University of Oklahoma College of Law University of Oklahoma College of Law Digital Commons American Indian and Alaskan Native Documents in the Congressional Serial Set: 1817-1899 1-17-1898 Sisseton and Wahpeton Bands of Dakota or Sioux Indians. Letter from the Secretary of the Interior, transmitting a report concerning the Sisseton and Wahpeton Bands of Dakota or Sioux Indians, in conformity with the requirements of the Indian appropriation Act of June 7, 1897 Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.law.ou.edu/indianserialset Part of the Indian and Aboriginal Law Commons Recommended Citation S. Doc. No. 68, 55th Cong., 2nd Sess. (1898) This Senate Document is brought to you for free and open access by University of Oklahoma College of Law Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in American Indian and Alaskan Native Documents in the Congressional Serial Set: 1817-1899 by an authorized administrator of University of Oklahoma College of Law Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. 55TH CONGRESS, } SENATE. DOCUMENT 2d Session. { No. 68 . SISSETON AND WAHPETON BANDS OF DAKOTA OR SIOUX INDIANS. LETTER FROM THE SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR, • TRANSMITTING A REPORT CONCERNING THE SISSETON AND WAHPETON BANDS OF DAKOTA OR SIOUX INDIANS, IN CONFORMIT¥ WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE INDIAN APPROPRIATION ACT OF JUNE 7, 1897. JAZ\lTARY 17, 1898.-Referred to the Committee on Indian A:ffahs and ordered to be printed. FEBRUARY 2, 1898.-0rdered rep1·inted with map. DEPARTMEN1.' OF THE IN1.'EU.IOR, Washington, January 15, 1898. SIR: I have the honor to herewith transmit a report concerning the· Sisseton and Wahpeton bands of Dakota or Sioux Indians, in conformity with the requirements of the Indian appropriation act approved June 7, 1897. (30 Stat., 89.) Very respectfully, o. N. BLISS, Secretary. The PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE. REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR CONCERNING THE SISSETON AND WAPHETON BANDS OF DAKOTA OR SIOUX INDIANS, MADE IN PURSUANCE OF THE FOLLOWING PROVISIONS OF THE ACT 0}' CONGRESS APPROVED JUNE 7, 1897 (30 STAT., 89), VIZ: That the Secretary of the Interior is hereby directed to report to Congress as soon as practicabl-e, or at its next regular session, copies of all treaties or agreements made with the Hi r,: olton and Wahpeton bantls of Dakota of Sioux Indians prior to and since eighteen hundred and sixty-three; also a statement in detail, as far as practicable, of all amounts or sums paid to said Indians under said treaties or otherwise, includ­ ing amounts for subsistence since said period; also the extent of reservations granted to them by said treaties or agreements, or any of them, and amounts now in the Treasury arising fi·om sale of their reservations or portions thereof; also statement · of all appropriations made for or on their behalf since said period, or on behalf of any ofthem. 2 SISSE'fON AND WAHPETON BANDS OF INDIANS. TREATY OF JULY 15, 1830. (7 STAT., 328). By article 1. the Medawakanton, Wahpa.koota, Sisseton, and Wahpe­ ton ba11ds of Sioux, or other Indians~ ceded to the United States the land within the following boundaries:' Beginning at the upper fork of the Demoine River, and passing the source of the Little Sioux and Floyds River to the forks of the first creek which falls into the Big Sioux or Calumet, on the east side; thence down Haid creek an1l Calumet River to the Missonri River; thence down said Missouri River to the Missouri Ht.ate line above the Kansas; thence along said line to the northwt>st corner of said State ; thence to the high lands between the wa.ters falling into the Missouri and Desmoines, pass­ ing to said high la.nlls along the dividing ridge ~epa rating the wMers of the VI issonri from those of the Demoine, to a point opposite the sonrce of the Boyer River, and thence in a direct line to the upper fork of the Desmoine, the place of beginning. 