Sunday, February 8, 2015

The Sacred Buffalo Vision by Robert J. Juneau and Robert C. Juneau pg.103-104

 Lipps agreed with Inspector Baker’s statements relative to the interference of Mrs. McFatridge, “It is a common report not only here but elsewhere in the Service.” Inspector Baker had reported on the employment of Mrs. Clara McFatridge as agency clerk, and their son Leslie in various positions from Forest Ranger, Chief Clerk, and Day School Teacher to keep the administration of Indian affairs as a McFatridge family administration at the Blackfeet Agency; “Mrs. McFatridge has but limited education and culture and her long residency on Indian Reservations has affected her growth and development. She can hardly speak five sentences of the English language correctly without committing a grammatical error. I regard her influence over the Indians and employees as well, as highly pernicious. She keeps things in a perpetual uproar, particularly the Cut Bank Boarding School. She is inclined toward gossip and has a will to rule or ruin- a vicious woman. I recall that Mrs. McFatridge recently, while I was engaged on my investigation at Blackfeet, sent to me at the Agency Office a communication which I enclose marked “Exhibit A”, insigned, which she intended as an answer to an official communication which I had directed to the Superintendent. It appears that the official letter was taken to the house of the Superintendent and Mrs. McFatridge took it upon herself to answer the said letter. I regarded the anonymous note as a gross impertinence, the tone was impertinent, the circumstances showed that it was intended as impertinence, and I refused to receive it officially on the ground that I had written officially to the Superintendent and not to his wife. This is simply a mild example of the entire course of conduct and disposition to interfere of Mrs. McFatridge. The white people as well as the Indians realize the true state of affairs and it is common for them to refer to the present administration as that of, “The Father, Son, and Holy Terror”.
-The Sacred Buffalo Vision by Robert J. Juneau and Robert C. Juneau  
pg.103-104 

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