The Sacred Buffalo Vision by Robert J. Juneau and Robert C. Juneau pg.67

During August and September of 1895 the Piegans were preparing to sell more land for a living, this time the tribal land cession would be the so-called “mineral belt” consisting of approximately 1,000,000 acres originally targeted by James J. Hill and Chief Clerk Garrett.

Little Bear Chief pointed out that the tribal funds received from the land cession of 1887 “has been wasted in large salaries or it would have lasted longer and that the cattle issued were weak and the Indians should be caring for them instead of farming and irrigation projects.”

Grinnell suggested to the Indians that in ten years of annual payments of $150,000 for equipment and livestock the Indians would get rich, “your cattle herds will fill this reservation with fat herds if you are helped for ten years more by another agreement, you will then not want anymore help. You will be able to walk alone like the white man; the only difference will be the color of your skin.”

The Chiefs held firm to their $3 million asking price with Four Horns noting “There is something that is worth money in the mountains. The metal that is in your watch chains is good without doubt. The same kind of metal is to be found in the mountains.”  Horace Clark, the half-breed son of Malcolm Clark, who was killed by his Piegan in-laws in 1869 boldly suggested that the government should help the Blackfeet Indians to develop the copper, gold and silver deposits thought to be in their land, but his “proposal” was summarily rejected by the United States Treaty Commissioners.
-The Sacred Buffalo Vision by Robert J. Juneau and Robert C. Juneau
pg.67