Omaha daily bee., 1902-10-26
DEMAND THE TRIBAL RIGHTS
Omaha Indians Protest Against Secretary
HitchcOck's Ruling,
LooKEs ON AS PLAN TO FLEECE THEN
Requiring Guardian for Minor Chill
dFen to Give Bonds Before Receiv-
ing Cash starts an Interest
ing Debate mt Agency.

FENDER, Neb., Oct. ~25.-(Special Tele-
gram.)-An unexpected and apparently seri-
Gus complication has come up In connection
with the special payments to the Omaha
Indians now under way. 1t arises from a
ruling of the secretary of the interior, and
may result in a general refusal by the
Indians to accept the money. Secretary
Hitchcock has ruled that the Omaha nre
citizens of the United States, and under
this requires that the parents or guardians
Of minor children must give bonds as such
before they can be allowed to receive the
money due the children. To give the bond
required will cost from SIS to $50 in each
case, and 1t is to this expense that the
Indians chiefly objected. A secondary fea-
ture Of the objection is that the ruling does
not recognize the tribal relations which
the councilmen Of the tribe maintain still
exist, at least so far as the common prop
erty Of the tribe is concerned. These re-
lations, it is asserted by the Indians. cover
the lands and moneys due from the govern
ment to the Indians. Treaties and statutes
alike recognize this right OF the Indians.
and. according to we'll posted people, the
ruling of the secretary is without prece-
dent and directly in violation Of all law on
the topic.
Mistake of the Secretary.
"'The rule Of the secretary, as we are in
formed" says one OF the Omaha headmen,
proceeds on the theory that Omaha In
diana are citizens OF the United States.
But the secretary forgets that in many re-
spects, insofar as tribal property is con-
cerned, the Omaha tribe still exists, as 1t
will be found under treaties as well as I'M
der statute law, the tribe in its corporate
capacity still owns lands and moneys, and
the money in question, by the name Of the
Omaha Indians or Omaha Tribe OF Indians.
Under these laws it is the tribe in it's
corporate capacity and not the individuals,
that is the owner OF the property, and we
hold It as a matter Of right in our corporate
capacity to say in what manner tribal prop
erty is to be distributed among the people,
and this has invariably been to heads OF
families and TO unmarried individuals. The
law under which this has been done is
still on the statute books and has never
been ignored until the present payment. but
now II is being abrogated and that without
notice to us and without giving us an OPP
portunity to be heard. This is a most ex-
traordinary way Of depriving citizens OF
their rights.
Hope for Relief.
1--WE deplore the situation in general,
and hope the officers OF the government,
who do not, 1t seems, understand the stu
alton, may be reached so as to rectify the
error. II appears to the Indians that the
ruling is merely a part OF a scheme to
squeeze from them $1,000 to $4,000 Of the
money now being paid out"
When the Indians we're apprised Of the
ruling of the secretary and the terms or
which the money was 10 be paid they with.
drew from the agents once and held q
meeting at which steps were taken to lay
their protest before the secretary. The In
dams are firm in their belief that the ruling
is merely & scheme on the part OF the
whites who like to fleece their red breth'
rem to secure a share Of the payment By
furnishing straw bonds, which would b,
practically worthless SO far as legal pro
lection is concerned. but could be made Il
meet the technical requirements Of the cast
at a cost to the Indians estimated to b
from SIS to $50. The Indians are very mucl
wrought up over this, and II IL thought M
more money will be paid out to them o.