The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-03-17
The Land Allotment Question by
Mabel Wa shbourne Anderson,
Cherokee SsS
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, good blood. all Indian. just all Cherokee. :.
In another case one of the fullblooN
came into Fort Gibson to enroll soon aNef
the telephone line was completed between
Fort Gibson and Tahleuuah. He stood LISTEN
Ing in interested silence while a message
was being sent to Tahlequah. When asked
whether he would like TO try ting talking
machine he replied. NO talk it Cherokee
that machine" An interpreter was called up
at Tahlequah. and the fullbloCd was per-
suaded TO try the machine without having
been informed as to who was at the other
end of the line.
After listening to the Cherokee message
he laughed and said:
big machine understand Cherokee good
as men and only put up yesterday One
of the Cherokee enumerators employed as
Interpreter jeff Muskrat. Il ful:blcod Cher
okee. who speaks the english as well as
the Cherokee language. When the emu
merator questioned one person as to Iii,
degree of blood. he replied "1-2I6th Chero-
kee.' after which the interpreter Observed:
We'll, II 1 was no more Incun than YOU
are I'd Just lie down and sleep il off"
As an Illustration of the value bestowed
upon their own national council. the follow
ing story is told by a half-blood Cherokee:
When Gabriel shall blow his horn on then
resurrection morn one Of the Old reservators'
in the Cherokee National Cemetery will rise
up and say. Who is that making all thi;
no!se?' IT is I. GABRIEL And why are you
creating all this Disturbance Did you not
| know it was the resurrection day and all
| you who have been asleep In death must
awaken and arise?'
I'D you get your authority from tho
Cherokee National Council at Tahlequah?'
After an answer in the negative he will
say Well. III just lie still then till I'm
called by the proper authorities?'"
Many of the full-blood Cherokees are re-
fusing to enroll under the Dawes COM
mission. Fully one-half Of them belong to
the secret political organization known as
the "ke-too-yahs." This society is opposed
to allotment under the Curtis act. and to
any allotment that requires a division of
the lands with the white adopted citizens
and the freed men.
The full-blood Cherokees are st.mate at
present between 10000 and 200. They are
a distinct type Of the American Indian,
differing from all other Indians in features.
characteristics and movements.
Allotment under the Curtis act will proye
distasteful and unsatisfactory to the Chero-
kee Nation. They want a fee simple title to
their lands and not a surface allotment, As
ene full-bleod said. and he expressed the
sentiments Of the nation. W want our
lands as deep as they go and not as deep
as we plow." Tho Cherokees as a body ara
almost unanimously in favor Of allotment 4
and they realize that the time Is ripe TOT
the same, If they could come to a covenant
among themselves and a satisfactory
agreement with the Government CORE.
spending to their sense of equity.
The Indian can no longer turn his face
toward the setting sun and seek for homes
amid the plains and forests new. But he
must turn his face eastward and meet the
oEcoming tide of a more powerful and civil
lied race. 1t is hard to say what the con-
clusion Of the matter will be. No prophet
has arisen to foretell the end.
Allotment and eventually statehood seems
the only solution of the Indian problem.
The end of Indian autonomy is approach
ing. but when the Indian Territory shall
take her place. with dropping head, under
old Glory" in the sisterhood Of States
,et her not enter in conjunction witt any
other Territory, but independent and alone.
full. law-abiding and progressive of the
constellation of States. Though the full
blood may ever remain a melancholy mark
of a regime that is passed. and while his
country may never seem to him "a land Of
of the Free" let him ever be able to claim it
as the home of the brave.
MABEL WASHBURNE ANDERSON.