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Document:
Executive Order regarding Est. of Coeur d'Alene
& Fort Hall Reservations
SIR: Under date October 1, 1866, Governor Ballard, of Idaho, was instructed to select and report to this office reservations for the use of the Boise and Bruneau bands of Shoshones, in the southern part, and for the Coeur d'Alenes and other Indians, in the northern part of that Territory. These instructions were based upon statements contained in the annual report of Governor Ballard, printed at pages 191 and 192 of the annual report of this office for 1866. There are no treaties existing with either of the tribes or bands named, nor, so far as the Shoshones are concerned, have they any such complete tribal organization as would justify treaties with them, even if such arrangements were practicable under the force of recent legislation by Congress. The northern tribes have a better organization, but advices from the Executive indicate that while a necessity exists for some arrangement under which the Indians of all the bands referred to should have some fixed home set apart for them before the lands are all occupied by the whites, who are rapidly prospecting the country, such arrangements can now be made by the direct action of the Department.
I herewith transmit two reports of Governor Ballard, describing tracts proposed to be set apart for these Indians. So far as the one intended for the Shoshones is concerned, its location as a permanent home for those bands is dependent upon the consent of Washakee's band, commonly known and heretofore treated with as the eastern bands Shoshones; but there is no doubt of their ready acquiescence in the arrangement. The land referred to is within the limits acknowledged as their hunting range by the treaty of 1863. Believing that the interest of the Government, as well as that of the Indians requires that such action should be taken, I recommend that the President be requested to set apart the reservation, described in the diagram herewith, for the use of the Indians referred to, and that the General Land Office be directed to respect the boundaries thus defined.
Should the suggestions herein contained be approved, and favorable action had, this office will inform the governor and superintendent of Indian affairs of the fact, and direct such further measures as to carry the plan into operation without delay, so far as the means at the disposal of the Department will permit.
Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
N. G. TAYLOR, Commissioner.
Hon. O. H. BROWNING, Secretary of the Interior.
SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your communication of the 27th ultimo, transmitting one from the Commissioner of Indian Affairs of the 23d May last, with accompanying documents relating to proposed Indian reservations in Idaho Territory; and in obedience to your directions that I examine and report upon the subject matter, I have to state as follows:
The suggestion of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs in reference to the reservations proposed for the Boise and Bruneau bands of Shoshones in the southern part of Idaho, and for the Coeur d'Alenes and other Indians in the northern part of that Territory, is that the same may be set apart by the President for those Indians as their home reservations to the extent as represented on the accompanying diagrams herewith, and transferred on a map of Idaho accompanying this letter, being there represented in green and blue shadings respectively.
The boundaries as defined by the local Indian agents, as per separate diagrams of the above reservations, are:
(1) The Boise and Bruneau bands of Shoushones and Bannock Reservation: "Commencing on the south bank of Snake River at the junction of the Port Neuf River with said Snake River; then south 25 miles to the summit of the mountains dividing the waters of Bear River from those of Snake River; thence easterly along the summit of said range of mountains 70 miles to a point where Sublette road crosses said divide; thence north about 50 miles to Blackfoot River; thence down said stream to its junction with Snake River; thence down Snake River to the place of beginning," embracing about 1,800,000 acres, and comprehending Fort Hall on the Snake River within its limits.
(2) The Coeur d'Alenes and other tribes of northern Idaho, the proposed reservation for which is shown on the map of Idaho, herewith, in blue color, is represented to be about 20 miles square: "Commencing at the head of the Latah, about 6 miles above the crossing on the Lewiston trail, a road to the Spokane Bridge; thence running north-northeasterly to the St. Joseph River, the site of the old Coeur d'Alene Mission; thence west to the boundary line of Washington and Idaho Territories; thence south to a point due west of the place of beginning; thence east to place of beginning," including about 250,000 acres.
I have to observe that no surveys of the public lands have been made in those portions of Idaho Territory, nor is this office advised of the extinguishment of Indian titles to the same guarantied to them by the provision of the first and seventeenth sections of an act to provide a temporary government for the Territory of Idaho, approved March 3, 1863 (U.S. Stats., vol. 12, pages 809 and 814).
The records of this office showing no objection to the policy recommended to the Department by the Commissioner of Indian Affairs in his communication of the 23d ultimo, I have the honor to return the same to the Department, together with the papers accompanying the same.
I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
JOS. S. WILSON, Commissioner.
Hon. W. T. OTTO, Acting Secretary of the Interior.
It is hereby ordered that the following tract of country in the Territory of Idaho be, and the same is hereby, withdrawn from sale and set apart as a reservation for the Coeur d'Alene Indians, in said Territory, viz:
"Beginning at a point on the top of the dividing ridge between Pine and Latah (or Hangman's) Creeks, directly south of a point on said last-named creek, 6 miles above the point where the trail from Lewiston to Spokane Bridge crosses said creek; thence in a northeasterly direction in a direct line to the Coeur d'Alene Mission, on the Coeur d'Alene River (but not to include the lands of said mission); thence in a westerly direction, in a direct line, to the point where the Spokane River heads in, or leaves the Coeur d'Alene Lakes; thence down along the center of the channel of said Spokane River to the dividing line between the Territories of Idaho and Washington, as established by the act of Congress organizing a Territorial government for the Territory of Idaho; thence south along said dividing line to the top of the dividing ridge between Pine and Latah (or Hangman's) Creek; thence along the top of the said ridge to the place of beginning."
U.S. GRANT.
The US GenWeb Archives provide genealogical and historical data to the general public without fee or charge of any kind. It is intended that this material not be used in a commercial manner. Submitted by Kevin Fraley from public records Feb. 26, 1997.