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Compiled and edited by Charles J. Kappler. Washington : Government Printing Office, 1904.
Whereas certain of the chiefs and headmen of the confederated bands of the Ute tribe of Indians, now present in the city of Washington, have agreed upon and submitted to the Secretary of the Interior an agreement for the sale to the United States of their present reservation in the State of Colorado, their settlement upon lands in severalty, and for other purposes; and
Whereas the President of the United States has submitted said agreement, with his approval of the same, to the Congress of the United States for acceptance and ratification, and for the necessary legislation to carry the same into effect: Therefore
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That said agreement be, and the same is hereby, accepted, ratified, and confirmed: Provided, That the said agreement shall be amended by adding to the first clause thereof, after the words “guilty parties”, the words following, to wit: “Until such surrender or apprehension, or until the President shall be satisfied that the guilty parties are no longer living or have fled beyond the limits of the United States, the proportion of the money, hereinafter provided, coming to that portion of the Ute Indians known as the White River Utes, except for removal and settlement, shall not be paid”; and by adding to the third express condition of said agreement after the word “forever”, the words following, to wit: “Provided, That the President of the United States may, in his discretion, appropriate an amount thereof, not exceeding ten thousand dollars, for the education in schools established within or beyond the limits of the lands selected, of such youths of both sexes as in his judgment may be best qualified to make proficiency in practical industries and pursuits necessary for their self-support, and out of the portion of said moneys coming to the White River Utes, the United States shall pay annually to the following-named persons, during the period of twenty years, if they shall live so long, the following sums respectively: To Mrs. Ari-
vella D. Meeker, five hundred dollars; to Miss Josephine Meeker, five hundred dollars; to Mrs. Sophronia Price, five hundred dollars; to Mrs. Maggie Gordon, five hundred dollars; to George Dresser, two hundred dollars; to Mrs. Sarah M. Post, five hundred dollars; to Mrs. Eaton, mother of George Eaton, two hundred dollars; to the parents of Arthur L. Thompson, two hundred dollars; to the father of Fred Shepard, two hundred dollars; to the parents of Wilmer Eskridge, two hundred dollars”; and by adding to the fifth express condition of said agreement after word “reaffirmed”, the words following to wit: “This sum, together with the annuity of fifty thousand dollars hereinbefore provided, may, in the discretion of Congress, at the end of twenty-five years, be capitalized, and the principal sum be paid to said Indians per capita in lieu of said annuities”: And provided also, That three-fourths of the adult male members of said confederated bands shall agree to and sign said agreement, upon presentation of the same to them, in open council, in the manner hereinafter provided: Provided further, That nothing in this act contained, or in the agreement herein set forth, or in the amendments herein proposed to said agreement, shall be so construed as to compel any Ute Indian to remove from any lands that he or she claims in severalty. Said agreement is in words and figures as follows, namely:
The chiefs and headmen of the confederate bands of the Utes now present in Washington, hereby promise and agree to procure the surrender, to the United States, for trial and punishment, if found guilty, of those members of their nation, not yet in the custody of the United States, who were implicated in the murder of the United States Indian Agent N. C. Meeker and the murder of and outrages upon the employees at the White River Agency on the twenty-ninth day of September, eighteen hundred and seventy-nine, and in case they do not themselves succeed in apprehending the said parties, presumably guilty of the above-mentioned crime, that they will not in any manner obstruct, but faithfully aid any officers of the United States, directed by the proper authorities, to apprehend such presumably guilty parties.
The said chiefs and headmen of the confederated bands of Utes also agree and promise to use their best endeavors with their people to procure their consent to cede to the United States all the territory of the present Ute Reservation in Colorado, except as hereinafter provided for their settlement.
The Southern Utes agree to remove to and settle upon the unoccupied agricultural lands on the La Plata River, in Colorado; and if there should not be a sufficiency of such lands on the La Plata River and in its vicinity in Colorado, then upon such other unoccupied agricultural lands as may be found on the La Plata River or in its vicinity in New Mexico.
The Uncompahgre Utes agree to remove to and settle upon agricultural lands on Grand River, near the mouth of the Gunnison River, in Colorado, if a sufficient quantity of agricultural land shall be found there, if not then upon such other unoccupied agricultural lands as may be found in that vicinity and in the Territory of Utah.
The White River Utes agree to remove to and settle upon agricultural lands on the Uintah Reservation in Utah.
