The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-05-26
THEIR NUPTIALS
TO BECOME
OF RECORD
Close Tab TO be Kept on In
dams Hereafter
HOW 1T Is PROPOSED
To Make Lo Come TO Time
in His Marriages,
HOW 1T IS PROPOSED

Guthrie. o. T, May 25.-On June 1 the
commissioner OF Indian affairs wiz begin
q new system IN regard TO marriages
among the Indians. The moral condition
on some OF the reservations is nothing
TO boast OF. and polygamy exists in many
places where it is popularity supposed TO
have been wiped out
Under the new system a record OF every
Indian marriage must be kept and rations
can be taken away from any Indians
who fail TO supply the facts for the
record. It is also necessary for the gov
eminent to have record for use in the
succession Of heirs TO property interests.
In his letter TO the agents. Commis-
sioner Jones says:
AS is well known, an Indian who re-
ceives an allotment becomes thereby q
citizen of the United States and his real
estate descends 10 his heirs according
to the laws Of the state or territory in
which he resides. This, as wen as other
considerations. makes il imperative that
a reliable and permanent record Of Indian
family relations should be kept at every
agency. and especially at agencies where
the lands of the Indians have been or
are soon to be allotted.
THE following instructions are. there
fore. promulgated:
II. On and after June !, 1901. it shall
be the duty OF each Indian agent to keep
a permanent register OF every marriage
which takes place among the Indians un-
der his charge. said register to record
the name of the husband and OF the
wife, both the Indian and the English
sr-.
case Of an allotted Indian the name By
which said Indian is designated on the
allotment roll; also the age. tribe, blood.
nationality, or citizenship OF both par
ties, the date OF the marriage and the
name OF the person who solemnizes it;
or, II the marriage is by declaration be
fore witnesses. The record shall also in
clude the names of the parents CT both
husband and wife.
y. Before marriage an Indian must OBJ
tain a license 70 marry. either OF an
agent or Of the proper authorities, in
compliance with the laws OF the state or
territory in which such Indian resides.
'S United States Indian agents are
hereby authorized to issue to Indians IL
censes to marry. which shall be Issued
without charge, and, so far as practica-
bic, shall conform to the laws OF the
state or territory IN which the license
was issued. and the license shall permit
the parties to be married by a clergyman,
or by a civil officer, or by declaring be-
fore witnesses their intent to live per-
manently together as sole husband and
sole wife. Provided. That no Indian shall
be permitted 10 marry a person of any
other race except in the manner pre-
scribed by the laws Of the state or terri
tory in which such Indian resides. Each
marriage license thus Issued shall be en-
tered in a permanent record kept at the
agency where it is issued. And when an
Indian. allotted or unallotted, receives
license to marry from civil magistrate
1t shall be the duty of such Indian imme-
diately to report such license 10 the agent
for permanent record
~ It shall be the duty OF the one
who solemnizes the marriage TO send TO
the agency from which the license was
issued a certificate giving the name and
position OF the one who performed the
ceremony; or. II the marriage IS by
declaration. the certificate shall be sign
ed by two witnesses, one Of whom shall
Immediately return It to the agent.
NO license to marry shall be given
to an Indian who has a wife or a hus-
band living from whom such Indian has
not been divorced. and ire taking BY a
married man OF more than one wife or
by married woman Of more than one
husband. shall not be allowed.
IF an Indian shall be married on q
reservation where such Indian has no
tribal rights the agent for that reserva-
ton shall transmit 10 the agent for the
reservation in which the Indian has tri-
bal rights copy Of the license and GER
tifcate Of the marriage OF such Indian.
and the agent receiving such copies. II he
finds that the Indian designated therein
has tribal rights at the agency under his
charge. shall record the marriage IN the
register OF marriages kept by him; other
wise ne VIII return the copy to the send
CT with a statement q the facts
=. 1t shall Re the duty OF each Indian
agent 10 make a permanent record By
families Of ell Indians under his charge.
The record shall give the name o. hte
husband and OF the wife, both Indian and
English. and the name OF each On the al
lotment roll. with the date (ap1roxl-
mateIv) Of the marriage. and whether the
ceremony was performed ~ a clergy
man, civil magistrate. or hy Indian Gus
tom. also the names q their unmarried
children, whether the fr1it u existing or
former marriage II shall also give re-
70 both parents and children. the age.
tribe blood. nationality. or citizenship.
names O. father ard mother Geo far 81 p
can ~ ascertainedl and the relationship
"a the family as husband ard wife, son.
daughter, stepsoa. stepdaughter. or ether