Thomas R. Wessel Indian Claims Commission Research Papers

Thomas R. Wessel Indian Claims Commission Research Papers, 1855-1979

Overview of the Collection

Creator: Wessel, Thomas R.
Title: Thomas R. Wessel Indian Claims Commission Research Papers
Dates: 1855-1979
18551979
Quantity: 13.6 linear feet
Collection Number: Collection 2059, MtBC, us (collection)
Summary: The Thomas R. Wessel Indian Claims Commission Research Papers consists of documents collected for the "Historical Report on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation in Montana" prepared by Thomas R. Wessel. These documents are photocopies of annual reports, agency reports by supervisors and special inspectors and reservation agents dealing with the administration of the Blackfeet Tribes and their reservation. Also included is correspondence from residents and other interested parties and inspection reports on agricultural programs, schools, irrigation and cattle, copies of the ledger pages recording the Blackfeet Tribe disbursements of funds under treaties, acts and agreements of 1883, 1896, 1907, 1930, commissioned reports, photocopies of testimony, exhibits, briefs, finding of facts and other legal papers before the Indian Claims Commission complete the collection.
Repository: Montana State University Library, Merrill G. Burlingame Special Collections
Montana State University-Bozeman Library
Merrill G Burlingame Special Collections
P.O. Box 173320
Bozeman, MT
59717-3320
Telephone: 4069944242
Fax: 4069942851
Access Restrictions: This collection is open for research.
Languages: English
Sponsor: Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities

Historical NoteReturn to Top

Dr. Thomas R. Wessel graduated from Iowa State University in History and earned his Master's and PhD degrees at the University of Maryland. He was professor of History and head of the Department of History and Philosophy at Montana State University before his retirement in the year 2000. He has authored numerous papers on the history of agriculture and American Indians and regularly published reviews for several professional publications. Dr. Wessel was retained as a researcher during the early 1970s to prepare a historical report on the Blackfeet Indian tribe for the Indian Claims Commission. While engaged in this activity he gathered the materials found in this collection.

In 1946, Congress passed the Indian Claims Commission Act as an independent agency to hear and determine claims against the United States by any tribe, band or other group of American Indians residing in the United States. Grievances of an Indian tribe were brought before the three-member Commission (later expanded to five members) who were appointed by the president. Decisions were reviewed by the U.S. Court of Claims and the Supreme Court if necessary. Originally created for 10 years, the Commission lasted until 1978 when it was abolished. The U.S. Court of Claims took over pending cases. To establish its case, a tribe presented evidence about tribal history and culture by experts in anthropology, ethnology and history to establish that land claimed was rightfully attributed to that particular tribe. Tribal reservation records were also introduced. If the tribe was determined to have proven its case, the value of the land at the time the land was taken was decided and the U.S. Government paid the tribe compensation.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

Docket 279-D: The Blackfeet Tribe of Indians, Plaintiff vs. The United States of America, Defendant was created on September 25, 1974 when the Blackfeet Tribe claims were severed from the consolidated Dockets 279-C and 250-A and became a standalone claim. Many of the documents for evidence were carried over from the prior Dockets and are present here. Evidence presented to the Indian Claims Commission for Docket 279 -D came from the records of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Record Group 75 and the Office of the Secretary of the Interior, Record Group 48 from the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) at Washington DC and the Federal Records Centers (FRCs) at Denver, Colorado, Seattle, Washington and Suitland, Maryland. The documents collected for the "Historical Report on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation in Montana" prepared by Thomas R. Wessel are photocopies of annual reports, agency reports by supervisors and special inspectors and reservation agents dealing with the administration of the Blackfeet Tribes and their reservation. Correspondence from residents and other interested parties and inspection reports on agricultural programs, schools, irrigation and cattle are prominent along with the handling of allotments. Also included are copies of the ledger pages recording the Blackfeet Tribe disbursements of funds under treaties, acts and agreements of 1883, 1896, 1907, 1930 and others. A summary of the disbursements by category is also present.

