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Minnesota Tales

The St. Paul Daily Globe, November 21, 1889, p. 1


READY TO SIGN.


Fond du Lac Chippewas Brought to Terms by the Commission.


Special to the Globe.

Cloquet, Minn., Nov. 20 - The United States Chippewa commission appointed to negotiate with the Minnesota Indians, comprising of Hon. A. M. Rice, Rt. Rev. Bishop M. Marty, O. C. B. and Dr. J. B. Whiting, held their third council with the Indians located at this agency to-day. There has been much filibustering manifested by the Indians. They claim that the treaty of 1854, by which they relinquished all their rights to certain lands excepting the land they now occupy, and known as the Fond du Lac reservation, has never been fulfilled by the government, and that the land in question had never been relinquished by them. Mr. Rice, after listening patiently to a recital of their grievances, proceeded to explain the purport of all the negotiations between them and the government since 1842, and maintained that certain land they now lay claim to had by each of said several treaties been ceded to the government.

The leaders of the tribe are the aged sachem of the tribe Nahgonuh and his son Antoni, supported by James Coffee, an intelligent mixed blood residing here. Coffee, after having informed himself fully regarding the new measures proposed, proceeded in an eloquent and impressive speech to his people to explain to them the benfit that would come to them should they approve of the measures. After a few more brief words a general feeling of approval toward the measures was manifested, and several came forward to sign, but on a motion by Antoni Nahgonuh a request was made to the commission for an adjournment until to-morrow, when it was stated all would come forward to sign.


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