Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, Transmitted to Congress, With the Annual Message of the President, December 5, 1881

No. 374.
Mr. Drummond to Mr. Blaine.

Lenox, Mass., September 26, 1881. (Received September 29.)

Sir: Referring to your note of the 25th ultimo, and to my note to you of the 27th ultimo, respecting an incursion of Canadian Indians into the United States territory in the vicinity of Belknap, Montana Territory, I have the honor to inclose herewith copy of a report of a committee of the honorable the privy council for Canada, which has been forwarded to me by the honorable Sir W. J. Ritchie, Kt., deputy governor of the Dominion, as an expression of the views of his government upon this matter.

You will learn from this report the willingness of the Canadian Government to do everything in its power to punish any of the Canadian Indians who commit depredations upon settlers or Indians in the United States. There is, however, the same difficulty in both countries, as in the present case, in the prevention of hunting game by either American or Canadian Indians across each other’s border, as long as-there is no concerted plan for restraining these between the two countries.

Sir Edward Thornton, in his note to you of the 6th of June last, pointed out the desire of the Canadian Government to co-operate with that of the United States to prevent predatory incursions on either side of the frontier, and I have the honor to again express to you the desire on the part of that government of its readiness to consider any plan in this respect which may be suggested to them by the United States Government. You will observe this wish strongly declared in paragraph 4 of the copy of the report which I forward, and in which it is stated that they consider, if such an arrangement could be made and enforced, it would conduce to the peaceful and economical government of the Indians.

I hardly need add that I shall be very glad at any time to forward to the Canadian Government any suggestion of the kind which may be thought proper by the United States Government to bring to the favorable consideration of that of the Dominion, which would tend to the fulfillment of the object desired by both countries.

I have, &c.,

VICTOR DRUMMOND.

[Inclosure.]

Report of a committee of the honorable the privy council for Canada approved by the honorable the deputy of his excellency the governor-general on the 16th day of September, 1881.

The committee of the privy council have had under consideration the dispatch of Her Majesty’s chargé d’affaires at Washington to his honor the deputy governor, dated the 27th ultimo, on the subject of incursions alleged to have been made lately by Canadian Indians into the northwestern territories of the United States.

The honorable the acting minister of the interior, to whom said dispatch has been referred, has made a report thereon, dated 13th September, 1881, hereto annexed, which the committee recommend for approval, and they respectfully advise that a copy thereof, when approved, be forwarded to Her Majesty’s chargé d’affaires for communication to the United States Government.

Certified.

J. O. COTÉ,
Clerk Privy Council, Canada.

Ottawa, September 13, 1881.

Upon the reference to the minister of the interior of the dispatch of Her Majesty’s chargé d’affaires at Washington to his honor the deputy governor, dated the 27th ultimo, on the subject of incursions alleged to have been made lately by Canadian Indians into the northwestern territories of the United States, the undersigned has the honor to report as follows:

1. The military authorities of the United States are no doubt correctly informed, although the fact is not otherwise known to the Government of Canada, that some of our Indians recently crossed the frontier in pursuit of the buffalo. This is a privilege which has been exercised by the Indian tribes of both countries as long back as their separate history extends. The traversing of an imaginary boundary line by nomadic Indians in search of their means of subsistence is not an offense against international law; and no crimes against municipal or natural law are alleged to have been committed by the Indians referred to in the dispatch or its inclosures.

On a previous occasion robbery was alleged to have been committed, but in this instance it is simply “the crossing of the border by Canadian Indians on their way to drive the buffaloes away from the Agency Indians of the United States” which is complained of. It must be borne in mind that American Indians have crossed the border into Canada in search of game for many decades, and their movements have never been checked by the Government of the United States. The difficulties of so doing would have been very great; and, as regards Canada, they have been increased by the presence in the least accessible sections of its northwest territory for over five years of several thousand Indians from the United States, entirely dependent upon the chase for subsistence, who almost exterminated the buffalo and other game in that section to which our tribes have been accustomed to look for food supply, and to which cause the incursion now complained of may principally be attributed.

2. Wherever depredations have been committed by Canadian Indians upon settlers or Indians in the United States, and the facts have been reported to the officers of this government in the territories, no efforts have been spared by the Government of Canada to arrest and punish the offenders; and it is believed that the officers of the American Army on the spot will bear willing testimony to the promptness and efficiency of the mounted police of Canada in their efforts to discharge this duty.

3. In accordance with the assurance given to the United States Government, referred to in the second paragraph of Mr. Blaine’s letter to Mr. Drummond dated the 25th of August last, instructions were sent to the officers of the northwest mounted police to exercise special diligence in finding out and punishing Indians who might have been guilty of committing offenses against the law in the United States; but the proof of overt acts which the Canadian Government then requested that the officers of the United States Army on the spot might be asked to furnish has not, it is believed, been communicated to the officers of the Canadian mounted police.

4. To restrain the Indians of each country from crossing the border, even in pursuit of game, a course to which the Canadian Government will gladly assent, it will be necessary, as pointed out in the minute of council of the 3d of June last, that concerted action should be had between the Government of the United States and that of Her Majesty. No response to the suggestion made toward this end has been received from the United States Government, so far as is known here. The Canadian Government will most willingly consider any plan which may be suggested to them. It would in their judgment be to the advantage of Canada, and would highly conduce to the peaceful and economical government of our Indians if such an arrangement could be made and enforced. The whole respectfully submitted.

A. CAMPBELL,
Acting Minister of the Interior.