Commissioned reports of other historians and experts in land use including the oil and gas industry are also included in the research. The collection includes reports of the General Accounting Office (GAO)and General Service Administration (GSA). Many of these reports were created for Docket 279-C (The Blackfeet and Gros Ventre Tribes of Indians, residing upon the Blackfeet and Fort Belknap Reservations in the State of Montana, Plaintiffs vs. The United States of America, Defendant) and Docket 250-A (The Fort Belknap Indian Community sometimes referred to as the Gros Ventre Tribe and Assiniboine Tribe of Fort Belknap Indians vs. The United States of America, Defendant). Many have handwritten margin notes and arguments or points of view. The documents collected for Docket 279-C carried over as necessary to the Blackfeet Docket 279-D. Docket 279-C and 250-A and Docket 279-D photocopies of testimony, exhibits, briefs, finding of facts and other legal papers before the Indian Claims Commission complete the collection.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Arrangement

Series 1 Collected photocopies of records of Blackfeet from Records Group 75 and 48 from the NARA and FRCs of Denver, Colorado, Seattle, Washington and Suitland, Maryland

Subseries 1 Records of the BIA and Department of Interior at NARA and FRCs, 1899-1974

Subseries 2 Records of the BIA, Blackfeet Agency, Browning MT from NARA and FRC Denver 1874-1942

Series 2 Blackfeet Reservation disbursement records based on treaties, acts and agreements, 1855-1936

Series 3 Papers related to, or contracted for, Dockets 279-C, 250-C, and 279-D

Series 4 Testimony, exhibits and indexes, briefs, and other legal papers

Acquisition Information

Photocopies of research reports and records from the Bureau of Indian Affairs and Department of the Interior, Indian Division gathered for Docket 279 -D of the Indian Claims Commission were donated by Thomas R. Wessel to Special Collections in 1976 and 1979. The collection was initially reported to the Library of Congress National Union Catalog of Manuscript Collections and assigned entry number 79-630.

Processing Note

This collection was processed 2009 May 13

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

Series 1: Record Groups 75 and 48 of the BIA and Department of InteriorReturn to Top

Photocopied files of the records for the Blackfeet from NARA and Federal Records Centers are present in this collection. They were organized chronologically in two groups with the second devoted to the Blackfeet Reservation at Browning, Montana.

Container(s)	Description	Dates
	Subseries 1: Records of the BIA and Department of Interior at NARA and FRCs Photocopied records of the activities of the Federal Government and Blackfeet Tribe from 1899 to 1974 including annual reports, assorted correspondence vouchers, statistical and targeted reports on conditions and activities on the Reservation. Correspondents include the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, various Indian Agents, investigative agents for special problems and residents, white settlers nearby and others. Materials were in proximate chronological order and may have several grouped together when a particular issue is being discussed and resolved.	1899-1974
Box/Folder
1/1		1899
1/2		1900
1/3		1901
1/4		1902
1/5		1903
1/6		1904
1/7		1905
2/1		1906
2/2		1907
2/3		1908
2/4		1909
2/5-6		1910
3/1		1910
3/2-3		1911
3/4-5		1912
4/1		1913
4/2-3		1914
4/4		1915
5/1		1915
5/2-3		1916
5/4		1917
6/1		1917
6/2-3		1918
6/4		1919
7/1-2		1920
7/3		1921
7/4-5		1922
8/1-2		1923
8/3-4		1924
8/5-6		1925
9/1		1926
9/2		1927
9/3-4		1928
10/1-2		1929
10/3-4		1930
10/5		1931
11/1		1931
11/2-3		1932
11/4-5		1933
12/1-2		1934
12/3-4		1935
12/5-6		1936
13/1-2		1937
13/3-4		1938
13/5-6		1939
14/1-2		1940
14/3-4		1941
14/5-6		1942
15/1		1942
15/2-3		1943
15/4-5		1944
15/6		1945
16/1		1945
16/2-3		1946
16/4		1947
16/5		1948-1969
16/6		1971-1974
	Subseries 2: Records of the BIA for Blackfeet Agency, Browning MT from NARA and Denver Records Center This group of photocopied documents includes reports of the Blackfeet Agents at Browning MT, annual reports plus assorted issues on the reservation related to the schools, rations, housing, stock and agricultural issues, the allotment program, land use, tribal government, medical needs and relationships with white neighbors. Financial reports, billings and statistics are also present. The documents have been chronologically arranged.	1874-1942
Box/Folder
17/1		1861-1874
17/2		1875
17/3		1876
17/4		1877
17/5		1878
17/6		1879
17/7		1880
17/8		1881
17/9		1882
18/1		1883
18/2		1884
18/3		1885
18/4		1886
18/5		1887
18/6		1888
18/7		1889
19/1-2		1890
19/3		1891
19/4		1892
19/5-6		1893
19/7-8		1894
20/1-2		1895
20/3		1896
20/4		1897
20/5		1898
20/6		1899
20/7		1903
20/8		1904
20/9		1905
20/10		1906
20/11		1908
20/12		1914-1916
20/13		1919
21/1		1920-1923
21/2		1926-1928
21/3		1930-1931
21/4		1933
21/5		1934
21/6		1935
21/7		1936
22/1		1937
22/2		1938
22/3		1939
22/4		1940
22/5		1941
22/6		1942
22/7	Misc. materials (not dated or semi-legible)

