Evening star., 1902-01-18

they still had a reservation in New York
This reservation, which the Cayugas left in
lIS4, has been settled and cultivated BY
whites for the past 100 years. II lies along
the banks of Lake Cayuga, and property
owners thereabouts win have something TO
think about when they find that the former
chief and wampum keeper of 9l5 families
of Cayuga Indians now in Canada are in
Washington petitioning the President and
Congress to allow them to return to their
old homes, along this like and to oust the
whites who have settled thereon since 1874.
when the tribe went off on visit and hunt
ing excursion.
A very intelligent Irequois now IN Wash
lngton states, however. that at the time
this treaty was signed. the Cayugas,
through ignorance of the English language
actually signed away their entire reserva-
tion, except one square mile, and that their
effort to recover the same at this late date
is hopeless.
The Utes who are now In Washington
nave very little to say to any one. Speak
ing of Indian affairs in general, On" of the
Deiawares said: Ever since 1890 the gov
ernment and the whites in general have
spent millions of dollars and shed rivers Of
blood in efforts to liberate. educate and i'm
prove the negro, with very Indifferent re-
suits. Now the Indian, being a Thousand
times superior to the negro, capable of self
government, Industrious and courag geoBs,
does not ask any special favors of this sort.
In order to become a useful and valuable
citizen, he simply begs to be let alone and
to be treated half decently.
How does 1t happen that one race, ut
terly worthless and incapable of progress,
have, by their utter servility. excited the
sympathy and assistance of the whites for
200 years past. while another and superior
race, capable of attaining the highest civ
ilization, have, by reason of their proud
and manly spirit and splendid virtues, eN-
cited nothing but contempt and Ill treat
ment from the whites? l would like to see
this question answered"
The Creek Delegation.
The Creek delegation, consisting Of Chief
Wilson Jones. Alonzo Roberts, Waksee
Yoholo. Tulsay Yoholo Simon Jackson and
Eufeula Tuskenego, are also in Washing
ton trying hard to secure a reservation az
ter several years trial of the allotment
system. A more down-hearted, dispirited
and disgusted set of men il would be hard
to imagine.
Speaking of the Creeks, one of the In
dians said: 1.-The Creek delegation now I'm
Washington will give you a fair notion or
why it is the Indians are so easily cheated.
Only one of them, Alonzo Roberts, can
speak English. He is about twenty-five
years OF age, raw, green. country lad,
seeing the sights of a great city for, the
first time His English is exceedingly hm-
ited, yet this youth is acting go-between
in negotiations between two nations. What
chance would these Indians stand In the
event some shrewd whites sought to take
advantage Of them?
Il dare say that over half the big
swindles have arisen as a result OF con-
ditions, such as have just described.
Some people imagine" said VIM. San
ders of the Cayugas, that the allotment OF
lands, and the work of the Dawes COM
mission, Is a new thing; something that
Will cure Indian troubles once and for all.
On the contrary, it has been tried before,
and always with the same result. Let me
cite you to one case.
AT present the remnants OF the Six Ma
tions are living on small reservations on
what was once their own domain around
Lake Ontario. The Mohawks and Cayu-
gas live across the New York boundary in
Canada, while the Senecas, Onondagas and
Tuscaroras are on small reservations in
western New York. The Oneidas live on a
reservation bordering Green bay, wiscon-
sin.
How did 1t happen that the Oneidas got
SO Tar away from the rest of the Six Ma
tons? Simply this The Oneidas were the
most friendly OF all the IroQuois to the
whites, and served on the American side
during the revolutionary war After the
war they were persuaded to give up their
tribal organization, and take allotments
Inc result was the same as that of the
Pawnees just described by Mr.. Murie: un-
I'll, through sheer disgust, the Oneidas
picked up in a body and moved to the west
leaving their farms TO be plundered by their.
white neighbors. That is how they came
to be so far away from the main body or
the IrooMois"