The Puyallup Land Sale the Tribe Tried to Stop
Hours before the reservation auction, attorney Charles Woodworth filed revocations for nearly half the lands, arguing the Indians—not the commission—controlled the sale.
TACOMA, April 30.—Special.—Tomorrow is the day set by the Puyallup Indian Commission for the sale of the reservation lands, but it is expected there will be a hitch in the proceedings. The commission, in order to make the sales legal, first had to secure powers of attorney from the Indian owners themselves. These instruments were secured some time past.
Today Attorney Charles Woodworth, who, with Frank C. Ross, has been opposing the action of the commission and championing the rights of the Indians to handle the land given them by the government, placed on record revocations of most of these powers of attorney. The revocations cover about half the reservation lands advertised for sale by the commission in this county. Revocations for all but two pieces of the lands in King county were filed at Seattle.
Members of the commission said tonight that no attention would be paid to revocations, but the sale will go ahead anyhow. Indian owners of the land gave the commission what were practically powers of attorney, making the commission a trustee to sell the land. It is to revoke these instruments that Attorney Woodworth, on behalf of the Indians, filed revocations today. It is thought that Woodworth's action will prevent bidding to any great extent.
“Members of the commission said tonight that no attention would be paid to revocations, but the sale will go ahead anyhow.”
The Puyallup Reservation was allotted and opened to sale under federal policies that steadily eroded the tribe's land base. Today the Puyallup Tribe's sovereignty and land-restoration efforts remain central to Pierce County politics.
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