Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1897-11-11
THE CREEK ssULTIMATUA.-

haN 6OfSA a. W WV
United States as a guarantee upon
which they have existed as a ma
ton. The original policy was to
secure to the Indians a country
free from white intrusion, where
they could grow into a civilized
people. After citing the treaties
the document is concluded as
follows:
That the result of this policy
would ultimately break up our
tribal government and end in the
absorption of our people by the
great body OF the citizens in the
United States is not denied. The
only and final question to be de-
cided now is, has the time actually
arrived when that policy can be
consummated at once without det-
riment to the best interests of the
Creek people. All other questions
are subordinate and merely incl
dental to this one great question.
1t ia proper to recite briefly por-
tion of the history of the Creeks.
Prior to the late civil war between
the states, the Creeks were farmers
and herdsmen, and q very respec-
table portion of them were slave
holders. They lived an easy and
rather careless life. Education
was not deemed of such high i'm
portance then as now. This was
also true of the Shareholders of the
southern states. When the civil
war broke out out our country was
located between the two contend
ing forces. Our people, in self
defense, abandoned their homes
and their property fed, some join
ing the union army and others sid
ing with the Confederacy. Thus
was our country completely aban-
doned, and all our property be-
came q prey to spectators who
followed the two great armies sole
ly for gain. At the close of the
war, when we returned home, we
found our country a vast wilder
ness. Our stock had all been
driven away, our houses and fences
had been burnt by prairie fires, and
our former places of residence
were almost unrecognizable. Then
began a struggle for existence. In
country without money, every
body equally as poor as his neigh
Dor, and no railroads or towns to
bring trade or produce markets,
we were indeed pioneers. For
more than ten years there were no
railroads nor towns in our country.
We however, established a few
neighborhood and boarding
schools, which offered only a few
of our children the advantage of an
education. We were in this con.
dition in 1889 when when we sold
Oklahoma to the United States
government, and of the proceeds
of said sale we deposited with the
government 2,000,0 900 as a per.
manent fund, and from the interest
thereon We set apart permanent
additional school fund of $50, ,00C
per annum. We then erected
large brick and frame school build
ings and increased our neighbor.
hood schools to thrice their former
number. Out of a total income Of
s160, 900 we expend $500 annu'
ally for educational purposes alone
Every child of school age has now
a chance of acquiring an education
absolutely free to himself and par
ents. We do not believe that thi;
system of education can be re
placed by one better suited to oul
people. We have in this territory
five separate local governments
neither one nor two of which car
constitute a state sufficiently large
to be admitted by congress. Tht
movement toward a change of gov
ernment in the Indian Territory
should be simultaneous in all these
nations. The treaties made witt
these nations should be uniform il
principle and equally protective
of their various interests. W.
will be the principal beneficlariei
Of any good that may result from
change of government; and W.
olone will suffer from the confusion
and hardships which will neces
sarily follow the immediate break
ing up of these tribal government
against our protests.
The Congress of the United
States has at no time been bur
dened with petitions from th,
great body of the white peopl
in our country, complaining O
grievances or asking for a better
ment of their condition, nor ha
any complaint gone up to Congress
from the Indians of the territory
1t is, therefore, incomprehensibl
to us why this great pressur
should be brought to bear upol
US for the breaking up of our coun
try. The commissioners on tk
part of the United States hav
threatened US with disruption @
our government if we do not b.
treaty at once agree TO allot ou
lands and surrender our right @
self-government. The Congress c
the United States has passed a
act (Indian appropriation bill, ap
proved June 8, 1880 depriving u
of the jurisdiction guaranteed t
US by treaties after January ]
1898. With this flaming swor
as an everlasting threat hangin
suspended over us by, as it were
a single thread, our commissioner
were induced to sign the agree
ment of September 27, 1897. Thi
is repetition of the coercion III
der which our delegates signe
the treaty of Fort Smith in 1866
Dy which we agreed to sell Okl;
homa, one-halt of our country
comprising over 5000, 600 acres I
On. IT,,