Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1898-12-08
INSPECTOR J. G. WRIGHT
Addresses Council and PeO-
pie at Tahlequah.

q talk but since your council by q
joint ballot has requested me to
address you, l shall endeavor to
do so. | am here as you are pos
fibly all aware for the purpose OF
enforcing and carrying out the
provisions of the recent act Of con
gress commonly known as the
Curtis bill. That you may better
understand the object of my bus
mess here and my duties, 1 shall
read you The instructions sent me
by the Interior department. (Mr.
Wright then read the Instructions }
The instructions are being printed
and will be distributed at an early
date to the proper officers OF the
five tribes.
You are aware of the condition
Of affairs and you know that con-
gress has passed an act to protect
the people of this country. Most
of you have no doubt read the
Curtis bill and become familiar
with its provisions. This bill pro-
vided for the appointment Of an
Inspector to carry out its provis-
ions and | am here for that pur-
pose. / am here to talk with you
in an informal way OF the plain
facts and the purposes of the gov
ernment. | have been among
Indians for more than fifteen years
and was tor a long time stationed
in charge of an agency in Dakota
among the Sioux, 5000 in number.
Was also for two years special
government inspector for all In
dian agencies. 1t is my purpose
today to talk TO the full-blood and
tell him of his real condition and
advise him the best course to pur-
sue. am the full-blood Indian :
friend. On several occasions tile
full-bloods in the north have re-
qussted of the department at
Washington that be sent among
them to settle their controversies.
which l have always done with
pleasure.
NV duties an Indian inspector
may sometimes be unpleasant, bur
it is not a matter of personal feel
ing and however unpleasant it
may seem, the instructions of the
department must be carried out
and | shall do so.
The Chickasaws and Choctaws
have made an agreement and the
same has been ratified and is now
I. law. The Creeks made an agree
ment but when the people voted
on the ratification it was defeated
aud the Curtis bill prevails over
them. Unfortunately for the full
hoods they have been mislead by
the mixed bloods by being told
that the Curtis bill was not law
and would not be enforced. They
have no doubt realized by this
.ime that they have been misled.
Some of you people have been TO
Washington and there were in
formed by the Secretary of the
Interior that the Curtis bill was a
law. l believe he gave some par
ties from your nation a document
with his signature attached saying
that the Curtis bill was a law and
would be enforced.
You are aware that certain rea.
sons brought about the present
condition of affairs in this country.
They are numerous and | shall
rot attempt to explain them here.
Conditions in this country have
greatly changed since you made
your treaties in 1880; conditions
lave changed in all the reserva-
tions. Your delegations to Wash
iHgton have noticed the changes in
the last twenty years and you
might as well prepare now fer the
inevitable. The purpose of the
recent act of congress is for the
better protection of the people ol
this country and to that end con
gress will continue TO labor.
1t is not my desire to influence
you but want to tell you things
Just as they are and explain to you
the purposes of the government
The full bloods of the other nation;
are anxious to treat but in The
Creek nation they rejected theil
agreement. In that nation | founC
lots of full-bloods whip told m'
they had not read the Curtis bill
or the agreement they rejected.
As | have said before the tins
has come when there must be ;
change in this country and wher
this change is finally made the
full blood will be protected II,
reeds il and il is the government
plan to look after his Interests
| frst. / have been told that tht
government wanted TO rob the rea
Indian. Does an equal division
Of land and money among the poo
ss well as the rich look like thu
government wanted TO rob? Thl
| fuil-blood is entitled to as mucl
4 land as any of the big land hold
ers. Have they got ii? No, onll
few of them. The full-bloOd
| lave an idea that something j
wrong because the mixed blood
want to treat. The mixed bloc,
will suffer, not the full-blood, ,wheI
You people make a treaty.
In the Choctaw nation man.
ccal mines have been operated I'M
Ger leases of individuals and sto cI
companies. On the coal the com
panies paid the ChOclaw nation
revenue at the rate OF six cent
per ton and sold it for Sc. Som
Of these corporations received a
income of more than s400 pc
, | ,,op.b In many paEpg HnW muC