The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1893-07-29
A STATE FOR THE FIVE
TRIBES.
Overtures to Be Made to the Red Men
for Home Rule Within the Union.

during the present recess OF congress
is to be that of the capacity and will
ingness Of the five civilized tribes of
the Indian Territory to form a State
and be admitted into the Union. A
Commission Of three persons was pro
vided for by Congress, with a view to
this investigation, and also to that Of
the willingness Of these tribes, at all
events, to accept severalty allotments
and to conform in other respects to the
ways of white men.
A few years ago it would have seemed
wholly premature to conduct this IN
quiry. The Indians were known to be
welded to their race isolation, as we'll
as to their system Of holding lands in
common. One of the five tribes, in
fact, only short time ago endeavored
to discourage the entrance Of its mem,
bers into full American citizenship by
putting restrictions in tribal matters
upon whoever should obtain it. The
Interior Department was forced to in
terfere and explain that such legislation
was against the policy Of the Govern
ment Again, in a convention of the
five tribes held some years ago, very
strong ground was taken against yield
ing to the new movement for allotting
lands in severalty or weakening race
allegiance.
But Of late there have been signs
that the tribes are recognizing that a
critical period in their history has been
reached aud that they cannot be sure
of maintaining their present status.
There are two parties on this subject,
and hitherto the conservative has been
the stronger Many of those who have
become members Of the tribe through
marrying Indian wives, are among the
strongest advocates of holding to the
old customs. This IS largely due to
the fact that they are able to use the
tribal land for their own benefit to an
extent which might not be possible
under a system of individual owner
ships. They are REINFORCED IN many
cases by the Weather and more lnflu-
entail of the chiefs, who are aCluated
by similar motives. But against them
is growing up an opposition, based
upon the desire to secure some OF the
prosperity that white communities
achieve by the use Of means similar to
theirs.
Some of the Indians probably rccog
nize also that the existence OF Okla
homa as a Territory soon to be.,'uc G.
State is a warning to them. rom
time to time efforts are made to bring
the Indian Territory proper, as it now
exists, under the jurisdiction of Okla
bona. with view to Its ultimate alb
sorption in the latter. The Indians
cannot fail to see that in choice be-
tween being merged in Oklahoma and
forming an independent State of their
own the latter course has Incompatible
advantages AS a part of Oklahoma,
they would even now be Outvoted and
reduced to the position Of constantly
dwindlng minority, exposed to all the
perils of race prejudice. But in a State
of their own, capable of electlng its
Senators and Representatives in Con-
gress, as well as Of governing itself by
members of the Indian race, there
would be no such peril.
or course there are safeguards in the
laws against an enforced merging Of
the Indian Territory in Oklahoma.
The Severalty Allotment statute eX
pressly eXempts the civilized tribes
from its operations. The treaties made
with some of the tribes also pledge the
faith of the United States that no Ter.
ritorial or State lines shall be drawn
about their domains Yet 1t Is felt by
some of the Indians that 1t IS time To
consider what further security and
privileges Statehood might offer them.
One point very obvious is that the
five tribes have been for many years
accustomed not only to the rudiments,
but to some of the advanced forms Of
American representative government.
They have their Legislatures, com
posed of two houses, their Governors,
their judicial systems, their militia
force, their stated elections, and the
vote by ballot. Accordingly, their en-
trance into the Union as a State has
already been prepared for by some
political education and experience. a
second point to note is their capacity
for selfmaintenance as Territory or
State through their tribal funds. These
latter, in some cases, are quite large.
The Cherokees have just increased
theirs by between IS, 900 and So
900, 900, and the Choctaws and Chlcka-
saws combined by about $1,000, 900,
through land sales The Osages, one
of the smaller tribes in the Indian
Territory, who would 60 with the five
larger in a scheme of Statehood, are
the richest of all.
But perhaps at first Territory with
Indians as officials, and the abolition
of the tribal land system, is as much
as could be looked for The work Of
the three Commissioners has yet to be
performed.