All our work in Oklahoma, as elsewhere, is dealing increasingly with the individual interests of the Indians. To this extent it becomes more specialized and more laborious, but its compensations are greater because it brings us nearer the condition of personal self-support. Our modern civilization is in no sense clannish or tribal; it is individualistic; it is predicated upon equal rights and opportunities to all. It commits us to the principle of education for all at public expense, and it should be our highest public obligation to see that all classes of actual or prospective citizens are elevated to the level of intelligent self-maintenance, and meanwhile to protect the weak and incompetent from acts of imposition.

The work of the schools for a generation has moved the Indians everywhere farther from dependent conditions and we are daily extending recognition of their individual competency. In many matters of industrial and financial interest to the Indians, we are expediting and liberalizing administration by allowing superintendents in the various jurisdictions to decide as to the competency of the Indian and to take final administrative action without approval of the bureau. This pertains largely to grazing, farming, and some kinds of mineral leases, as well as to numerous other local transactions, and serves, within proper bounds, to encourage initiative on the part of the Indian as well as to facilitate and economize office procedure. It is an instance of what pervades our purpose as a whole, to hasten as rapidly as is justifiably possible the release of all Indians from Federal supervision and turn them over to the various State governments as capable and trustworthy subjects.

PATRIOTISM.

No reference to the Indians of Oklahoma should fail to recognize their remarkable war-time service. It is estimated that from the Five Civilized tribes alone more than 4,000 Indians entered the military and naval service, and that 200 made the supreme sacrifice. I have heard of no more brilliant achievements in battle overseas than are recorded of some of these splendid young Americans, and those who remained at home were active upholders of the flag in every way that they could give assistance. The purchase of more than $10,000,000 worth of Liberty bonds and over $800,000 worth of war savings stamps, besides large donations in money and service, through the Red Cross and other relief agencies, stands to the everlasting credit of these tribes, and to other Indians in Oklahoma likewise loyal and generous.

In my intimate work with the Indians for nearly eight years, I have continually gained firmer faith in their racial ability to meet the tests and rise to the requirements of our civilization, and the Indians of Oklahoma will, I am sure, never contribute less than a large measure of leadership to this progress. In conclusion, I am constrained to say that I deeply appreciate the rapidly growing sympathetic attitude of the white citizens of the State with my earnest efforts to develop the Indians of Oklahoma into self-dependent, wealthproducing taxpayers and to protect them against the few who for their own gain would despoil and make them a burden upon the great body of the people.

PROBATING ESTATES OF DECEASED INDIANS AND
APPROVAL OF WILLS.

The year's work of determining heirs of deceased Indians and the consideration of wills of Indians or persons having interest in Indian trust property under provisions of the act of June 25, 1910 (36 Stat.

L., 855-6) as amended by the act of February 14, 1913 (37 Stat. L., 678), progressed satisfactorily.

Final disposition was made of 5,368 heirship cases. Of these, 4,810 were those on which trust patents had issued; 322 were those on which restricted fee patent had issued; 121 were personal property cases; 115 were inherited interest cases. A fee of $15 is collectable in each of these cases. Of those in which no fee is collectable, final action was taken on 129 trust patent cases; 4 restricted fee patent cases; 85 personal property cases, and 20 inherited interest cases.

Ninety-eight wills were approved in which a fee of $15 each is collectable, and 64 wills were approved in which no fee is to be collected.

Sixty wills were disapproved and three were canceled.

Fifteen decided heirship cases were reopened, and modifications made in 13 cases.

Fifteen examiners of inheritance were engaged in holding hearings on 26 reservations and on the public domain.

In addition to the above, 7,183 miscellaneous letters were written relative to the work of probating Indian estates.

The aggregate of fees for the year's work is approximately $82,000.

SUPPRESSION OF LIQUOR TRAFFIC.

