9 



1862, and were quite unwilling to return south of the boun ' 

 clary, they were given small reserves and a little help to start 

 farming, in order that they might not trespass upon settlers' 

 claims. The Sioux are generally industrious, and have become 

 quite self-supporting. 



It may be thought by some that the terms accorded the 

 Indians by the Treaties were not liberal. There was a diffi- 

 culty on this point. It was not desirable that large bodies of 

 able-bodied men, whether Indians or not, should be maintained 

 in idleness. The promises in the Treaties, consequently, were 

 moderate. But it was foreseen that owing to the rapid dis- 

 appearance of the buffalo, the only resource of the plain 

 Indians, a large expenditure would soon have to be incurred 

 by the Dominion Government to keep them from starvation. 

 This turned out to be the case, and in the eighties the expen- 

 diture of the Indian Department for destitute Indians 

 averaged over three hundred thousand dollars. Of late years 

 this expenditure has been decreasing, and for the last financial 

 year it was reduced to $186,342. When the great majority 

 of them became entirely self-supporting, large annuities would 

 to be incurred in rationing and educating them during their 

 be saved, which for a time were necessary. The 

 averaging up, therefore, of the very large outlay that had 

 to be incurred in rationing and educating 'them during their 

 years of helplessness and tutelage, with the promises really 

 made to them, has made the allowances to them for the ex 

 tinguishment of their title fairly generous. 



A reference to a few statistics will show that I am not 

 mis-stating the case. In the last financial year $140,780 were 

 paid in annuities under these Treaties. This allowance, capi- 

 talized at three and a half per cent., would come to over 

 $4,000,000. But other large payments were made out of the 

 Dominion treasury for the benefit of these, pucb as the amount 

 already mentioned for the destitute, $268,876 for Indian day, 

 boarding and industrial schools ; $9,150 for implements, and 

 $21,269 for live stock. In short, the annual expenditure for 

 Indians of Manitoba and the North-West Territories during 

 the last twenty years has averaged over $750,000, which, 

 capitalized at three and a half per cent., would amount to over 

 $20,000,000. Indeed, since the Treaties were made, the above 

 capital sum has been expended on our Indians in the Western 

 country. 



I will now ffive a few figures to show that our Indians are 



