Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1896-07-30
NOW THE FINAL ROLL.

The question of citizenship takes
precedence over all others in the
Cherokee nation at the present
time. The reason that it is the
uppermost issue is because it is
going to be settled at an early day.
The chances are that before anoth-
er year elapses the great intruder
question in the Cherokee nation
will have been finally and eter-
nally solved. The Dawes commits
sion have authority TO deal with
the matter, and have invited the
cooperation of the tribal authori-
ties. Chief Mayes, recognizing the
Importance of prompt action, has
called special session of the ma
tional council to meet next Mon
day for the purpose of providing
a census OF the citizens of the Cher
okee nation. This extraordinary
session of the council is the most
momentous to the Cherokee people
of any session held since 1866. The
rights of the people are to be
passed upon directly. The estate
is going to be settled up, and the
administrator wants to know who
are to share in the property. Dur
ing the existence of the Cherokee
nation many enrollments of its
citizens have been made and prob
ably none of them correct. 1t now
behooves the Cherokees to see that
a correct roll is made. First, be-
cause every one entitled to citizen
ship should be enrolled, and all
not entitled should be left off as a
matter of right and justice. Sec
ond, because the Dawes commits
sion is here to see that the roll is
correct, and especially that the real
Indians are not imposed upon.
There are people all over this ma
ton, enjoying the privileges of cit
izenship and sharing in all the
payments, who obtained their citi-
zenship through fraud, through the
Vaccinations of some unscrupulous
Cherokee lawyer and politician.
They are in every neighborhood
in this nation, and the records of
the council will show how they
got here and their neighbors know
that they have no Indian blood.
The Cherokee constitution does
not provide for any such action by
the council; therefore when the
new roll is made all such should
be left off and they will then have
the privilege of proving to the
Dawes commission that they ought
to be put back on the roll. Again,
there are a good many hundred
lndians(?) in this nation enjoy
ing all the rights of citizenship
who themselves, or their ancestors
before them remained in the east
at the time of the emigration west
and retained their prorata share
of the tribal property, refusing to
come west and become a part of
the new Cherokee nation, planted
in the wilderness west of the Mis-
sissippi. Since that time they
have many of them arrived here
and are now ready for another d.
vide. The injustice of this pro-
ceeding will not be overlooked by
the Dawes commission if it is by
the council. The great impor-
tance of the call session to meet
next Monday is apparent. The
rights of every citizen in the ma
ton are involved. If any are left
off who are really citizens, then
their birthright is taken away |
from them. If any are admitted |
to the roll who have no right, then
every bonafde citizen has been
as their share is necessari-
ly and proportionately cut down.
1t is a good time for the Cherokee
people to wake up, for their inter-
ests are at stake as never before.