xliv INTRODUCTION. 



could they be found greater than in the instance of the 

 Absaraka or Crow Indians, who have always been at 

 peace with and the friends of the whites, and have acted 

 as the protectors of the settlers in Montana against the 

 incursions of the hostile Northern Sioux ; and yet, after 

 having surrendered to the United States Government the 

 greater portion of their lands in Wyoming and Montana, 

 they have not had a single condition of the last treaty 

 entered into with them fulfilled. I may notably mention 

 that the Government having undertaken to educate their 

 children, and to provide at least thirty schools for the 

 tribe, had when I was in Montana, a few years ago, pro- 

 vided only one, and that of a most inferior character. 



The Indians themselves are keenly alive to the non- 

 fulfilment by the Government of their treaty stipulations. 

 At a recent council with the Brule Sioux held at the Spotted 

 Tail Agency, with the view of inducing the Indians to 

 remove from their present reservation to the Indian ter- 

 ritory, ' Spotted Tail,' referring to the white man's broken 

 faith, addressed the Commissioners as follows : 



6 We have come here to meet you, my friends. We have 

 considered the words you brought us from the Great Father, 

 and I have made up my mind. This is the fifth time 

 words have come to us from the Great Father. At the time 

 the first treaty was made on Horse Creek there was a pro- 

 mise made to borrow the overland road of the Indians, and 

 though I was a boy then they told me that promises were 

 made to last fifty years. These promises have not been 

 kept. 



6 The next conference we had was held with General 

 Maynadeer, when there was no promise made, but we 

 made friends and shook hands. 



4 Then there was the treaty made by General Sherman, 

 General Sanborn, and General Harney, when we were told 

 we should have annuities and goods for thirty-five years. 



