Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1893-02-23

the year 1885, there was division
of the Cherokee tribe; part of
our people desired to come west to
this country while a part wanted
to remain where they were, and
they were permitted to do so un-
der the twelfth article of the treaty
of 1885; under this article they
drew out their per capita share of
lands and moneys belonging to the
Cherokees, and became citizens of
the States where they re-
sided. The separation between
them and the Cherokees was COM
plete; they got their share of the
common property; the Cherokees
were under no more obligation to
them after this separation than
they were to any other citizen of
the United States; but when civil
ization advanced and our lands
became valuable they remembered
that they were Cherokees by blood
and they came to the nation and
demanded their rights here as
Cherokees by blood; but they had
no rights here by blood. They
had drawn out the rights that they
were entitled to by blood and be-
came citizens of the United State
and our constitution forbids us 40
to sell, give Q in any way dispose
oil land to aC zen of the United
States under penalty Of death;
but Notwithstanding the severity
of this penalty we have had lot
of corrupt lawyers who have de-
ceived our council and had a court
established for their benefit to try
their rights, and all they had to do
was go before the court and prove
that they were Cherokees by blood,
and if they were successful in this
they were granted right to sec.
ond share in our common property.
In this way we have been robbed
of one-half of our lands by our cor
rupt lawyers, corrupt councils and
corrupt courts. No man is entitled
to a right here by virtue of Cher
okee blood if it can be shown that
he has drawn out his per capita
share of lands and moneys and be-
come citizen of the United States;
he has no more right he by vir-
tue of his Cherokee blool than any
ether citizen Of the United States,
and If he has obtained a right here
in this way by fraud and corrup-
tion it is null and void. Such has
been the corruption of our council
that it has created a citizenship
court that is unauthorized by the
constitution of our country at an
expense oftwenty thousand dollars
year clothed with the extraordi-
nary power of giving the country
away by wholesale to every man
who could prove Cherokee blood;
but in addition to this the chief
appointed a commission to visit
the North Carolina Cherokees and
invite them to come among US and
have homes without money and
without price.
This citizenship business has
been a rich harvest for our corrupt
lawyers. They have compassed
sea and land to find a man that
would claim a right here by virtue
Of Cherokee blood. 1t did not
matter so much about the blood
as the money. If he had the
money he was all right; he could
prove his Cherokee blood without
any trouble. In this wav our
country has been filled with in
truders and reserves from Ten
nessee, North Carolina, Georgia,
Alabama and Kansas, that have
monopolized our lands. We have
been compelled to sell more than
one-half OF our country at a dollar
and a quarter per acre to get rid
of the intruders; now what is it GO
ing to take TO get rid of the res
ervees who have a second share
in our common property by virtue
of our corrupt councils and courts?
| presume they will take all the
balance. But in the agreement
that cost US more than one-half the
to get the intruders out
there was another steal-provis-
ion had to be made for seventy
of the Cherokee leaders that no
other Cherokee could have; this
had to be done before they would
agree to the sale; they had to be
brlbed and accorded certain priv
ileges that were not accorded to
other Cherokees; they had to have
eighty acres of land in the Strip
and they got it; they made the
further provision that the price of
the outlet had to be paid into our
treasury before the trade was com
pleted; they have robbed US and
permitted us to be robbed of lands
till we are homeless at home; they
have billeted intruders and res
ervees on us till there is little left,
and now they are preparing to
make a big steal from the Strip
money; all they want is to get II
in possession. If they have rob.
bed US of our lands do you sup
pose that they will be more hon
est with our money? | do not:
there never has been an honest,
fair square payment of our moneys
at no payment since the United
States quit paying US through her
agent. The United States gov.
ernment used to issue permits to
our farmers; when she did it there
were no intruders here. We took
1t out Of her hands and as a result
we got them in here, but we have
had to pay dearly to get them out.
When the United States agent paid
our annuities it was always done
al