Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1893-02-09
THE TRun CONDITION.

OF tue OntTOktt utltBdNt III w ooh-
ington, a few days ago, before the
senate committee, will probably be
sufficient to cause some people at
home as well as abroad, to open
their eyes.
For years nearly every politician
of any note in this whole nation
has been declaring to the Chero
kee people that 9" we are in need OF
no changes whatever" that "our
autonomy will be preserved in.
definitely" Delegation after dele
CATION has been sent to Washing
ton at great expense to the Chero.
KEGS to ward off and oppose the
advances of the government in
reference to any change in the
tribal relations or method of gov
ernment of the Cherokee nation.
All this time these delegations and
many of our leading men at home
were laying great stress on the
"Poor Lo" sentiment that has al
ways proved "snare and a delus-
ion " to the real Indian; visions OF
breech-clouts and beaded mocca-
sins have been held up to the gaze
OF the eastern congressman. Sena-
tor Platt touched the keynote when
he said to Delegate Hastings that
ne had not seen a real Cherokee
Indian in a long time. Since the
days of Oochalata no full-blood
has been permitted to go to Wash.
ington. When commissioners have
been sent out by the general gov
ernment they have invariably been
met at Vinita, at Muskogee, at Tah-
lequah, by white men, who in
many cases had not drop of Indian
blood in their Veins, but who We're
always prating about "our nation"
and Gus Indians" while the real
Indians were eking out miserable
existence in the flint hills of Della.
ware, of Saline, of Goingsnake
and other timbered sections, entire
| ly oblivious Of the great solici.
tude CD mis- white brothers were
suffering for him. Doubtless with
Senator Platt it has become a ques-
ton whether there are any real In.
dians in the Cherokee nation, or
not, so long has he been kept In the
back ground and so loud have been
the boasts of his great civilization,
of his schools, and ceminaries oI
learning. All this must sound like
grim sacrilege to him who has all
along been robbed Of land and
money for the benefit OF the whites
with small Indian blood, who have
administered his government fol
him.
But to Senator Platt and to the
great government OF the United
States we want to say, there arc
real Indians here, and before the
last spark of 4" Poor LIZ" " sentiment
goes out in disgust by coming in
contact with Arkansas Indians and
others who have SO long misrepre-
sented him, give him back some oI
the land and money Of which be
has been robbed, 10 these many
years, by his own kith and kin al
home.
The real full-blood Cherokee is
here and with rare exceptions is in
no condition to hold his own in the
great struggle for bread. He needs
the protecting arm Of the United
States government thrown around
him. His pro rata share Of bis
land should be restored to him with
an inalienable title. The money
over which his piratical dictators
have so long contended and which
is the source of so much corruption
in office, should be placed to his
credit and paid to him as he needs
It TO allay the hunger that isgnaw.
ing at his yitals, and to shelter his
pinched and emaciated form from
the storm. Mol do not destroy all
the Indian sentiment" while 4
single remnant of tribe remainl
unprotected and starving in all the
domain OF Americs. Anyone whC
doubts that the Indians are in wan
and poverty in the Cherokee natior
can satisfy themselves any time by
simply going into the full. blooC
neighborhoods in the eastern ant
southern part Of our domain. II
that poor, barren country the gam
has long since been driven out, an'
the soil is generally thin; want
and squalor is depicted every
where food enough to feed ca
} could not be found 10 many Of thei
: cabins; yet these poor people spent
or had spent for Them, 1925, 600 70
governmental purposes last year
They were able to expend $1,000
on a delegation to Washington u