Reports from a number of the Indian reservations show that since the coming of State and national prohibition it is very much more difficult for Indians to obtain intoxicating liquors; that as a result crime has greatly decreased, and the Indians are doing better work and are making more progress in their various industrial activities.

Commenting on improved conditions among the Indians by reason of the scarcity or absence of intoxicating liquors, one superintendent says:

He has built a house, wears

It has been a great blessing to at least one man. good clothes, feeds his family properly, and deports himself as a good citizen, since he can not secure liquor. Prior to that he was a good laborer but drink made him a pauper, and his family suffered for the necessities of life.

From some places, however, it is reported that denatured alcohol of different sorts and various preparations containing alcohol, but not intended for use as a beverage, are being sold to Indians, with demoralizing and otherwise serious results. Also, some liquids nominally for medicinal use, but containing a large percentage of alcohol, are sold to Indians at enormous profits, with resultant financial injury and personal debauchery.

ILLICIT STILLS AND MOONSHINE.-Between the passage of the national prohibition law and its going into effect, some of the liquor interests resorted to the practice of spreading information relative to the manufacture of alcoholic liquors, which resulted in numerous.

illicit whisky stills, etc. The Indian country has suffered its share of the resultant violations of the law, and many moonshine stills have been raided and the operators prosecuted.

As the appropriation for the suppression of the liquor traffic among Indians was reduced from $150,000 for the fiscal year 1919 to $100,000 for the fiscal year 1920, the operations of this service have been considerably curtailed. A further reduction to $65,000 for the fiscal year 1921 necessitates additional curtailment of activities in this service for the current year.

The value and effectiveness of the Liquor Suppression Service of the Indian Bureau is attested by the following comment in a letter received from one of the United States district attorneys:

I wish to say that I hope you will not decrease the force of Indian officers in the territory * *. The services of these officers in this * * * territory are tremendously important to me in the enforcement of the liquor laws of the United States. In fact, notwithstanding the national prohibition act, the Indian country liquor laws, i. e., secs. 2139 and 2140, R. S. U. S., are more effective than any liquor laws on the statute books.

Indians are law-abiding.-With reference to the progress and law-abiding qualities of Indians, the following testimonial from a district judge is encouraging:

* *

Knowing the deep interest you have taken in the moral welfare of the Indians in this State, I feel that the following may be of some interest to you: I have just finished a four weeks' term of district court * in which there were 72 felony cases on the docket, 20 of which were for murder. Although County probably has the largest population of fullblood Indians of any in the State of

*

*

* only 2 cases out of the 72 were Indians, and they plead guilty to forgery in the second degree. Remembering in the former years the great number of prosecutions against full-bloods for murder and assault to murder I can not but feel that this record * County evinces great advancement among the Indians as being law-abiding citizens.

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ALLOTMENTS.

Allotment work on the Gila River Reservation in Arizona was continued. Schedules have been submitted containing 1,502 selections embracing approximately 30,000 acres of irrigable and nonirrigable land, and the allotment work on this reservation is now practically completed.

The surplus lands on the Blackfeet Reservation in Montana are being allotted under the act of June 30, 1919, Public No. 3, Sixtysixth Congress, amending the act of March 1, 1907 (34 Stat. L., 1015-1035), and it is estimated that allotments will be made to between 500 and 600 Indians. These allotments are now being scheduled, and it is anticipated that the schedules will be ready for approval during the fiscal year 1921.

The allotment work on the Umatilla Reservation in Oregon was completed during the year under the act of March 2, 1917 (39 Stat. L., 969-987). Two schedules are now pending approval embracing a total of 768 allotments, covering approximately 62,000 acres. A list of the reservations, number of allotments approved during the year, and the number made in the field and not yet approved, will be found in Table 26.

