Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1890-03-06
THE CHIEFS LETTER.
A Manly Plea to the President for
Justice.
ExkcTTsvE DrrsHTNENT.
CHERoEEE SArIoy. IxD. TER..
Tarrru u.lrrars Eah - f~rr

Having seen your proci amatiOn o
the I7sh inst, stating that no mor'
cattle shall 60 upon the lands O.
the Cherokees west OF the Arkansa.
river foi the purpose of grazing. and
that the men and cattle from whom
the Cherokees have derived a reve-
nue. for the support of their school:
and government must 60 from said
lands, please allow me, as chic
of the Cherokees, to approach you,
not as one of your fellow citizens on
equal terms with yourself, but as a
native American born, on the soil
where floats your proud flag. On
soil at that time owned by my
ancestors (the Cherokee IndIans)
from time immemOrial, who GER
tainly have some rights in CON-
mun with other mankind, and who
have been taught like other races
that they have souls and are re-
sponsible for their conduct to the
law Of Col aal man.
In this attitude, / approach you,
as you might say, ar alien, subject
entirely as it seems, only TO your
viii as a ruler of great nation,
in this that you ee fit to deprive
the Cherskees Of the use of q piece
of property thai they have been
taught is rightfuily theirs. They
have been taught 50 from the fact
Of having been in peaceful and IN
disputed possession Of il for the
last half century. They have been
taught so BY a apaient they have to
this possession. signed by Martin
Van B'Iren, president Of the Unit
ed States. They have always
looked upon this as a very sacred
document Itis a very beautiful
document, engraved with the flag
and coat of arms OF your great gov
ernment, with the proud eagle, the
emblem Of American liberty at the
head OF it. under which stands
the Indian and white man shaking
hands of friendship and giving
their pledge and plightcd faith.
When they shook hands over this
contract they used the word "fur-
ever" This beautiful patent en-
braces this tract Of land upon
which you say The COW shall Craze
no longer and the Cherokees shall
no longer derive 5000, 900 annually
received fer this grazing privilege.
They have also been taught By the
supreme court, the highest tribunal
OF your government. that this
patent is COOL and that tie land
is theirs. Now is this all n mis-
take? Have they lived this long
in this imaginary. security ? Is this
a delusion ? After coming TO this
country over fifty years ago, ,endur-
ing all the privation and hardships
that a people could possibly en-
dure aid giving up for the white
man their ancient home east the
Mississippi river. thereby doubly
paying for this sOil, are
they now to be told by one who
the Indian has been taught to call
his "Great Father" that the
Cherokees can no longer use their
land, that this country must be
turned into a waste and that they
can no longer receive 4 revenue
from this source , Or will these
Iands be turned over by you TO the
just FOR the simple rea-
son that the white man saws he
needs it, and all eyes and ears be
nrned away from the complaint
Of the Cherokecs
In the face Of this proclamation,
Mr.. President, /, as chief of the
Cherokee people, am compelled
o ask these bitter questions. 1t
icems the Indian has no place to
% for protection and I only ask
What shall be their fate ? What
lexi? When viii j, be demanded
hat they depart from these lands ?
The missionaries have taught /
he Cherokees that God is n just
;od and that He is their God and
rill protect them. They only
iope and pray that He viii, for in
he face of what they see II viii
Ultimately take some unseen pow
T to shield them from the danger
hat threatens them, where one
nan in this boasted land of liberty,
an thus, by an order or ed;ct de
rive people Of the use Of their
You say it Is pr'ju.licial to the