The Van Buren press. [volume] (Van Buren, Ark.) 1859-1914, 1896-07-18
CITIZENSHIP CLAIMANTS.

The Dawes Commission is now
in the Indian Territory for the purpose
of establishing census rolls of all the
Indians of the Five Civilized Tribes,
and to hear and determine the status of
all applicants for rights to citizenship
in the Five Civilized Tribes. To do
| this work the Commission has three
months from the 4th day of June, 1896
1t is now engaged in the performance of
its duties.
In the establishment of the rights of
applicants to citizenship the Commission
shall have power and authority to
administer oaths, to issue process for
and compel the attendance of witnesses,
and to send for persons and papers, and
to use every fair and honorable means
within their reach for the purpose of
determining the rights of persons claim
ing citizenship in any of the said
Nations.
Such persons who fail to get his or
her application filed before the Com
mission will be barred if the application
is not filed within three months from
the time of the passage of the law herein
and above referred to.
Having for the past several years
made close and careful study of the
different treaties made by and between
the United States and the Five Civilized
Tribes, and having become conversant
with the constitutions, laws and status,
and history and autonomy of the Five
Tribes, and having in my possession
copies of the census rolls, revised Indian
treaties, constitutions and laws of said
Indian tribes, and other valuable
documents concerning the status and
and rights of Indians and Indian citizen
ship, and having license to practice in
the various courts, including the
Supreme Court of the United States,
the Court of Claims, and before the
departments and bureaus, at Washing
ton, D. c., feel capacitated and fully
prepared to accept claims of persons
desiring to establish their rights to
citizenship in any of the said Nations,
and to render them valuable service in
the preparation and prosecution of their
claims to citizenship in any of the said
tribes before the Dawes Commission,
or before any other court or tribunal to
which it may be carried.
Hence, all persons having rights to
citizenship in any of the Five Civilized
Tribes, and who desire to prosecute
their claims to final determination,
and who desire my services, and who
will write or call ON me at Sallisaw,
|. T., giving me their full names, ages
and sex, and the names and ages and
sex of children and grandchildren if
any, the names and ages of parents,
grandparents through whom the
claimant derives his Indian blood, when
and where such ancestors were born,
lived and died, and the degree of Indian
blood, as whole, one half, one fourth,
one eighth. Upon receiving this
information, and an advance cash fee
of twenty five dollars, which is in
tended to cover costs including postage
stamps, blanks, etc.. and to enable me
to investigate and to prepare properly
the case of each head of the family for
trial, and to file the same before the
Commission, shall proceed to put their
cases in the best shape possible, and to
file the same before the Dawes Com
mission, and will notify the applicant
of the time and place for trial.
l have opened law Office at Sallisaw,
|. T.. where | shall be in close touch
with the Dawes Commission. Call on
or address Inc at that place.
Respectfully,
JOSEPH p. MULLEN,
Attorney and Counsellor at Law.
Sallisaw, |. I.