PUBLIC-DOMAIN ALLOTMENTS.- -A total of 737 allotments were made and approved covering land on the public domain in various States. These allotments comprise an area of 106,537 acres, and were made under section 4 of the act of February 8, 1887 (24 Stat. L., 388), as amended. On February 12, 1920, the regulations governing publicdomain allotments were amended so that an Indian woman married to an Indian man who has himself received an allotment on the public domain, or is entitled to one, is not thereby deprived of the right to file an application in her own name, provided she is otherwise entitled. Several hundred applications made by Indian wives, and heretofore rejected, are being considered with a view to reinstatement.

APPRAISEMENT AND REAPPRAISEMENT OF SURPLUS RESERVATION LANDS. During the fiscal year many applications for appraisement and reappraisement of surplus reservation areas subject to homestead disposition have been handled under authority of the act of June 6, 1912 (37 Stat. L., 125).

EXTENSION OF TRUST PERIOD.—The period of trust was extended by order of the President on allotments made to the Omaha Indians in Nebraska, to the Siletz Indians in Oregon, to the Klamath River Indians on the Hoopa Valley Reservation in California, to the Nez Perce Indians in Idaho, to the Round Valley Indians in California, and to the Indians of various tribes residing on the public domain wherein the period of trust would otherwise expire during the calendar year 1920.

REMOVAL OF RESTRICTIONS AND LAND SALES.

PATENTS IN FEE.-In releasing the lands of Indians from the trust and restriction imposed upon them, where the competency of such Indians warranted this course, two classes of cases are recognized: (a) Those cases falling within the Declaration of Policy promulgated April 17, 1917, and amendatory circular letter of March 7, 1919; and (b) those cases in which application for patents has been made by the allottee or heirs who have been reported as competent by the superintendent or a competency commission.

Under the Declaration of Policy 1,826 patents involving 659,058 acres were issued, and 4,400 patents involving 598,987 acres were issued on proof of competency of allottee or heirs.

Within the year the total number of patents issued on the recom.mendations of competency commissions was 722, covering 119,358 acres, and 304 applications for patents in fee were denied.

Since the Declaration of Policy of 1917, 17,176 fee patents have been issued, which is nearly double the number issued in the 10 years preceding.

CERTIFICATES OF COMPETENCY.-Where the land is held by an Indian under a patent in fee containing restrictions as to alienation, restrictions are released by the issuance of a certificate of competency, and last year 171 such certificates of competency, covering 29,724 acres, were issued.

SALES OF INDIAN ALLOTMENTS.-Of the lands of original allottees, usually designated as noncompetent, 1,006 tracts, involving 146,047 acres, were sold for $3,566,816, being an average price of $25 plus per acre.

Of inherited Indian lands, there were sold 1,000 tracts, involving 155,794 acres, for $4,007,588, an average price of $25.72 plus per acre.

SALES OF INDIAN LANDS.-Throughout the Indian country there has been an unusual demand for lands, and prices have arisen accordingly. The advance has affected particularly Indian lands in Nebraska, the Dakotas, and Oklahoma. Where appraisements in 1914 averaged on one reservation approximately $40 per acre, some allotments have brought on competitive bids, prices running over $300 per acre.

By reason of the issuance of many fee patents to Indians under the competency acts and policies, large areas of agricultural and grazing lands have now been released from governmental control and are under the supervision of the various States and subject to taxation.

On some of the more advanced reservations it has become quite general for Indians to use the proceeds of sale of their trust and restricted lands in the purchase of improved tracts. This has been encouraged, and to protect the Indian and his family from probable loss through ill-advised deals restrictive clauses have been placed in the deed to him. Many Indians who acquired lands by such titles have recently been found competent to manage their own affairs and have voluntarily requested that the restrictions in these deeds be removed. The funds of minor heirs are occasionally used in this manner. In all purchases for minors the restriction is required, and no deeds are accepted where the abstract of title to the lands to be purchased has not been examined in this office and found satisfactory.

SALES, UNALLOTTED LANDS.-On certain reservations where the Indians are moving rapidly toward a severing of their communal or tribal holdings the office has found it advisable to close the reserva15399-20- 4