The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1902-08-29
DAWES WORK FOR A YEAR.
A Summary of the Indian Commission's
Labor-Land Possessions or the
Several Tribes.

Washington, Aug 22.-The report
of the Dawes commission for the
year ended June so, 1902, was made
public at the interior department
yesterday. The most important fea-
ture of it is summary of the work
done by the commission in dissolv-
ing the tribal relations of the five
civilized tribes. Supplementary to
the report is statement from Tams
Bixby, acting chairman of the COM
mission, in which he expresses the
belief that the final work of the COM
mission is now in condition to be
concluded within a very few years.
Nearly all of the obstacles have been
removed by legislation or by treaties
with the Indians. He believes that
the supplemental treaties adopted
by the last congress will enable the
commission to effect the installation
of new political and social conditions
and of the land tenures common to
the states and territories, in place
of the tribal relations now existing.
With reference to the enrolment
of the Choctaw and Chickasaw tribes,
the commission recites the many
complications concerning the claims
to membership in the tribes. No rec
| ord has been kept by the tribes and
1t is evident that many of the names
now on the preliminary roles have
been placed there by fraud, for the
purpose of having them share in the
benefits that will come from the di-
vision of the land and moneys of the
tribes.
The applicants for enrolment in
the Chickasha and Choctaw tribes
are summarized as follows: Choc-
taws, 21,033; Chickasaws, 1875; Choc-
taw freedmen, 4,433; Chickasaw
freedmen, SOL. In making the rec
ord of theapplications for enrollment
the commission has prepared sepa-
rate forms and affidavits for each
class of claimants, so that when the
time for passing upon the appica-
tons arrives the work may be
speedily disposed of. In addition to
the applications for citizenship al
ready enumerated there are 1871
applications of Mississippi Choctaws
before the commission. These cases
are most difficult of adjustment and
will have to be passed upon by the
courts, as the questions involved arc
largely legal in character.
The progress made in the enroll
ment of the Cherokees is set out at
length in the report. The greatest
difficulty has been experienced by
the commission in dealing with the
Cherokee full-bloods, who have until
quite recently refused to make ap-
plication for enrolment or to recog-
nize the work or authority of the
commission. In spite of these OBJ
stacles, the commission enrolled
about $500 of the full-blood members
of the tribe and it is believed now
that when the recent treaty has been
ratified there will be no further de-
lay in settling. up the affairs of the
Cherollees. In all, there are 43,420
applications for enrolment in the
Cherokee nation, as Cherokees, Shaw
nees and Delawares, with intermar-
ried white citizens.
In the Creek nation the work of
the commission for the year was
confined principally to securing a
citizens listed for enrolment prior
to 1899 The applications of 1924
Creeks have been received by the
commission and $4,000 of these have
been approved with others pending
for Investigation. The preliminary
allotment of the Creek lands has
been carried on actively by the COM
mission. Out of total acreage of
3,172,s13 acres, there has been al
lotted 2,177,262 acres, of which $780,
346 acres were allotted in 1902. A
total of 1914 complete allotments
of 160 acres each have been made to
the Creeks. More than $500 deeds
were prepared and 1900 of them de-
livered to the principal chief of the
Creek nation.
The report shows that the work
of the commission has almost. been
completed so far as the Seminoles Z
are concerned. Final allotments
have been made to 2,714 Seminole
citizens, embracing 345,ooO acres and
leaving a surplus of 1880 acres. The
land possession of the five civilized
tribes are given by the commission
as follows: Seminoles, 365,S54 acres;
Creeks, 3,Q72,s13 acres; Chickasaws,
4,703, 10S; Choctaws, 6,950,o43; Chero-
KEGS, 4,42o,o7o. The report shows
also that on these lands there are
more than 100000, 900 feet of mer-
charitable pine. There are 146 towns
in the five nations, apportioned as
follows: Chcrokees, 25; Creeks, 25;
Choctaws, A, and Chickasaws. So, and
the townsites embrace 5o,27S acres
The railroads constructed or in
course of construction by nations
show approximately as follows:
Choetaw nation, $50 miles; Cherokee
nation, els miles; Chickasaw nation,
$50 miles; Creek nation, 400 miles;
Seminole nation, 25 miles, a total of