The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1901-06-25
MISSISSIPPI (HO(TAW INDIANS
A RE-HEARING IN ALL THOSE
CASES MUST BE HAD.
Decision of the Department In Contest
ed citizenship Cases 90 scores the
Dawes Commission AMI Advises
Different Course hereafter.
Special to the Ardmoreite.

attempt to apply technical rules and
regulations to ignorant people in the
Choctaw nation the Dawes commits !
sion has squandered more than $780,
600 of public money. At the same
time it attempted to deprive more
than 1900 ignorant people OF their
property rights, and as a result the
department OF the interior has di
rected a rehearing of all the Missis
sippi Choctaw citizenship cases
which have thus far been disposed
of by the com mission, and admonish.
ed the members OF the commission
TO pursue different course in its
dealings with the ignorant Indians in
the future.
Such in brief is the decision Of the
department in contested citizen
ship case brought in the name of
Lizzie Woodward, Mississippi
Choctaw woman, which made test
case before the secretary of the in
terror in order to relieve the depart
ment of the necessity of going
through and carefully considering
some 1900 similar cases. The ques-
tions involved are unique, running
back TO 1880, at the time of the nego-
tiation of the Dancing Rabbit Treaty
under which the Choctaw Indians
moved TO the Indian Territory and
settled upon their present reserva'
ton. The 18th article of the treaty
provided that all Mississippi Choc.
taws who desired to remain in Mis-
sissippi could do so by notifying the
agent within six months of their in
tention 10 retain their lands, and
that those so remaining should have
an equal interest in the lands of the
Choctaw Indians removing to the
Indian Territory, but not in the tri-
bal money. Accordingly owe. 1000
Mississippi Choctaws remained.
The Indian agent in charge of the
Mississippi Choctaws at the time OF
the negotiation Of the treaty, enter
ed into a scheme with planters in
Mississippi TO defraud the Indians
who desired to remain out of their
lands. This was shown in the e oct
of a special commission appointed
in pursuance with an act OF congress
which made a thorough investigation
in 1886. The scheme of the agent
was to fail to record those Indians
who remained east, thus diminishing
the amount of land which the In
dians might retain in the state. He
reported to the department the
names of only l43 Indians remaining,
while a subsequent investigation
developed the fact that over 1000 re-
mained.
In 1881, 1882 and 1888, the govern
ment provided for the removal un
der military supervision of such In
dians as might desire to go to the
Indian Territory. During those
three years there was heavy mi
gration. which continued to a limit
ed extent for several years later. II
is these Mississippi Choctaws that
the Dawes commission has refused
to enroll upon the ground that they
have not been able to furnish sufhci
ent evidence of their membership 10
the Mississippi Choctaw tribe.
From information received at the
department il developed that in ex'
amining these applicants the Dawes
commission submitted purely techni
cal questions. The applicants were
asked whether their names or thf
names of their fathers or mothers
appeared upon any OF the trloa
rolls? Replying that they did no
know. they were then asked under
what particular article of the treaty
OF 1880 they claimed the right o.
membership? To this the lattel
query they invariably replied tha
they did not know. One ChoctaW
woman stated that she claimed righ
of enrolment under the entire
treatment" After a technical ex
animation alOnR NhooO ''H~' NN ~r
plicants we're rejected by the com
mission.
When the papers we're sent TO th'
commissioners of Indian ahairs To-
approval he instituted quiet bu
careful examination, which resulted
in disclosures not at all compliment
ary to the members OF the commits
sion. In his report upon the cases t
Secretary Hitchcock, COMMISSIONS
Jones severely arraigned the com
mission, pointing out the fact tina
the Indians had been compelled t
answer purely technical questions
that proper opportunity had no
been afforded them to establish thei
claims; that whore affidavits wer
offered tending to prove the appli
oort,s RIGHT 10 citizenship, they ha