Series 2: Blackfeet Reservation disbursement records based on treaties, acts and agreements, 1855-1936Return to Top

A collection of the copied ledger pages for disbursements of funds by category for the Blackfeet Tribe in accordance with established acts, treaties and agreements with the United States government and photocopy of a summary of all disbursements by category. Included are some items not directly used in Wessel's history for Docket 279-D.

Container(s)	Description	Dates
Box/Folder
23/1	Treaty of 1855 disbursements
23/2	Act of April 30,1908 list of categories
23/3	Summary of disbursements, GOA for all treaties, acts and agreements	July 1969
23/4	Provisions	1883; 1896; 1907
23/5	Education	1883; 1896; 1907; 1930
23/6	Per capita cash payments	1883; 1896; 1907; 1929; 1936
23/7	Agricultural aid	1883; 1896; 1907
23/8	Clothing	1883; 1907
23/9	Survey and allotting	1907
23/10	Industrial assistance	1883
23/11	Expense of Indian council meetings and delegations	1883; 1896; 1930
23/13	Agency buildings and repairs	1883; 1896; 1907
23/13	Feed and care of livestock	1883
24/1	Purchase of livestock
24/2	Pay and expenses of range riders
24/3	Indigent Indians	1883
24/4	Indigent Indians	1930
24/5	Work and stock animals	1907; 1896
24/6	Pay of attorneys	1894; 1924; 1935
24/7	Purchase of land	1883
24/8	Rehabilitation, construction of houses, wells, fences, etc.	1936
24/9	Medical expenses	1883; 1907
24/10	Miscellaneous agency expenses	1883
24/11	Autos, vehicles, maintenance repairs	1883
24/12	Household equipment and supplies	1883; 1896
24/13	Hardware, glass and oil	1883; 1896
24/14	Fuel and light	1883
24/15	Expenses, care and sale of timber	1883
24/16	Indian dwellings	1896
24/17	Pay of farmers, stockmen, laborers	1883; 1896
24/18	Pay of clerks, teamsters, stenographers and typists, mechanics, butchers	1883; 1896
24/19	Pay of miscellaneous employees	1883; 1896

Series 3: Papers related to, or contracted for, Dockets 279-C, 250-C, and 279-DReturn to Top

Copies of reports by independent historians, government agencies, and published treatises on the history and financing of Indians in Montana especially the Blackfeet at the Browning Reservation and the Fort Belknap Reservation and their related communities. Some were contracted by either the plaintiffs (Blackfeet Tribe and Fort Belknap Tribes) and some by the United States Government as defendant. Records of the exploration for oil and gas (including a copy of the Seminole Nation (of Oklahoma) suit before the Commission), the grazing of cattle and allotments on the reservations were analyzed and interpreted as well as the chronicle of the history of the reservation through official reports and records.

