Wawanosh Sands Mern_fonds_Series 1 correspondence File 2

Saugatuck Mich 6/4 1900

Mrs D. B Wawanosh

[Kaw?a?lin?] [mill?] madam I wish you let me know what you are bout [about] to do I Have ben [been] waiting for you a month and now I would like to Have you explain why you are keeping the petition for so long

Here I Have a [Attorny?] [attorney?] [wanting?] [for] [inserted] those papers which He is from Washington I have told you what to do and I [cant?] [can't?] do [no?] more and I want you to let me know by return mail what way this is to be done by law or what I Have ben [been?] good [nuf?] [enough?] to send you the petition to sign I did not want you to [keep?] it to look at as show to all the Indians in the State you mite [might?] know every Indian seeing those papers will say I am [one] [inserted] of that band you will find [thim?] [them?] here just: the same as you say they is lots of [hiers?] [heirs?] there and I can find lots of signers Here but they are not wanted at Washington which they [have?] got they have got every Indian name there and what band he [be long] [belong] that is what has raised such a fus [fuss] at Chicago [cause?] [because?] every Indian said he he was the real [hier?] [heir?] to that property now I gess [guess] they will have to waite [wait] a while yours truly

John [Wawagon?]

Saugatuck Mich May 27th 1900

Mrs D. B Wawanosh

[of?] yours was recived [received] the 22 [cnd?] [22nd?]

in your Reply bout [about?] what way I am to do buisness [business?] all I want you to do sign the petition and if you have any sisters and brothers all so [also] let them sign not by every body [everybody] now my children [cant?] [can't?] sign those paper [papers] or my wife

if you let any out side [outside] party sign those papers you shell [shall] [have? crossed-out] be held responsible if rejected at Washington every person sign give one dollar and if you can find the real heirs to this claim let them sign children not alowed [allowed]

I want to do what right by you or I would not have hunted you up they told me not to have any thing [anything] to do [any] [crossed out] with one living in Canada maby [maybe?] you want to help those Indians at [Athens?] if so let me know at once cause they are after the same property and those papers aughto [ought to] ben [have been?] in Washington

by the first of June but you have delayed me very near month the petition aughto [ought to] enter the indian department the first sure cause [because] Coungress [Congress] will be through by June for some time now so [please?] get through as soon as you can

if I hade [had] money I would come my self [myself] as I am just like the rest of the Indians I have not got [nuf?] [enough?] money to spar [spare?] mony [money] is very scarce just now

now I have told you all

please send the petition as soon as you can

your [yours] truly

John Wawagon

Saugatuck Mich

To the [Hon.?] Commissioner of Indian Affairs -- Washington, D.C.

We the undersigned Pottawatamie Indians now residing in the State of Mich [Michigan], and descendents [descendants] of the Indian chief [Tonquish?], do hereby respectfully petition to you to take the necessary steps, and to do whatever [may?] be necessary in the matter to secure to them, said descendants of said Pottawatamie = Chief, and Indians of the Pottawatamie nation of Indians under articles of treaty made and concluded November 17th [A.?]D. 1807 and found on page 192 of the revision and [compiclation?] [compilation?] of all the treaties between the United States and the Indian[s] [crossed out] tribes in the year A.D. 1873. We the undersigned claim that we are entitled as such descendants of said [Tonquish?] and of said Pottawatamie[s?] [crossed out] tribe of Indians the annuity of four hundred dollars forever as provided by the latter part of Article two of said treaty first above reffered [referred] to,

and that we have by treaty with the United States and Pottawatamie Indians made September 19th [A.?] D. 1827, an interest and equity in the lands reserved for the use of the Pottawatamie tribe of Indians as described on page 675 of the revision and compilation of treaties above refered [referred] to, commencing at [time?] [crossed out] line 30169, and ending at line 30191.

Dated March 22nd 1900,

Witnesses [left column]

William Sha Sha [gwa?] [Wm?] Cowtuckmuck J M [Goriden?] -- Mary Green her mark X Mrs D.B.W.

Signers [right column]

John [Wawogon?] Nancy[?gns?] Alex his Pokagon X mark Soloman James -- X Ku mah we. X [Becca?] [Shaa Trah?]