Wichita eagle., 1889-10-09
THE CHEROKEE STRIP.
Ex-Chief Bushyhead's Opinion - The
Cherokee Title.

The following straightforward, I'M
vanished statement of the great Chero-
kee scion is valuable for its legal, histor-
ical and statistical force and brevity. Il
should be read and carefully studied by
every one interested in the history and
development of that great country. He
says:
1--WE sold thousands of acres of land
in 1872 and before the existing leases
were thought of we made annual efforts
to sell the strip to the government, Of
fering it as low as 40 cents per acre, and
| have never before heard any question
of constitution raised. The people called
CherOkees, number about $4,000 souls,
of whom only about 5000 are full-bloods.
1t is the white mems influence which has
so far hindered settlement, and these
white men and half-bloods are
spreading their fences and
inclosing more and more land
every year. They are afraid that any
sale will injure their personal interests,
and hence they spread garbled reports of
the situation and spread groundless
alarm among the full-bloods. The Cher
okees have so intermarried with other
tribes and whites that it is question
whether their tribe has distinct exist
ence any longer. If not, the patents to
the lands they actually hold is dissolved.
AS to the outlet the Cherokee tenure
is very feeble; in fact they have no title
to it at all. Secretary CalhOun's letter
of October s, 1911. says:
sit is always understood that in re-
moving white settlers from Lovely's pur
chase for the purpose of giving the out
let promised you to the west, you acquire
thereby no right to the soil, but merely
to an outlet of which you appear already
apprised.
The treaties of 1925 and 1885 are based
on that letter, and it is evident that the
government proposed giving the Chero-
KEGS a permanent home OF 100000
acres and an outlet to the west, and it is
equally clear that the CherOkees fully
understood this. When the first leases
to cattle men were signed the govern
ment at once reminded the leasers that
they had no title to the strip.
PROFESSIONALLY the outlet will be
opened to settlement. Congress will see
to that. 1t can be opened in either of
three ways. Article Is of the Cherokee
treaty Of 1866 provides that friendly In
dams may be settled on the strip by the
United States upon terms to be agreed
upon by the friendly tribes and the
Cherokees. and in case of their non
agreement, the price per acre to be fixed
by the president. Under that treaty five
small tribes have been located, the presi-
dent fixing the price per acre at A and
40 cents.
Some years after that the Cheyennes
and Arrapahoes, then large body of In
dians, were located upon 4, 200, 600 acres of
the outlet. But they were just off the war
path, and soon broke away from that
reservation, going northward through
Kansas, committing depradations as they
went. Troops caught them, and by order
of the president they were temporarily
put on a 1000 600 acre reservation near
Fort Reno, and have remained there ever
since The Wichitas were also located
by executive order near Fort Reno on
!. 900, 900 acre reservation, and the Co
kIowas and Apaches were To-
Gated on a reservation of 100000 acres
south of the Cheyennes and Arapahoes, |
of which Fort Sill is about the center |
Part of the Cheyennes and Arapahoes !
ran away from Fort Reno and were
caught near camp supply III tile Ouil6t. |
where they will remain.
East OF Oklahoma are five tribes occu- |
pying about 1000, 900 acres, purchased |
from the Creeks and Seminoles last win |
ter. All these tribes can be moved /
upon the outlet and settled thereon /
for ~ 1-2 cents per acre. Besides, /
as the government has been hav- |
ing much trouble about opening /
some reservations in Kansas. New Mexi- /
co, Colorado and other western territor- /
les, it would be easy to take the Indians /
from their reservations and locate them /
upon the outlet. This would throw open /
70 settlement $4,000, 900 acres in the |
portion of the Indian terri !
tory, 5000. 900 acres east of Oklahoma /
and other lands in the territories. The /
cost of the outlet on this basis would be |
put $4,000, 000 Should the government /
decide TO pay S1.25 per acre for the strip I.
he Cheyennes and Arapahoes would ex-
oect TO be paid for their 4, 100000 acres. |
The offer of the government OF S1.25 /
per acre for the outlet aggregates over
s.. 100000. which the Indians can re
,eive and divide per capita or leave with
he government and receive ) per cent
interest yearly, amounting to 500, 600,
whereas they now receive for the graz
ng privilege but $500, 900.