Rosier, Chapter One notes (continued)

1924 is the year Indians were given citizenship. Now Hamilton’s theme is “self-determination.” The council is angry at Campbell and votes to fire him, but they have no authority. Now the full-bloods need Campbell and the Office of Indian Affairs to protect them against the mixed-bloods. Richard Sanderville (Chief Bull) is an ally of the full-bloods and critic of Hamilton.

As the Kevin-Sunburst and Cut Bank Oil Fields (both close enough to the reservation to be possibly pumping out oil from under it) boom and prosper, the pro-development forces in the tribe get more agitated. Louis S. Irwin, the tribe’s legal advisor, tried to slow them down but H.L. Lambert, who was a friend of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs promised them everything. Finally BTBC went for Lambert (7 to 1 with one abstention). A gathering of the tribe voted 55 to 1 in favor of Lambert. Then the Office of Indian Affairs shut the whole thing down.

Oscar Boy, a full-blood Carlisle grad, was against Lambert getting a lease and so were Levi Burd and Malcolm Clark, who felt that Lambert would shut out the mixed bloods.

Louis W. Hill also objected to Lambert on grounds that he would have a monopoly and Hill wished to lease. In the end, he was given a small lease and so were others, but the Dept. of the Interior hovered closely, remembering the Osage. Now the problem was that Hill wasn’t drilling. If he didn’t drill, there would be no development.

J.L. (NOT J.H.) Sherburne applied for a lease and was rejected on grounds that his application was incomplete and missing elements. John Galbraith was going in with Sherburne but his own lease was cancelled for noncompliance. Hill also had difficulty on these grounds. The rich could afford the wait -- the hungry tribespeople could not.

The idea was to hit the Kootenai Formation, which the oilmen would only pretend to do. They were also interested in the Milk River anti-cline. The supervisor of all this was Albert Fall, who was convicted not long after in the Teapot Dome scandal and served criminal time.

1927 John Galbraith thought the thing to do was to mortgage the tribal timber and drill for themselves. George Starr (full-blood) bid.

1928 Browning-Fertig Oil Co. (One assimilated Indian and 3 whites.)

1929 Loss of confidence in Campbell, accusations of corruption, continued complaints of starvation and no shelter, all add up to Senator Burton Wheeler calling for hearings in 1929. The Acting Superintendent is now Forrest Stone.