Allotments in severalty of said lands shall be made as follows:
To each head of a family one-quarter of a section, with an additional quantity of grazing land not exceeding one-quarter of a section.
To each single person over eighteen years of age one-eighth of a section, with an additional quantity of grazing land not exceeding one-eighth of a section.
To each orphan child under eighteen years of age one-eighth of a section, with an additional quantity of grazing land not exceeding one-eighth of a section; and to each other person, under eighteen years, now living, or who may be born prior to said allotments, one-eighth of a section, with a like quantity of grazing land.
All allotments to be made with the advice of the commission (a) hereinafter provided, upon the selection of the Indians, heads of families selecting for their minor children, and the agents making the allotment for each orphan child.
The said chiefs and headmen of the confederated bands of Utes further promise that they will not obstruct or in anywise interfere with travel upon any of the highways now open or hereafter to be opened by lawful authority in or upon any of the lands to be set apart for their use by virtue of this agreement.
The said chiefs and headmen of the confederated bands of Utes promise to obtain the consent of their people to the cession of the territory of their reservation as above on the following express conditions:
First. That the Government of the United States cause the lands so set apart to be properly surveyed and to be divided among the said Indians in severalty in the proportion hereinbefore mentioned, and to issue patents in fee simple to them respectively therefor, so soon as the necessary laws are passed by Congress. The title to be acquired by the Indians shall not be subject to alienation, lease, or incumbrance, either by voluntary conveyance of the grantee or by the judgment, order, or decree of any court, or subject to taxation of any character, but shall be and remain inalienable and not subject to taxation for the period of twenty-five years, and until such time there-after as the President of the United States may see fit to remove the restriction, which shall be incorporated in the patents when issued, and any contract made prior to the removal of such restriction shall be void.
Second. That so soon as the consent of the several tribes of the Ute Nation shall have been obtained to the provisions of this agreement, the President of the United States shall cause to be distributed among them in cash the sum of sixty thousand dollars of annuities now due and provided for, and so much more as Congress may appropriate for that purpose; and that a commission (b) shall be sent to superintend the removal and settlement of the Utes, and to see that they are well provided with agricultural and pastoral lands sufficient for their future support, and upon such settlement being duly effected, that they are furnished with houses, wagons, agricultural implements, and stock cattle sufficient for their reasonable wants, and also such saw and grist mills as may be necessary to enable them to commence farming operations, and that the money to be appropriated by Congress for that purpose shall be apportioned among the different bands of Utes in the following manner: One-third to those who settle on the La Plata River and vicinity, one-half to those settling on Grand River and vicinity, and one-sixth to those settling on the Uintah Reservation.
Third. That in consideration of the cession of territory to be made by the said confederated bands of the Ute Nation, the United States, in addition to the annuities and sums for provisions and clothing stipulated and provided for in existing treaties and laws, agrees to set apart and hold, as a perpetual trust for the said Ute Indians, a sum of money, or its equivalent in bonds of the United States, which shall be sufficient to produce the sum of fifty thousand dollars per annum, which sum of fifty thousand dollars shall be distributed per capita to them annually forever.
Fourth. That as soon as the President of the United States may deem it necessary or expedient, the agencies for the Uncompahgres
and Southern Utes be removed to and established at suitable points, to be hereafter selected, upon the lands to be set apart, and to aid in the support of the said Utes until such time as they shall be able to support themselves, and that in the mean time the United States Government will establish and maintain schools in the settlements of the Utes, and make all necessary provision for the education of their children.
Fifth. All provisions of the treaty of March second, eighteen hundred and sixty-eight, and the act of Congress approved April twenty ninth, eighteen hundred and seventy-four, not altered by this agreement, shall continue in force, and the following words from article three of said act, namely, “The United States agrees to set apart and hold, as a perpetual trust for the Ute Indians, a sum of money or its equivalent in bonds, which shall be sufficient to produce the sum of twenty-five thousand dollars per annum, which sum of twenty-five thousand dollars per annum shall be disbursed or invested at the discretion of the President, or as he may direct, for the use and benefit of the Ute Indians forever”, are hereby expressly reaffirmed.
Sixth. That the commissioners above mentioned shall ascertain what improvements have been made by any member or members of the Ute Nation upon any part of the reservation in Colorado to be ceded to the United States as above, and that payment in cash shall be made to the individuals having made and owning such improvements, upon a fair and liberal valuation of the same by the said commission, taking into consideration the labor bestowed upon the land.