1 Of this ces~ion, however, ouly the land north of the Sac and Fox boundary line, as shown on the map and embraced in diagram 1 B, was claimed or owned by the Sioux. And, by article 3, the said four bands "cede a~d relinquish to the U:nited States forever' a tract of country 20 miles in wirltb, from the Mississippi to the Demoine River, situate north and adjoining the line mentioned in the preceding article" (ce~sion by the Sa,·s a11d FoxeR).2 . .Also, by article 9, the said Sioux bands asked pPrmission to bestow upon the half-breeds of their nation the tract of laud within the follow­ ing limits: Beginning at a place called the barn, below and near the village of the Red ·wing chief, and running back ti l'teen miles; thence in a parallel line with Lake Pepin and the Mississippi, about thirty-two miles, to a point opposite Beef (or 0-Bmuf) River: thence fifteen mile~; to the Grand Encampmeut opposite the river aforeHaid; the United States agree to ~utfer said half-breeds to occupy said tract of country, they holding by the same title aud in the ~;arne manner that other Indian titles are held. a In consideration of the ces~ions made the United States a.gTeed to­ pay $2,000 per annum for ten ypars to the "Sioux of the Mississippi," comprising tl1e four bands named in article 1 of the treaty. Only two Sissetons and no11e of the Wahvetons signed the articles of agreement. TREATY OF NOVEMBER 30, 1836. (7 STAT., fi27.) By this treaty the Wahpakoota, Sisseton, and Upper Medawakanton bands of Sioux ceded to the United States all their rig·ht, title, and interest to the lands lying between the State of Missouri aud the lVIis­ souri River.4 No annuities or payments were guaranteed by this treaty. TREATY OF JULY 23, 1851. '(lo STAT., 949.) The Sissetons and WalJpetons (and the Me(lawakantons and Wab­ pakootas also, by their treaty of Augnst 5, lRfH), cede, S("ll, and relin­ quish to the United States, by artiele 2, all their lands in the State of lo\va; also, all their lands in the Territory of Minnesota lying east of the followi11g .boundaries: Beginning at the ,innction of the Bnffalo River with the Red River of the North; · thence along the weKtern bank of said Red RiYer of the North to th ~' mouth of the Sioux Wood Hiver; thence along the western bank of the said Sioux tvood River to I See map, diagram 1 A, 1 B, 1 C. s See map, diagram 3. • See m~p, diagram 2. • See Anap, diagram 1 0. SISSETON AND WAHPETON BANDS OF INDIANS. 3 I I• ' J Lake Traverse; thence along the western shore of said lake to the southern extremity thereof; thence in a direct line to the junction of Kampeska Lake with the Tcltan­ kas-an-da-ta or Sioux River; tJJence along the western bank of sai•l river to it.s point of intersection witu the northern line of the State of Iowa, including all the islands in said rivers and lake, I By article 3, the United States set apart for future occupancy, to be held by them as Indian lands are held- . All that tract of country on either side of the Minnesota River from the western boundary of the lands herein ceued, east to the Tchay-tam-bay River on the north, and to the Yellow Medicine Hiver ou tlle south side, to exten•l, on each side, a dis­ tance of not less than ten miles from the general course of said river.~ Senate amendment to the treaty struck out this article, and added a supplementary article, which provided, first, for paymeu t to tlJe "parties to this treaty, at the rate of 10 cents per acre, for the lands included in the reservation provided for in the third article," as originally agreed ­ upon; and, second, for setting "apart by appropriate landmarks and boundaries, such tracts of country without the limits of the ct>ssion made by the first (second) article of the treaty as may be satisfactory for their future occupancy and home." Other lands do not appear to have been set apart for the occupancy of the Indians; but they were allowed to remain upon those descril>ed in the original third article of the treaty, and these were contirmed to them as their permanent reservation by the act of July 31, 1t;54. (10 Stat., 326.) In further and full consideration of said cession, the United States, by article 4, agree.d to pay to said Indians the sum of $1,665,000, at the several tirnes and in the following mallner, viz: 1. Two hundred and seve11ty-:t.ive thousa11d dollars to be paid to the chiefs of the bands to enable them to settle their affairs, a11d in cmJsid­ eration of removing them~elves (withiu two yea• s) without cost to the Government and subsisting themselves for the first year after removal, also without further cost or expense to the Gover11 mt:>ut. 2. Thirty thousand dollars for manual labor schools, erection of mills and blacksmith shops, opening farms, fencing and breaking land,- and for other benefieial objects. ' After the payment of these two sums, the balance of the $1,6o5,000 purchase money, being $1,360,000, was to remain in tru8t with the United States, and 5 pei· cent intere8t thereon, amounting to $1i8,000 per annum, to be paid annually for the period of fifty years, commencing July 1, 1852, and to" be in full payment of said halal1ce, principal and interest," said interest to be annually applied as follows: 3.