The suburban citizen., 1902-09-06
RICH CREEK NEGROES.
Live in Indian Territory and Are Descen.
dants of Slaves.


dants of Slaves.
The richest community of negroes IN
the United States live in Indian Terri.
tory. There are 1000 OF them, and they
are worth on an average Of $4,000 each,
The wealth Of the more industrious
foot up even higher, certain individuals
being the owners Of from $4,000 to
$4,000 worth of land each.
These negroes are the descendants Of
slaves Of the Greek tribe of Indians,
and are known as Creek negroes. They
are entitled to a share in the division
Of Creek Indian lands, also a part OF
the trust funds. Together the 1000
negroes own 100000 acres Of land.
And yet their education is far from
complete. Their social environments
are crude in the extreme, and progress
goes slowly amid their huts and fields.
Unlike the other Indians Of the rich
Eve civilized tribes. the Creeks insisted
upon freeing their slaves to give them
an equal share in their lands and
money. At that time there were few
descendants, until now fully 1000 have
laid successful claim to "head right"
on the Creek rolls of citizenship. They
have their own representatives in the
Creek Indian Legislature, their own
schools and their own churches. Every.
thing bids fair TO make them the model
community of negroes in the United
States when Indian Territory is recov-
cred from TIE tangled wilderness of
reconstruction. its laws made uniform
and itself a State of the Union.
There is little culture among the
Greek negroes. They have a social set
all their own, to which not even the
Indians are invited Their character
istics are in a great measure different
from the negro Of the South or the
North. 1t is a mixture Of both, with
additional peculiarities.
Like the Indians, these negroes have
their dances in the open, which have
come to be a sort of religion with
them. And, following in the footsteps
of the Southern negro. they have bar
AS a Northern type of the negro they
are more industrious and independent
Of the whites, know how to work hard
and save their money. and like the
type from the city, are well dressed
gaudily. but at the same time wearing
expensive clothes.
These 1000 Creek negroes live in A
tract of rich land called the Canadian
River bottoms, and Okmulgec is their
town and trading point. Okmulgee is
the capital Of the Creek Indian nation,
and has been for years a negro town.
Recently. however, white people
focked in and have taken possession.
The negroes are starting their own
towns along the branch of the Frisco
railroad.
Notwithstanding that many Of these
Greek negroes are industrious, there
are some among them who rent out
their estates and lounge in idlencss
about the railway stations. 1t is a
common sight to see a 500-acre tract
of rich land in the Canadian bottoms
being TILED by a white man. Invari-
ably, upon inquiry as TO his landlord,
he will refer to the negro owner in 10
complimentary terms Meanwhile one
will find the owner shooting craps or
enjoying himself eating turkey and
'pOssum in neighborlng village.
When the Creeks freed their negroes
in 1864 the two fraternized for time.
and even intermarried, but that has all
passed now. In accordance with the
terms granting their freedom the Greek
negroes are allowed a voice in the
tribal government and so they have
their own members in the council, have
their own schools and all that; but the
Creek Indian feels above the Creek
negro and refuses to associate with
him.-New York Tribune.