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

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.