The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-03-02
PETITION OF The SIX NATIONS
TO CONGRESS NOT TO VIOLATE
THEIR TREATY RIGHTS
And Sell the Lands OF the senecas snd
Arot Reservation Lands In severai'y
Say sueh Procedure Would break
I'm TheIr Homes and Brins Hardship'

Whereas, There Is pending IN the ooh-
sress a bill Oh. Il. io,07o), introduced Jan.
"a, 1907, by the Hon. Mr.. Vreeland, entitled
"A bill TO provide for the allotment OF lands
I'm severalty TO the Indians In the state OF
New York. and to extend the protection
of the laws of the United States and OF tho
State OF New York over such Indians, and
for other purposes Ind,
Whereas, BY the terms OF sections I and
4. this bill provides hat the President OF
che United States be authorized to allot
certain specified lands In Allegany. Cat
taraugus, and Oil Spring reservations,
and on that portion Of the Tuscarora Re
servation (about $40 acres more or less)
heretofore coded to the Tuscaroras by the
Senecas; and further it provides for the
sale Of the residue Of the lands amounting
70 100 acres, more or less, of the lands
belonging to the Seneca Nation, all Of which
II without the motion or consent OF the said
Tuscarora and Seneca Indians, and against
their wishes. and
Whereas, These provisions OF this bill
are in direct violation of the treaty con-
cluded at Fort Stanwix, Oct. %, 1874, be-
tween Commissioners Plenipotentiary from
the United States, in Congress assembled,
on the one part. and the Sacheins and War
riors of the Six Nations OF New York ndian
on the other; the third article, whose stipu-
lations affect the lands contemplated by
this bill, provides that a line shall be drawn,
beginning at the mouth OF IA creek about
four miles east of Niagara, called Oyon-
wayea, or Johnston's Landing Place, upon
the AXE named by the Indians Oswego,
and by us Ontario; from thence southerly
In a direction always four miles east OF
the carrying path, between Lakes Erie and
Ontario, to the mouth OF Tehoseroron,
or Buffalo Greek or Lake Erie; thence south
20 the north boundary of the State OF Penn
sylvania: theme west to the end OF the said
north boundary; thence south along the
west boundary Of the said State TO the
river Ohio; the said line, from the mouth
of the O~yonwayea to the Ohio, shall be the
western boundary Of the lands OF the Six
Nations, so that the Six Nations shall and
do yield to the United States all claims to the
country west Of the said boundary, and
then they shall be secured In the peaceful
possession of the lands they inhabit east
and north of the same;" and furthermore,
in direct violation of the treaty made at
Fort Harmar. Jan. o, 1859, the first article
of which stipulates that: The said line
from the mouth OF O~yonwayca to the Ohio,
shall be the western b~oundaryof the lands OF
the Six Nations, so that the Six Nations
shall and do yield to the United States all
claim to the country west OF the SAID
boundary; and then they shall be secured
In the possession OF the lands they inhabit
east, north, and south of the same And
Article ii thereof further states that THE
United States of America con firm to the
Six Nations all Of the ands which they
inhabit lying east and north of the before
mentioned boundary line, and relinquish
and quitclain TO the same and every part
thereof and furthermore, IN direct viola,
tion OF the terms Of the treaty, proclaimed
January 2lst, 1875, held by Timothy Pick
ering, being the sole agent appointed for
that purpose" on the part of the United
States, and the Six Nations Of Indians. at
the conference Of whom certain articles
by the President, With the advice and con-
sent Of the Senate of the United States.
shall be binding on them and the Six Ma
tions," and the third article hereof recites
that, Nov, the United states acknow ledge
all the land within the aforementioned
boundaries TO be the property of the Seneca
Nation, and the United States will never
claim the same, nor disturb the Seneca
Nation. nor any Of the Six Nations, or any
Of their Indian friends residing there
on and united with them, in the free
use and enjoyment thereof; but it shall
remain theirs, until they choose 10 sell the
same to the people Of the United States,
who have the right to purchase;" and,
Whereas, The provisions Of section 5 of
Secretary OF the Interior TO purchase in
the name of the United States With funds
belonging to the Six Nations all the alleged
right, title, &C, of the Ogden Land Com
pany, for a sum not exceeding 500 GOO,
would be the recognition of an interest
directly in opposition TO treaty enactment
and to the decisions OF the highest courts
of New York and the Supreme Court OF
the United States; and,
Whereas, The presumptive right. the
sole basis Of the claim of the Ogden Land
Company, In its most extreme sense can
not be claimed TO extend beyond the
right to extin guish by purchase the claims
Of the native Indians to the soil, and this
purchase can only be made after having
entered into an agreement with the Indians
with the consent Of the Commonwealth
Of Massachusetts and In the presence ola
Commissioners of the United States, and
the right OF preemption,. the right of
purchasing before Others was the only
interest in the land which Massachusetts,
assumed to sell to Morris, the only right
which Ogden acquired for himself and
associates, and the only right which their
successors can now no @:
Hence and Therefore, the Seneca and the
Tuscarora Indians now occupying the lands
IN question humbly petition the Congress
OF the United States TO protect them IN
their treaty rights and TO prevent the
passage of the bill III. X. i0O7eD as the said
Indians have no desire, nor have they
expressed any desire, to have allotted 70
them or TO sell the lands In question, and
they deny the right of the Ogden Land
Company in and TO any interest In the lands
In question which under the most strained
construction can only vest upon voluntary
sale on the part of the Indians of these
lands held by them from time i~mmemorial;
and 30 now We, the undersigned Chiefs.
Headmen and Warriors. severaliy and
jointly, in behalf OF ourselves and of our
respective peoples of the Six Nations of
Indians residing in the State Of New York,
in the General Council assembled, this
18th day OF February, 1902, do most earn
estly protest and demonstrate against the
passage Of this bill III. X. lOG90 whose
provisions IL enacted into law, they believe.
would directly unsettle and break up the
homes of these peoples and woul create
conditions which would with little doubt
produce the most direful hardships and
grievously adverse conditions, and would
make more than probable the ultimate
dispersal and extinction Of these peoples,
who are now advancing rapidly In the arts
Of civilization, and 50 your humble pc
t~itioners will ever pray;
In Witness Whereof, wo hercunto set
our hands, this twelfth day of February
1902.
oSoSpAoA cHIFFs, THR r1nEKTEPzns.
NCHIKr ORRis FARMER, CHIEF LEW WEBSTER OK
CHIP ANDREW GIBSON, CHIEF ". WEBSTER AZ.
CHIEY CHARLES GkKEN, CIITF !. SgASAIgAu