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 |  | Friday May 9, 2008 7:23 AM |
 | | CHILDREN of the SUN by David Wynecoop | |
CHILDREN of the SUN: Chapter 4
Reservations Established
In 1880, Fort Spokane was built at the confluence of the Spokane
and Columbia Rivers to protect the white settlers from possible
Indian attack. During the nineteen years the fort was used for
military purposes, not a single shot was fired against the
Indians. A council was held at Spokane Falls on September 3,
1880, between Brigadier General Howard of the U.S. Army and the
head men of the Spokane Tribe in an attempt to resolve the
reservation question. As a result of this council, an Executive
Order was issued on January 18, 1881, by President R. B. Hayes
establishing the Spokane Indian Reservation. As established, the
reservation contained 154,602.57 acres and was described as
follows:
"Commencing at a point where Tshimakin Creek crosses the
forty-eighth parallel of latitude; then down the east bank of
said creek to where it enters the Spokane River; Thence across
said Spokane River westwardly along the southern bank thereof to
a point were it enters the Columbia River; Thence across the
Columbia River northwardly along its westerly bank to a point
where said river crosses the said forty-eighth parallel of
latitude thence east along said parallel to the place of
beginning"
The Lower Spokanes under the leadership of Chief Lot moved onto
the Reservation shortly after it was established. The Upper and
Middle bands refused to relocate on the Reservation land be
cause: 1. They wanted payment before ceding aboriginal land
title to the United States; 2. The Reservation was located in
Lower Spokane county and not considered the most desirable by
the Upper and Middle bands for hunting and fishing purposes; 3.
There was a religious difference, the Lowers were Presbyterians
and most of the Upper and Middles were Catholic.
The city of Spokane was rapidly becoming a center of trade by
1881, as the first Northern Pacific Railroad train arrived on
July 25. With the discovery of gold in the Coeur d' Alene
Mountains of northern Idaho in 1883, the population of Spokane
grew to 1,000. By early 1887 the city was an expanding
metropolis with a population of 15,000. Newspaper accounts of
this era of history referred to the Indian as a "siwash" or
"savage". The population of Spokane had stolen the Indians'
fishing and trading center at Spokane Falls and had settled on
choice farm lands leaving the non-reservation Indian with no
means of maintaining a livelihood and with ridicule on every
comer.
Out of fear of losing their claim to aboriginal land title, the
Upper and Middle bands finally entered into an agreement with
the United States on March 18, 1887. They agreed to cede title
to all lands they claimed and move onto the Coeur d'Alene
Reservation in Idaho or other nearby reservations, including the
Spokane. As compensation, they were paid approximately $127,000
to be used for erection of houses, purchase of cattle, seeds,
and farm implements. The agreement did not become law until
ratified by Congress on July 13, 1892. A majority of the Upper
band moved onto the Coeur d' Alene Reservation while a few went
to the Flathead Reservation in Montana. Most of the Middle band
moved onto the Spokane Reservation. According to a Bureau of
Indian Affairs census taken in 1897, there were 340 Lower
Spokanes (Lot's band) and 188 Uppers and Middles (Enoch's band)
living on the Spokane Reservation. The Act of May 27, 1902,
opened the Spokane Reservation for mineral entry. Entry was to
have taken place on July 1, 1902; but Congress discovered that
individual Indians had not been allotted and quickly rescinded
its action.
Public Resolution No. 31 was enacted by Congress on June 19,
1902, which directed the Secretary of the Interior to make all
allotments to the Indians of the Spokane Reservation. The
surveying of the Reservation began in 1903. Members of the
Washington Congressional delegation and the news media harassed
the surveying and accused the Bureau of using delaying tactics
to prevent mineral entry. Between the time of the authorization
for entry and rescission, an estimated 500 "sooners" waited on
the borders of the Reservation to stake claims on ground which
Spokane newspapers termed "the most valuable in the northwest".
Indian agent, A. M. Anderson used a 100 man force, mostly
Indians, to prevent the money hungry whites from entering. There
nearly was bloodshed as the Indians were outraged at the latest
white man attempt to victimize them.
One of the more recent "gifts" of Indian lands occurred as a
result of the Act of March 3, 1905, which provided for the
acquisition of water rights in the Spokane River along the
Reservation's southern boundary. The Act authorized the
Secretary of the Interior to sell lands along the north bank of
the river (Spokane Reservation) to any citizen, association, or
corporation of the United States for power purposes. On November
3, 1906, the Secretary of the Interior approved the sale of a
power site to David Wilson, a white man. In less than one year,
Wilson resold the water rights to the Washington Water Power
Company for $25,000. The Little Falls Power Plant, as it is
called today, is still owned and operated by the Power Company.
The transaction was undoubtedly a step toward the development of
water resources, but the Indian again was the victim of white
men's exploitations.
The allotting of lands on the Reservation began in October, 1906
under the supervision of Clair Hunt, Special Allotting Agent.
The amount of land each member received depended on the
classification of the land. Usually farm lands were awarded in
80 acre tracts: mixed agricultural and grazing were 120 acres;
and grazing and timber 160 acres. Six hundred and twenty-five
allotments were made to individual members, total acreage was
64,749.48. Later additional allotments were made to members who
were overlooked or became eligible later. There were 651
allotments issued.
By 1907 white settlers were becoming impatient, waiting for the
Reservation to open up for homesteading and some decided to
speed thing up by squatting on land within the Reservation
boundaries. The following newspaper article appeared in the
Spokesman Review on November 10, 1907, and fairly well described
the scene at that time:
"WILL CLEAN RESERVATION"
"The first of the new year will witness a general house cleaning
of the Colville and Spokane Reservations. All person who have no
claim to allotment on these reservations will be required to
leave the reservation and seek homes elsewhere. This will
greatly facilitate the work of allotment. A strain of Indian
blood is a valuable asset at present, and it is wonderful how
many white skins have turned red lately."
At the conclusion of allotting, and in anticipation of opening
the Reservation to Homesteading, the Spokane Chronicle carried
this headline on January 25,1909: "INDIANS HAVE GOBBLED BEST OF
THE SPOKANE RESERVATION".
Congress opened the Spokane Reservation to Homesteading in 1909.
According to the Spokesman Review report on this, 40,000
individuals filed application for land on the Reservation during
the first eight days of filing. The transcontinental railroads
were using all available equipment to transport persons wanting
land. Actually, only about forty homesteads were taken at the
price of $5.00 per acre.
Upon the opening for homesteading, the Northern Pacific Railroad
filed claim to every odd section of land within the Reservation
totaling some 55,000 acres. The railroad said that it was
entitled to the land as an incentive for building the railroad
to the city of Spokane. After nearly five years, the railroad
lost its claim.
One of the most interesting and ironic eras in the history of
the Spokane Reservation took place shortly after April 9, 1910.
On this date Congress opened the Reservation for mineral entry.
The would-be wealthy miner found next to nothing; no silver
lodes or ledges of copper. It is rather humorous to know that
some 45 years later one of the richest uranium mines in the
United States would be found on the Reservation where the white
man once searched in vain for wealth and fame.
Last Updated
December 21, 2004
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