Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1894-03-29
A oHoorAw's VIEWS.
Some Facts Which are Generally
Overlooked.
AroKA. /. r., Mch. is, 1S9

lnere is pfODaOlY no Onc SUI
iect of such vital importance and
human interest or that is eceiving
more attention, or being more gen
orally discussed and 30 thorough
ly silted in this country than that
of the dissolution of our present
tribal governments. Many have
expressed themselves for, many
against a change.
In the discussion of change
the greatest general question is,
are the Indians prepared for a
change, and if not, what would be
the result If a change was made
without their permission-such a
change as has already been sug-
gested, that of the country and
monies being equally divided
among them and 100 acres of land
made inalienable for 20 years.
This question then arises, what is
the present condition of the full
bloods as compared with twenty
five years ago. / do not know what
their condition was then but | am
sure il was no worse then than IT
is now. The protest made to con-
gress by the international council
looks well in print, sounds nicely
and it does not lack sincerity, for
believe it was made in good faith
and the truth was intended for
every assertion made; but on ac.
count of their Ignorance of such
matters they could describe but
one side of the situation and OF
course spoke only OF the good
things we have; they could not
picture in words the true condi-
ton of the poor, half famished full
bloods who derive their miserable
living from very often less than
an acre of poor land poorly cult
waited. Go, if you will and visit
them in their wretched, degraded,
poverty stricken homes, see and
study them as they really are and
if you have heart it will bleed in
sympathy for them. True, we
have schools, churches and asy-
lums of various kinds, but who
derives the most benefit? Surely
it will not be said that the most
deserving are the recipients, for
they are not. Atoka county can
not be worse than any other
county in the Choctaw nation. 1t
is i'm fact one of the wealthiest and
most progressive counties we have
and in it. among the full-bloods
you can see such lamentable des-
titution and poverty that you will
never wish TO see again. Little
children of the age of from one to
five years clad in natures own raj
ment and boys five to fifteen some
times without so much as a shirt
on will stare in open mouth won
der and barbaric manner upon a
white looking person, and to my
certain knowledge these poor little
friendless fellows are never prop
erly dressed and rarely if ever
have enough to eat. Their par
ents are ibdolent, barelooted and
ragged and slovenly in the ex-
treme; what else then, but of in
dolent slovenly and shiftless life
can be expected of their offspring
unless a change is made. 1t is too
sad to dwell upon the scenes of
destitution among the full-bloods
hopeless, degraded and poverty
stricken homes as witnessed
while taking the United States
census of this country in 1890. OF
course there are exceptions among
them. but / will venture the asser.
ton that as many as two thirds OF
more than likely the same proper
ton from the other tribes are Of
this same INDECENT, indolent class.
Now, take it for granted that the
full-blood Indians taken as a ma
jOrity, are not competent to cope
with the white man; when in the
name of ordinary common sense
will they ever be able to do so, un.
less thrown among and more i'm
mediately associated with the
white race.
The "rom fuller" and sweet
potato patch should be a thing Of
the past. 1t should long since
have been broadened into fertile
farms; jerked beef and dried veni-
son should have given place to a
smoke house well filled with
picked beef and smoked bacon
and instead of the little Sx10 pole
cribs with a scant supply of "Tom
fuller" corn, we should see hand
some granarits well filled with
small grain Of all kinds, the barely
habitable log huts chould long ago
have given place to more substan.
tial structures and the women in
them tidying them up to make
home pleasant, instead Of being in
The woods digging snake root.
The change as suggested by the !
Dawes commission-that OF TAX !
ing the land by allotment-cannot |
retard the present prosperity(O Of !
the Indians or growth of the coun. /
try, for it seems to me that by so |
accepting the country would neces-
sarily largely become populated /
with better class of people, and
when population is densest the
production per capita is the great
est. Then with this increase OF
population the competition for the
use Of land will become stronger
and those who would own this
and could demand more for their
rent.
There is yet another reason why
A change would be beneficial The