Rogue River Tribe of Indians v. United States

64 F. Supp. 339, 105 Ct. Cl. 495, 1946 U.S. Ct. Cl. LEXIS 20
CourtUnited States Court of Claims
DecidedFebruary 4, 1946
DocketNo. 45231
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 64 F. Supp. 339 (Rogue River Tribe of Indians v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Court of Claims primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Rogue River Tribe of Indians v. United States, 64 F. Supp. 339, 105 Ct. Cl. 495, 1946 U.S. Ct. Cl. LEXIS 20 (cc 1946).

Opinion

JoNes, Judge,

delivered the opinion of the court:

Twenty-seven bands and tribes of Indians instituted this suit. Prior to 1853 they, with several other tribes, lived in Oregon west of the Cascade Mountains between the south line of Oregon and the Columbia River.

Seven treaties are involved in the case. These treaties were made in 1858,1854 and 1855 between the defendant and various plaintiff bands and tribes. Some of the tribes were included in more than one of the treaties.

There are two principal bases of these claims. First, that ■under the terms of the various treaties the United States became obligated to grant or cede to them permanent reservations; that in the fulfillment of this alleged obligation of the United States these Indians were moved from place to place and eventually located on the Coast or Siletz, the Grand Sonde and the Table Sock Reservations; that under the terms of these various treaties the plaintiffs acquired a title interest in the land and that the Government subsequently wrongfully deprived them of a portion of these lands.

The second phase of these claims is based on the allegation that as an inducement to surrender certain rights in the reservations and as a part of the expense of removal and reestablishment, the Government agreed to make certain payments, but later instead of meeting these obligations outright, the defendant by legislation required the Indians to work and earn such payments as a condition to receiving them, and in [545]*545several other cases the defendant failed to make or expend sufficient appropriations to meet these obligations, and in some instances diverted a portion of the appropriations actually made to other purposes.

Two treaties were entered into with the Rogue River Tribe, one dated September 10,1853 (10 Stat. 1018), the other dated November 15, 1854 (10 Stat. 1119). The Chasta Band, the Scoton Bands and the Grave Creek Band of Umpquas entered into a treaty dated November 18,1854 (10 Stat. 1.122).

According to the Treaty of September 10, 1853, supra, the-Rogue River Tribe ceded and relinquished to the United States all their right, title and interest in the lands where they were then located, but it was agreed that they should be allowed to occupy temporarily a portion of the ceded territory, such portion being set out by metes and bounds in Article 2. It was agreed that the area should be deemed and considered an Indian reserve until a suitable selection should be made by the President of the United States for their permanent residence and buildings erected thereon and provision made for their removal. As a consideration such Indians were to be paid $60,000 in supplies, less $15,000 ivhich was to be retained as compensation for property destroyed by such Indians during the recent war. In addition to such $60,000 defendant further agreed to pay the sum of $15,000 in five equal annual installments commencing at the expiration of the previous payments. By the Treaty of November 15,1854, supra, the Rogue River Tribe agreed that the same land should be jointly occupied along with such other tribes and bands of Indians as the United States should agree with by treaty stipulation or the President should direct, but that the annuity to the Rogue River Tribe, as prescribed in the Treaty of September 10, 1853, supra, should not be diminished thereby.

By the Treaty of November 18, 1854, supra, the Chasta Bands, the Scoton Bands and the Grave Creek Band of Umpquas ceded to the United States all that country described in Article 1 of such treaty, and agreed to move to the Table Rock Reservation. As a consideration defendant agreed to pay the said united bands the sum of two thousand dollars annually for 15 years, which sum was to be added to [546]*546those secured to the Rogue River Tribe by the Treaty of September 10, 1858, supra, and the amount shared by the members of the united bands and of the Rogue River Tribe jointly and alike. There was also to be paid $6,500 for subsistence during the first year of their residence on such property. Other provisions of the treaty will be discussed later.

These wore to be temporary locations and while they were to be considered a reserve until a suitable selection for a permanent residence should be made, there is no clause in either of the treaties which may be considered as an obligation on the part of the United States to vest title in any of these Indian bands or tribes to any of the designated lands, although there was an implied obligation that at some time a permanent residence should be established for them.

Pursuant to the terms of these three treaties the Chastas, the Scotons, the Grave Creek Band of Umpquas and the Rogue River Tribe were placed on the Table Rock Reservation in 1854 and 1855. Later a part of them were placed on the Grand Ronde Reservation, then known as the Yamhill River Reservation, where they remained until 1857, when with the exception of about one-third of the Rogue River Indians they were moved to the Coast or Siletz Reservation. In 1855 and 1856 some of the members of all four of these tribes and bands of Indians participated in what was known as the Rogue River War. The major portion of these Indians remained on the Coast or Siletz Reservation until 1875, when by Act of Congress such reservation was designated as the permanent reservation for them as well as other tribes and bands of Indians.

Plaintiff complains that the defendant never designated a separate permanent reservation. This is true, but with the numerous tribes and bands of Indians, some of them very small, that wandered over that section of the country and intermingled, it hardly seems practicable that each could have been given a separate and distinct reservation. We find nothing in any of these treaties that justifies the finding of an obligation on the part of the United States Government to establish separate reservations.

[547]*547On September 19, 1853 (10 Stat. 1027) the Cow Creek Band of Umpquas agreed to reside on such reservation as might be selected for them under the direction of the President of the United States. They participated in the Rogue River War heretofore referred to. By none of these treaties were they given a grant or cession of land, and after the Rogue River War they were placed on the Grand Ronde Reservation and in May 1857 were transferred to the Siletz Reservation, where they have since resided. They are not entitled to recover on the basis of any lands wrongfully taken from them. Sioux Tribe v. United States, 316 U. S. 317, 330.

By the Treaty of November 29, 1854 (10 Stat. 1125) the Confederated Bands of Umpqua and Calapooia Indians residing in the Umpqua Valley entered into a treaty with the Government by the terms of which they agreed to remove to such reservation as might be selected for them by the direction of the President of the United States. They ceded certain of the lands owned by them and retained other lands described in such treaty.

They subsequently became confederated with the Mo-lal-la-las or Molel Tribe, under the Treaty of December 21, 1855 (12 Stat. 981), and soon thereafter were located on the Grand Ronde Reservation where they still reside.

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Bluebook (online)
64 F. Supp. 339, 105 Ct. Cl. 495, 1946 U.S. Ct. Cl. LEXIS 20, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/rogue-river-tribe-of-indians-v-united-states-cc-1946.