Sept. 21, 1951 - Sioux Indians Claim Violation of Congress Act. South Dakota Sioux Indians charged today that the removal of the superintendent of their Cheyenne River Reservation violated an Act of Congress. They pointed to the Black Hills Act of 1877. This 74-year-old piece of legislation, the Indians say, specifies that “to improve the morals and industrious habits of the Indians” a federal agent is required to live among them on the reservation. Frank Ducheneaux, Cheyenne River chairman, heads a five man delegation here to protest the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ action in removing the Cheyenne River Reservation superintendent. He told a reporter: “We claim Indian Commissioner Dillon Myer had no right to remove our superintendent. Congress specified that the superintendent should reside on the reservation. Myer has no authority to issue an order that violates a law. Only Congress can change the Act.” The Bureau of Indian Affairs removed the superintendents at Cheyenne River and Standing Rock reservations as an economy measure. The supervisory functions of both agencies was consolidated at Mobridge, S.D. The Bureau here said a reduction in its appropriations from Congress forced the consolidation. The Standing Rock Indians, whose reservation lies in both North and South Dakota, are just as disturbed over the move as the Cheyenne River Indians. A Standing Rock delegation headed by tribal council chairman Josephine Kelly is due here today.
Posted on: Sat, 30 Aug 2014 04:15:58 +0000
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