The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1901-12-18
INDIANS TO BE CITIZENS
Plan to Divide the Lands of the
Red Men in New York.
Proposed National and State Legislation
to Effect the Severance OF Tribal hela'
Probable Indian Objection.

Albany, n. Y.-Nearly $500 Indians,
residents of this State, will become
citizens through the severance of the
tribal relations which have existed for
INJURIES IT, the plans Of President
Roosevelt and Governor Odell are car
ried out in Congress and in the State
Legislature.
With this action more than $1,000
acres Of the most productive farm land
| in the western part Of the State, which
by constitutional provision Is now eX-
empt from taxation, will produce q
revenue equal to the amount now ex-
pended by the State upon its wards
TO. road improvements. support of the
Thomas Orphan Asylum for Young
Indians of the Seneca Tribe, and for
bridge buildings. This sum aggregates
annually about $4,000.
While he was Governor Of New
York President Roosevelt appointed a
commission to make q report upon the
feasibility of dissolying the tribal rela-
tions of the FIVE tribes in this State
and apportioning their lands among
them. The commission reported fa-
vorably, but nothing was done by the
| last Legislature.
Residents Of the counties in which
these tribes are situated, and friends
Of the Indians generally, believing that
their condition will be improved by q
dissolution Of their traditional organi-
cations, have been working hard to
bring about this reform, and now, they
believe, they are about to see their ef-
| forts crowned with success.
President Roosevelt promised the
| advocates Of this plan to urge Con-
gress in his first message to pass laws
dissolving tribal relations Of all Indian
tribes in the country, distributing their
lands in severalty. Governor Odell
will make a similar recommendation
in his message to the Legislature.
In the Legislature, a bill will be in
trGduced endowing the members Of
| the five tribes with citizenship and al
lotting in severalty among them such
lands as are held by the tribes through
| grants from the State or in fee. Due
| provision will be made in this bill to
| prevent alienation Of these lands. ex-
| cept among the Indians themselves,
for q period of years. By this means
white men will be prohibited from ac-
quiring any Of these lands, as they
have on Western reservations, after
allotments have been made.
1t Is probable that there will be
strong opposition to the plan, as many
Of the Indians. especially among the
! Senecas. are shrewd and unscrupulous,
and their present relations afford them
an excellent opportunity to enrich
themselves ut the expense Of their fel-
lows. sometimes in defiance Of the tri-
bal laws, whose administration they
themselves control.
The five tribes are the Senecas,
whose reservations lie in Allegany,
Cattaragus and Erie counties; the
Tuscaroras, in Niagara County; the
Onondagas, in the county Of that
name: the st. Regis. in Franklin, and
| the Shinnecocks, in Suffolk.
The Senecas hold their lands in AL
legany and Cattaraugus counties from
the nation, and in Erie County, in fee
simple, through purchase. The Tus-
caroras, Onondagas and Shinnecocks
hold theirs in fee. and the st. Regis
| tribe occupy State lands.