The Wichita daily eagle., 1900-08-21
INDIANS HOLD MEETING
Protest Agrfnst Feature OF the Edu-
catiOnal Agreement.

I
South McAlester, o. T, Aug. "a two
days meeting Of the board of education
of the Choctaw nation has just adjourn
Jed at Red Oak, an interior point some
drty miles west of here. The board was
called by Principal Chief Green McCur-
tain, for the purpose of officially and
formally considering and determining
| upon policy Of the Choctaw nation
toward regaining control of their schools.
| John D. Benedict, Indian Territory su-
perintendent of education, and Calvin S.
Ballard, the new school supervisor for
the Choctaw nation, We're present, having
been invited, as matter Of courtesy, by
the principal chief
The treaty known as the Atoka agree
mant, tDder which the United States Is
prcce e5irg in the Choctaw AMI Chicka-
saw raticns in administering the affairs
Of the Choctaws and Chickasaws, pro-
vides :hat coal and asphaltuln shall te
| reserved from the allotment, ani leased,
'4rGer the direction of the secre Try OF
the interior, and that:
IRE revenues from coal and asphalt
or so much as shall be necessary, shall
be used for the education of children of
Indian blood of the members OF said
tribes"
at also provides: "All coal and asphalt
mines in the two nations, whether now
developed or to be hereafter developed,
shall be operated and the royalties there
from paid into the treasury of the United
States, and shall be drawn therefrom un-
der such rules and regulations as shall
be prescribed by the secretary of the in
terior''
In carrying into effect these provisions
of the agreement the interior department
not only prescribes rules and regulations
for the disbursement of this money but
took absolute control of the Choctaw
schools, appointed teachers and superin-
tendents.
The Choctaws claim that the agreement
never contemplated that they should lose
control of their schools, but that the de-
partment had only the power to superin-
tend the disbursement of the coal and
asphalt royalty fund.
They have protested against this action
bottle before the department and con-
gress, and it is understood that they will
continue to do so, until their schools are
relinquished to them. Their protests were
needed during the past winter, and it
was generally understood that the con-
troll of their schools would be returned
to them. but there was a disagreement,
and nothing came Of it. In the meantime
the United tSates authorities are proceed
ing to control the schools.
Superintendent Benedict stated that he
was not authorized to make any proposf-
ton for the surrender of the schools, and
no definite proposition was made to him,
or plan suggested by the Choctaw board.
Superintendent Benedict has chosen his
teachers and superintendents for the
coming year, and it is thought that the
Choctaw board will also select teachers
and superintendents, claiming that they
are proceeding under the Choctaw laws
which are in force and that the acts of
the United States officers are unwarrant-
ed and illegal
In the Chickasaw nation the tribal au-
thorities have taken a firm stand and
refused to recognize the supervisor ap-
pointed by the secretary of the interior.
or to recognize his right, under the agree
ment, to control their schools, and up to
this time no further attempt has been
made to take the control of their schools
out Of the hads of the Chickasaw au-
thorities.
Tt is no improbable that a suit will be
provided and the courts called upon to
construe this part OF the agreement un-
der which the interior department is pro
ceeding, and the question determined as
to their right to take charge CT and con-
troll the Choctaw schools. As the regular
school term Of the various Choctaw
academies viii shortly begin. the devel-
ments Of the next few weeks will be
watched with considerable interest, as
the Choctaw authorities viii make every
effort in their power to regain and re-
tain control Of their schools and public
institutions for the time fixed by the
Atoka agreement