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Tue Botse Forre [nptan ResErvATION IN MINNESOTA. 
By ALsBert B. REAGAN. 
The Bois(e) Fort(e) Chippewa Indians live in northern Minnesota 
on a reservation of the same name surrounding the beautiful Nett Lake. 
The reservation covers one whole township and eight fractional townships. 
Its eastern part is in St. Louis County, the bulk of it in Koochiching 
County. It contains a total of 103,862.73 acres, exclusive of the area of 
the lake. Of this area, 55,646.48 acres are allotted to 698 Indians, 48,216.- 
30 acres remain unallotted, and 434.64 is reserved for agency and school 
purposes. Of the 48,216.80 acres unallotted inuch of it has been reserved 
by the Government as pine lands and from time to time the timber on 
parts of the said lands has been sold under sealed bids, the closing out 
sale occurring September 15, this year. In all the timber on 9,533.7 
being sold September 15, 6,299.93 having 
acres has been sold, 5,255.77 
been sold previously. The other unallotted lands will be subject to settle- 
ment as homestead lands in the near future. There will also be something 
like 30,000 acres of Inherited Indian lands to be sold within the next 
two years. 
Nett Lake is in the east central part of the reservation. It is more 
than half a township in area. It is in the shape of a giant lobster’s 
hand with the claws pointing eastward, the large claw being the north 
digit. The lake is shallow and has a mud buttom. It is a rice field and 
a duck pond combined. In summer, it looks like a vast wheat field. {fn 
the fall it swarms with ducks and consequently is a sporting center for 
the hunters of all this northern country. 
The lands included in the reservation are well timbered. The princi- 
pal species represented are white and Norway pine, spruce, cedar, elm, 
cottonwood, oak, birch, and poplar. The latter two are the most abundant 
and will be of value some day as pulp wood. 
The land of the reservation is very variable in condition of soil and 
possible fertility. One-half of it is swamp and is known to the Indians 
as “Muskeg” lands. Over this area there is a stratum of peat from six 
inches to five feet in thickness. When once drained this will be the bes: 
