I consider myself advanced only because I read and write. I haul my own water like most Indians in this room. Most of our people live on dirt floors, no electricity, no plumbing. Thomas Wazhashk: I am not sure what study the information about our advancement, financially speaking, was based on. Nothing in the treaty says that if we better ourselves we lose our land. We are working, but even if we did become rich, that would have no bearing on our agreement with the government. We have a lot of smart Indians in this room. Moses Montrose: We are advanced in some ways. Some members of Congress heard or seem to believe that the Turtle Mountain Chippewa are so far advanced that they should be relinquished by the government. Hail: We know the Indian Department did not initiate this move that included the Turtle Mountain Chippewa Indians and the reservation. We are here on your behalf, but we cannot do such a thing. Cooper (abrupt laugh): That is out of the question. How about you relocate some of our neighbors who aren’t Indians? They are sitting on our best land. “Mary Montrose: This relocation isn’t my wish. Overnight, the tribal chairman job had turned into a struggle to remain a problem to not be solved.” So, as usual, by getting rid of us the Indian problem would be solved. Freed from the treaties that Thomas's father and grandfather had signed and that were promised to last forever. This word would not stop banging around in his head. It had taken precious time to even get confirmation, or see the actual House Resolution stating, as its author said, that the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa was targeted by the United States Congress for emancipation.Įmancipation. Then Moses had to pry the papers out of his contact down in Aberdeen. By reading the Minot Daily News, he'd found out something was up. He had received no word from the government.

And do they tell us when they plan to get rid of us? Hah. “But every so often the government remembered about Indians and when they did they always tried to solve Indians, thought Thomas.

The night watchman by louise erdrich