Done at the city of Washington this sixth day of March anno Domini eighteen hundred and eighty. Signed
CHAVANAUX his X mark
IGNATIO his X mark
ALHANDRA his X mark VERATZITZ his X mark GALOTA his X mark JOCKNICK his X mark WASS his X mark SAWAWICK his X mark OURAY
Witnesses: WILL F. BURNS, Interpreter. W. H. BERRY, Interpreter. OTTO MEARS, Interpreter. HENRY PAGE, United States Indian Agent, Southern Utes. CHARLES ADAMS, Special Agent.
That the President of the United States be, and he is hereby, authorized and empowered to appoint, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, five commissioners, who shall receive compensation for their services at the rate of ten dollars per diem while actually engaged, in addition to their actual traveling and other necessary expenses; and said commissioners shall, under such instructions as the Secretary of the Interior may give them, present said agreement to
the confederated bands of the Ute Indians in open council for ratification, as provided in the first section of this act; and said commissioners shall have a clerk, at a salary of two hundred dollars per month, in addition to his actual traveling and other necessary expenses, and who shall give bond in an amount to be fixed by the Secretary of the Interior, and shall act also as disbursing-officer for said commissioners. And upon the ratification of said agreement by said tribe as herein provided, said commissioners shall, under the direction of the Secretary of the Interior, appraise the improvements belonging to said Ute Indians upon the lands surrendered by them as provided in said agreement, and report the same to the Secretary of the Interior for settlement. It shall be their duty to take a careful census of said Indians, separating them under said census as follows:
First. Those known in the agreement above referred to as Southern Utes.
Second. Those known as Uncompahgre Utes.
Third. Those known as White River Utes.
Said census shall also show separately the name of each head of a family, and the number of persons in such family, distinguishing those over eighteen years of age from those under eighteen years of age, and giving the names of each separately; also, said census shall show separately the orphan children in each of said classes of Utes described in the foregoing agreement, and they shall make an accurate register of the names, ages, occupations, and general condition of each of the above classes as aforesaid, specifying particularly the number and names of said Indians incapable by reason of orphanage, minority, or other disability of managing their own affairs, and they shall also select lands and allot them in severalty to said Indians, as herein provided, and superintend the removal, location, and settlement of the Indians thereon, and do and perform such other services as the Secretary of the Interior may consider necessary for them to do in the execution of the provisions of this act.
And after the said commissioners shall have performed the duties specifically assigned to them by this act, and such other duties as the Secretary of the Interior may require of them, they shall make a full report of their proceedings to the Secretary of the Interior, which shall set forth, among other things, the name of each person to whom they may have apportioned and allotted lands as herein provided for, with the name and condition of such person, showing who, upon proofs, are considered incompetent to take charge of their property, either as orphans, minors, or for other causes; and shall also exhibit the quantity of land assigned to each person, with the metes and bounds of such allotments. And said commissioners shall make an accurate map of the whole survey and proceeding, showing the partition and division aforesaid, a copy of which map shall be filed with said report; and the Secretary of the Interior shall cause a copy to be filed in the General Land Office, and copies shall also be filed in the office of the surveyors-general of Utah, Colorado and New Mexico, and also in the office of the register and receiver of the land district in which such lands or any portion of them may be situate. Said commissioners shall further report the total number of acres alloted and set apart as provided by the foreging agreement, the amount of such land tillable without irrigation, the amount of irrigation required, and the probable cost thereof. They shall also locate the agencies for the Southern Utes and the Uncompahgre Utes, shall furnish an estimate of the number of houses required, the cost of each, the number of school-houses required and the number of teachers, and the number of children of school age, and such other data as the secretary of the Interior may require to enable him to make judicious
expenditure of the money appropriated in section nine of this act; and said commissioners shall exercise direct supervision and control of all expenditures under this act during the time they remain in the Ute country, under the general direction of the Secretary of the Interior; and they shall render a full and detailed account of such expenditure, with the vouchers therefor, as now provided by law.
