the sick and infirm could be moved and where the agency physician could perform in a satisfactory manner the mission which he is called to fill. Here the medicines could be regularly administered and in a proper manner, and by the aid of a professional nurse proper and necessary articles of diet could be prepared and administered. With such an institution at this agency much suffering would be alleviated and many lives saved. MISSIONARY WORK. The missionary work at this agency progresses with zeal, as it has in the past, and I trust with beneficial and lasting results. It has often occurred to me an almost hopeless task to endeavor to instill into the minds of this savage, superstitious, and incapable people the glories of the coming of Christ or the beauties of a firm religious belief which surely baffles the minds of our most learned people. CONCLUSION. My commission as agent for these Indians expired April 16, 1888, and as I had arranged somewhat my future plans I have experienced much annoyance and disappointment in not being relieved, notwithstanding the appointment of my successor. I do not, however, relinquish the responsibilities of my trust without acknowledging my great interest in the welfare and ultimate success of these Indians, to whom I have become attached after a full knowledge of their character, circumstances, and misfortunes. If I have been able to give them a start in the right direction, leading to the lights of civilization, or have in any way been the means of lifting them to a knowledge of a higher and more useful sphere of life, I feel rewarded, and can forget the many trials and selfdenials the past four years of my life have given me; and it is my earnest hope that my successor will be imbued with the same feelings of interest which have actuated and marked every official act of mine, and that his whole and only desire may be the uplifting and advancing to a higher civilized life these degraded and unfortunate people. All of which is respectfully submitted. SIR: I have the honor to submit my second annual report of affairs pertaining to this agency. We have carried upon our rolls for the past year 5,189 Indians. Ogalalla Sioux, 528 Northern Cheyennes, and 462 mixed bloods. census taken June 30, 1888: Of these 4,197 were |