Look at all the ways that Robert had the power of the Pen:
Image 1: The St Regis Chiefs commissioned Jeramiah McCarthy to do a new survey of the Nutfield Tract because the original Surveyor , Patrick McNiff, incorrectly drew the lines to the detriment of the chiefs. Robert witnessed the chief’s signatures, you can see his signature across the bottom of the Nutfield Plan & Survey.
Image 2: Robert Colquhoun crossed out the names of lease holders on Lots 13 and 14 and added his own name. Should we assume this is official protocol for Indian Agents? Did he need to ask permission from the Chiefs to do this?
Image 3: Excerpt from the Land Rent Book concerning “Lands belonging to the Indian Chiefs of St Regis. Open and Commenced January 1813”. This page shows Robert Colquhoun paid rent for two Islands in 1822. Snyder Island and Lewis Island (later referred to as the Colquhoun Islands) were leased by the family from the St Regis Chiefs for 99 years.
Image 4: In his role as Indian Agent, Robert would have walked the lots of the Nutfield Tract Indian Reservation collecting rent from the tenants for the Chiefs. Here are his notes from 1813. Rent was paid in cash and bushels of wheat.