That the Secretary of the Interior be, and he is hereby, authorized to cause to be surveyed, under the direction of said commissioners, a sufficient quantity of land in the vicinities named in said agreement, to secure the settlement in severalty of said Indians as therein provided. And upon the completion of said survey and enumeration herein required, the said commissioners shall cause allotments of lands to be made to each and all of the said Indians, in quantity and character as set forth in the agreement above mentioned, and whenever the report and proceedings of said commissioners, as required by this act, are approved by the President of the United States, he shall cause patents to issue to each and every allottee for the lands so allotted, with the same conditions, restrictions, and limitations mentioned therein as are provided in said agreement; and all the lands not so allotted, the title to which is, by the said agreement of the confederated bands of the Ute Indians, and this acceptance by the United States, released and conveyed to the United States, shall be held and deemed to be public lands of the United States and subject to disposal under the laws providing for the disposal of the public lands, at the same price and on the same terms as other lands of like character, except as provided in this act: Provided, That none of said lands, whether mineral or otherwise, shall be liable to entry and settlement under the provisions of the homestead law; but shall be subject to cash entry only in accordance with existing law; and when sold the proceeds of said sale shall be first sacredly applied to reimbursing the United States for all sums paid out or set apart under this act by the Government for the benefit of said Indians, and then to be applied in payment for the lands at one dollar and twenty-five cents per acre which may be ceded to them by the United States outside of their reservation, in pursuance of this agreement. And the remainder, if any, shall be deposited in the Treasury as now provided by law for the benefit of the said Indians, in the proportion hereinbefore stated, and the interest thereon shall be distributed annually to them in the same manner as the funds provided for in this act: Provided further, That the subdivisions upon which are located improvements to be appraised, as provided for in section two of this act, shall be offered to the highest bidder at public sale, after published notice of at least thirty days by the Secretary of the Interior, and the same shall be absolutely reserved from occupation or claim until so sold.
That upon the completion of said allotments and the patenting of the lands to said allottees, each and every of the said Indians shall be subject to the provisions of section nineteen hundred and seventy-seven of the Revised Statutes and to the laws, both civil and criminal, of the State or Territory in which they may reside, with the right to sue and be sued in the courts thereof: Provided, That their lands and personal property shall not be subject to taxation or execution upon the judgment, order, or decree of any court obtained on any cause of action which may arise during the period named in the above recited agreement.
That the Secretary of the Treasury shall, out of any moneys in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, set apart, and hold as a perpetual trust-fund for said Ute Indians, an amount of money sufficient at four per centum to produce annually fifty thousand dollars, which interest shall be paid to them per capita in cash, annually, as provided in said agreement.
That all salaries paid to any member or members of the Ute tribe under existing treaty stipulations shall be continued for the term of ten years beyond the time fixed in said treaties. And the sum of four thousand dollars per annum for the term of ten years shall be distributed by the President at his discretion to such of said Indians as distinguished themselves by good sense, energy, and perseverence in the pursuit of civilized life, and in the promotion of a good understanding between the Indians and the Government and people of the United States, and there is hereby appropriated, out of any moneys in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, four thousand dollars as the first installment for such purpose.
That the provision of title twenty-eight of the Revised Statutes shall extend over and be applicable to every allotment of land provided for in the foregoing agreement, and to the administration of the affairs of said Indians, so far as said provisions can be made applicable thereto.
[Repealed by 1884, ch. 50, post, p. 217.]
That for the purpose of carrying the provisions of this act into effect, the following sums, or so much thereof as may be necessary, be, and they are hereby, appropriated, out of any moneys in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, to be expended under the direction of the Secretary of the Interior as follows, namely:
For the payment of the expenses of the commissioners herein provided, the sum of twenty-five thousand dollars.
For the cost of removal and settlement of the Utes, surveying their lands, building houses, establishing schools, building mills and agency buildings, purchasing stock, agricultural implements, and so forth, as provided in said agreement and in this act, the sum of three hundred and fifty thousand dollars.
For the sum to be paid to said Ute Indians, per capita, in addition to the sixty thousand dollars now due and provided for, the sum of fifteen thousand dollars.
For the payment of the appraised value of individual improvements as provided herein, the sum of twenty thousand dollars.
For the care and support of the Ute Indians in Colorado for the balance of the current fiscal year, the sum of twelve thousand dollars: Provided, That with the exception of the appropriation for expenses of the commissioners, the above appropriations shall become available only upon the ratification of said agreement by three-fourths of the male adult members of the Ute Indians as provided in this act, and the certification of such fact to the Secretary of the Treasury by the Secretary of the Interior.
If the agreementa as amended in this act is not ratified by three-fourths of the adult male Indians of the Ute tribes within four months from the approval of this act the same shall cease to be of effect after that day.
Approved June 15, 1880.
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