The Sacred Buffalo Vision-The Indians tell the story, pg.9

The Indians tell the story

                                                      

In 1922 Blackfeet Chief Rides-At-The-Door testified to the United States Senate Indian Affairs Committee on speculators robbing the Blackfeet Indians of 312,250 acres of the best reservation land, done by Indian Office complicity, corporations, Montana senators and county officials: “This reservation belongs to the Indians.  It belongs to the Indians by the allotment.  I want to ask you, honorable gentlemen, why I do not have the full say of these lands and not have the other fellow have the full say of it.  The white man comes in and he has the whole say of our lands as to what is to be done with them. You realize my belief is, and my fore fathers belief is, I raised you; the white man came in here and I gave him the land and I raised him in this country.  Now he should give me that privilege and the full power to say something about my own affairs in my own land. Give me your support and give me my own powers to say about my own property.  Just as soon as the news came to the reservation, there has been a new administration, a new President then I knew that we have some hopes of protecting our rights.  My belief is that since we have a new administration and president the Indians will get justice.”

 The Blackfeet Treaty of October 17, 1855, By Franklin Pierce, President of the United States of America: East of the Rocky Mountains, the Blackfoot nation; consisting of the Piegans, Blood, Blackfoot and Gros Ventre tribes of Indians, the said chiefs, headmen, and delegates, in behalf of and acting for said nations and tribes, and being duly authorized thereto by them. Peace, friendship, and amity shall hereafter exist between the United States and the aforesaid nations and tribes of Indians, parties to this treaty, and the same shall be perpetual.  The aforesaid nations and tribes of Indians agree that citizens of the United States may live in and pass through the countries respectively occupied and claimed by them.  And the United States is hereby bound to protect said Indians against depredations and other unlawful acts which white men residing in or passing through their country may commit.  And whereas, the said treaty having been submitted to the Senate of the United States for its constitutional action thereon, the Senate did, on the fifteenth day of April, eighteen hundred and fifty-six, advise and comment to the ratification of the same, by a resolution in the words and figures, to wit;

By Franklin Pierce, President of the United States of America