Container(s)	Description	Dates
Box/Folder
25/1	US General Accounting Office Re: Petition of the Blackfeet, Blood, Piegan and Gros Ventre Nations residing upon the Blackfeet and Fort Belknap Reservations in the State of Montana and... (vol 1.)	March 28, 1929
25/2	US General Accounting Office Re: Petition of the Blackfeet, Blood, Piegan and Gros Ventre Nations residing upon the Blackfeet and Fort Belknap Reservations in the State of Montana and... (vol 2.)	March 28, 1929
25/3	US General Accounting Office Re: Petition of the Blackfeet, Blood, Piegan and Gros Ventre Nations residing upon the Blackfeet and Fort Belknap Reservations in the State of Montana and... (vol 3.)	March 28, 1929
25/4	US General Accounting Office Re: Petition of the Blackfeet, Blood, Piegan and Gros Ventre Nations residing upon the Blackfeet and Fort Belknap Reservations in the State of Montana and... (vol 4.)	March 28, 1929
25/5	US General Accounting Office Re: Petition of the Blackfeet, Blood, Piegan and Gros Ventre Nations residing upon the Blackfeet and Fort Belknap Reservations in the State of Montana and... (vol 5.)	March 28, 1929
25/6	Docket No. 204 - A copy of the Seminole Nation (of Oklahoma) suit before the Commission)	June 24, 1966
26/1	Dockets 279-C and 250-A: GSA Report Re: Petitions of July 16, 1969
26/2	Dockets 279-C and 250-A: Accountants' report on review of GSA and GSO reports and supporting documents	April 2, 1971
26/3	Dockets 279-C and 250-A: Accounting report on Research on Accounting Procedures
26/4	Dockets 279-C and 250-A: Accounting report on Delivery of goods and supplies	1880-1920
26/5	Dockets 279-C and 250-A: Accounting report on Property other than Money Ft. Belknap and Blackfeet Reservations	September 24, 1974
26/6	Docket 279-C and 279-D: Supplemental general accounting report	December 17, 1974
26/7	Docket 279-C and 279-D: Appendix A-4 to supplemental accounting report	December 16, 1974
26/8	Docket 279-D: Oil and Gas: Management of Oil and Gas Resources on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation 1873-1946 by J. H. Ashford, Jr. And K. M. Raymond	August 30, 1975
26/9	Dockets 279-C, 250-A and 279-D "Economic Changes in Montana Affecting the Blackfeet" Gates, P. W. (a draft of following publication)	1975
27/1	Dockets 279-C, 250-A and 279-D "A History of Economic Influences on the Fort Belknap and Blackfeet Indian Reservations" by Dr. P. W. Gates	August 1975
27/2	Docket 279-D "An historical analysis of the administration of the Blackfeet Indian Reservation by the United States, 1855-1950's" by Michael F. Foley	circa 1975
27/3	Docket 279-D Footnotes for "An historical analysis of the administration of the Blackfeet Indian Reservation by the United States"	"1855-1950's"

Series 4: Testimony, exhibits and indexes, briefs, and other legal papersReturn to Top

Copies of assorted legal documents present at hearings before the Indian Claims Commission for Docket 279-C and Docket 250-A (combined) and Docket 279-D. They include the historians exhibits and digests of those exhibits, exceptions to the U.S. Government's financial and accounting evidence, motions for rehearing and other pertinent documents.

