The Sacred Buffalo Vision by Robert J. Juneau and Robert C. Juneau pg.75

Agent Monteath was “heartily in accord” with the commissioners effort to reduce the Indian’s ration rolls, and exulted “The way to resume is to resume,” and he compiled an agency ration roll that included 63 white men who had family dependents totaling 295 women and children; 211 “part bloods” with 481 dependents; and 885 full blood men, women and children. He admitted the Indians had to be retained on the ration roll as there was no work for them, and reported “Too much money and labor have already been wasted on impractical and expensive irrigation work. However, ways to accomplish the desired end will naturally suggest themselves to the man who wants to accomplish the end, and I doubt not, that I will find a way if it is deemed best to reward work for merely personal improvement.” He told Commissioner Jones that he had discussed his work plan for personal improvement with the Indians, but their response was rather mixed when they pointed out “our rations are not a gratuity-they are bought with our own money, the people can’t find work, there is no work for them to do” and they requested cash payments from their treaty funds in lieu of food rations, which were over priced at the agency store. The chief’s requested a tribal delegation to go to Washington, but Monteath was unsure of the benefits of such a trip.

Commissioner Jones was ecstatic over Monteath’s plan to terminate the rations and implement the work plan purely for the personal development of the Piegans: “It is a novel experience to receive such a letter from an Indian Agent, and I can assure you that it is very gratifying for me to read it. It contains so much sound, common sense, and a dispassionate state of conditions existing at Blackfeet, that I cannot resist the temptation of writing you personally, and thanking you for the suggestions. I sincerely wish we had more Agents of this character.”
-The Sacred Buffalo Vision by Robert J. Juneau and Robert C. Juneau    
pg.75