Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1895-10-10
CHOCTAW AFFAIRS.
A Plea for Serious and Sensible
Action,


meets next week we cannot refrain
from again advising that a COM
mission be appointed to meet the
Dawes commission. No one can
deny but that the present condi-
ton of affairs cannot last much
longer. The government wants a
change, a large number of Indians
want change and all things con-
sidered, it must be conceded by
any thoughtful man, that a change
is going to be made. If it is made
without the cooperation of the In
dians, it may not be in accordance
with their desires, and certainly
will not cover all the grounds of
negotiations which need to be
made, and settle all the questions
which need to be settled before
the autonomy of the Indian tribes
is broken up. The Choctaws and
Chickasaws have a three million
dollar claim in that part of the
leased district now occupied by
other Indian tribes; they have an
other three million in Greer coun-
ty, if the Greer county case is de-
cided in favor of the United States;
and both nations have questions
relating to their colored freedmen,
with numerous other questions,
that will come up for settlement,
all of which should be fully settled
in detail, before the autonomy of
the nations is broken up. If the
government, through congress,
breaks up these tribes without set
tling these numerous questions in
detail, they are very likely to re-
main unsettled. If an Indian ma
ton or tribe, has a claim against
the government and the identity
of the Indian nation is lost or bro
ken up. any reasonable man can
see that the claim can never be re-
allied on. 1t avails nothing, tha t
some of our citizens say this can
not be done. The government
says it can do it, and the first step
is now being taken; the country is
being surveyed. After it is done
then all wall be able to see that a
mistake was made, in not acting
in time and settling all these ques-
tions that are so vastly important
to the Indian people, but it will
be too late. We think tits useless
TO say the government cannot do
so and so, because we know it can.
whether right or wrong; but its
representatives claim it can break
these tribes up and not commit a
breach OF treaty and if it can and
does do this, where will we go for
redress? Where have We to go ex-
cept to the courts of the very gov
ernment that says it can do this?
The opposers OF equal division say
the government agreed to keep out
these white people that are over
running the country, and the gov
eminent says the Indians passed
laws permitting the influx of non-
citizens, until now it is impractic-
able to eject them from the coun-
try. The Indians can't put them
out and what are they going to do
about it? The conditions are get
ting worse, and the government
says this very condition is breach
OF The treaty, as the lands are not
held in common by the Indian
tribes as contemplated in the trea-
ty. With all these conditions be
fore us, is it not suicide for the In
dians to stubbornly resist the gov
ernment? In our opinion it is, and
will be suicide that the condi-
tions do not warrant. The govern
ment says it does not want to take
any land from the Indians, but
wants to so arrange affairs that all
will enjoy equal rights, and every
Indian will get what justly belongs
to him. Its representatives say
that a settlement of all old sores
is promised, before the breaking
up of the tribal governments. II
this is not done, the Indians are
not compelled to accept the terms.
Then what is the use of holding
back, and stubbornly resisting the
United States representatives? We
can see no reason for opposing a
start in this direction, and our ad-
vice to the Choctaw council is,
that it provide for the appoint
ment of commission to meet the
Dawes commission, and confer
with them on this question. Ger
tainly no harm can come of it, if
nothing is accomplished. In our
opinion the very thing that the
equal division opposers are clamb-
oring for will be brought about, if
nothing else, and tn is, the Choc-
taw tribe will obtain a longer lease
of life than it otherwise would
Indian Citizen.