Container(s)	Description	Dates
Box/Folder
28/1	Dockets 279-C and 250-A Digest of Historian's Exhibits (vol 1) pg 1-165
28/2	Dockets 279-C and 250-A Digest of Historian's Exhibits (vol 2) pg 166 - 329
28/3	Docket 279-D - Digest of Historian's Exhibits pg 329A-499
28/4	Docket 279-D - Digest of Historian's Exhibits pg 500-653 (cont.)
28/5	Dockets 279-C and 250-A Plaintiffs requested findings of fact and brief - Introduction and fiscal findings
29/1	Dockets 279-C and 250-A Plaintiffs requested findings of fact and brief -Footnotes to Plaintiffs requested findings of fact
29/2	Dockets 279-C and 250-A Petitioners' exceptions to defendant's accounting	January 26, 1971
29/3	Dockets 279-C and 250-A Defendant's response to Petitioners' exceptions to defendant's accounting	April 1971
29/4	Dockets 279-C and 250-A Petitioners' Motion for order for supplemental accounting and for partial summary judgment and memorandum on support thereof	August 24, 1971
29/5	Dockets 279-C and 250-A Memorandum of history of Docket No. 250 submitted in response to the request of the commission made April 26, 1971 during the course of trial in the above-mentioned dockets	October 14, 1971
29/6	Dockets 279-C and 250-A Opposition to Plaintiffs' motion for order for supplemental accounting and for partial summary judgment	November 1, 1971
29/7	Dockets 279-C and 250-A Petitioners' reply to defendant's opposition to Petitioners' Motion for order for supplemental accounting and for partial summary judgment	November 12, 1971
29/8	Dockets 279-C and 250-A Petitioner's reply to defendant's Opposition to separate Motion of petitioner Assiniboine Tribe of Ft. Belknap Indians for partial summary judgment and for pleading to conform to the proof	November 16, 1971
29/9	Dockets 279-C and 250-A Defendant's motion for rehearing	December 21, 1973
29/10	Dockets 279-C and 250-A Plaintiffs' response to defendant's motion for rehearing	January 14, 1974
29/11	Dockets 279-C and 250-A Plaintiffs' motion to amend their supplemental exceptions to defendant's accounting reports	January 30, 1975
29/12	Docket 279-D Order severing separate claims of Blackfeet tribe from consolidated dockets	September 25, 1974
29/13	Docket 279-D Plaintiffs' supplemental exceptions to defendant's supplemental accounting reports	February 6, 1975
29/14	Docket 279-D Plaintiff's Exhibit MF-2199 errata	November 28, 1975
29/15	Docket 279-D Plaintiffs requested findings of fact and brief - concerning fiscal matters
29/16	Docket 279-D Plaintiffs requested finding of fact and brief concerning fiscal matters - footnotes
30/1	Docket 279-D "Historical report on the Blackfeet Reservation in northern Montana " defendant's exhibits files prepared by Thomas Wessel (vol.1)
30/2	Docket 279-D "Historical report on the Blackfeet Reservation in northern Montana " defendant's exhibits files prepared by Thomas Wessel (vol.2)
30/3	Docket 279-D "Historical report on the Blackfeet Reservation in northern Montana " defendant's exhibits files prepared by Thomas Wessel (vol.3)
31/1	Docket 279-D "Historical report on the Blackfeet Reservation in northern Montana " defendant's exhibits files prepared by Thomas Wessel (vol.4)
31/2	Docket 279-D "Historical report on the Blackfeet Reservation in northern Montana " defendant's exhibits files prepared by Thomas Wessel (vol.5)
31/3	Docket 279-D "Historical report on the Blackfeet Reservation in northern Montana " defendant's exhibits files prepared by Thomas Wessel (vol.6)
32/1	Docket 279-D "Historical report on the Blackfeet Reservation in northern Montana " defendant's exhibits files prepared by Thomas Wessel (vol.7)
32/2	Defendant's exhibits (loose in file)
32/3	Docket 279-D Defendants Exhibits - Oil and Gas - OG #1-6
32/4	Docket 279-D Defendants Exhibits - Oil and Gas - OG #7-26
32/5	Docket 279-D Defendants Exhibits - Oil and Gas - OG #27-41
32/6	Docket 279-D Defendants Exhibits - Oil and Gas - OG #42-59
33/1	Docket 279-D Defendants Exhibits - Oil and Gas - OG #60-72
33/2	Docket 279-D Defendants Exhibits - Oil and Gas - OG# 73-95
33/3	Docket 279-D Defendants Exhibits - Oil and Gas - OG #96-99
33/4	Docket 279-D Defendants Exhibits - Oil and Gas - OG #100-126
33/5	Docket 279-D Plaintiffs requested findings of fact and brief - Oil and Gas Findings
33/6	Docket 279-D Footnotes to Plaintiffs findings of fact and brief - Oil and Gas Findings
34/1	Docket 279-D Testimony of David A. Bentzin and Maynard E. Robertson, Jr. (vol V)	December 8, 1975
34/2	Docket 279-D Testimony of Maynard E. Robertson, Jr (resumed), (vol. VI)	December 9, 1975
34/3	Docket 279-D Testimony of James Harvey Ashford, Jr and Kenneth Raymond, (vol. XI)	January 7, 1976
34/4	Docket 279-D Testimony of Kenneth Raymond (resumed) (vol. XII)	January 8, 1976
34/5	Docket 279-D Testimony of James Harvey Ashford, Jr., (vol. XIXa)	January 21, 1976
34/6	Docket 279-D Testimony of James Harvey Ashford, Jr. (Resumed) (XIXb)	January 21, 1976
34/7	Docket 279-D Testimony of James Harvey Ashford, Jr. (Resumed) and Kenneth Raymond (vol. XX)	January 22, 1976
34/8	Docket 279-D Testimony of Kenneth Raymond (resumed) and Thomas R. Wessel, (vol. XXI)	January 23, 1976

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

Siksika Indians-Claims

Corporate Names

Blackfeet Tribe of the Blackfeet Indian Reservation of Montana-Claims vs. United States

Geographical Names

Blackfeet Indian Reservation (Mont.)

Other Creators

Corporate Names
- United States-Bureau of Indian Affairs (creator)
- United States-Dept. of the Interior (creator)
- United States-General Accounting Office (creator)
- United States-General Services Administration (creator)
- United States-Indian Claims Commission (creator)
- United States-Office of Indian Affairs-Blackfeet Agency (creator)

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