The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-05-25
IN THE INDIAN TERRITORY.


problem Concerning AllOtments of
Choctaws and Chickasaws.
Kansas City Journal.
Ihere has been a great scramble for
right to take allotments as members of the
various Indian tribes in the Indian Terri
Tory. In all the tribes but the Choctaws
ana Chickasaws, which are allied and have
tneir holdings in common among members
Oh ootn tribes, citizenship was settled by the
commission to the five tribes and by the
Feoeral courts of the Territory. In the
Cnoctaw and Chickasaw nations, however,
the question of citizenship became early in
vowed In a net of legal entanglements.
Inc Dawes commission soon found ii too
tense knot to untangle. The courts had
no Tune for the diverse interests of real
Cnoctaws and the others
81 enere was court established for the
sPecihc purpose of settling the rights of
me .ne people VINO wanted to share in Choc-
, Jaw anu Cnickasaw allotments. This court
was formed about two years ago. At that
ume II was expected the work of the court
W W1uiu De completed in two years. Judges
Aoams. or North Carolina, were appointed
on i.I the citizenship court and began work.
:, Inc work of the court is a tedious and
l M matter" said Judge H. s. Foote,
az the COATES House yesterday. 1T cannot
ne De completed for some time in the future.
There are about 800 cases on the dockets of
.ne court and these represent in the neigh
oornOou OF 300 individuals, each claiming
an allotment. The aggregate of the values
Inv involved in the claims is not far from s2O
1917. Congress has extended the time in
Wnich these cases may be adjusted to Jan.
l, l9Oo. 1t will be lot of work to close the
done"
The allotments of the Choctaws and
Chickasaws are to be to the value of about
ooo acres of average land to each member
or the tribe besides a per capita distribution
OF the proceeds of the sale of coal and
recent treaty. 1t is patent that persons
having color of right to citizenship In
these tribes will make effort to have their
names placed on the rolls It is equally to
be expected that the members whose status
as citizens Of the tribes Is fixed will oppose
the addition of any more names to the
rolls for that would decrease the per capita
wealth. or each member of the tribe
Many citizenship contests in the Choc-
taw and Chickasaw nations grow out of
the fact that when the Choctaws and
they did not all come Some who came
returned to Mississippi the former home
or the tribes, and never became residents
| on the Indian Territory reservation. When
| the wealth of the Indian country became
known to them and the allotment in fee
to members of the tribes began to be ar
ranged these Mississippi Choctaws became
interested. Many of them removed to the
| Indian Territory and became members OF
the tribe without protest. Eut there were
some who had right or color Of right
| who did not come to live in the Indian
country until the rolls of citizens were be-
| ing closed These had difficulty In getting
| enrolled. Others came still later and were
refused enrolment There was much
| trouble for the Dawes commission and the
! courts as a result of contests and litiga-
| ton in these cases. Then the citizenship
| court was established and the sitting OF
] just claims for enrolment from unjust
ones was begun in a methodical and bust
ness-like manner.
The work of the Citizenship Court and
| the work of the Dawes commission Will be
| finished probably simultaneously. The mass
| of evidence in the cases before the Citizen
| ship Court is something astounding. But
| the values in controversy are unmistakable
| Judge Foote was formerly Of st. Joseph
| Mo-. but was for years an attorney In Cal
| ifornia before his appointment to the place
on the Indian court. James b. Casstda
| clerk of the court. is also at the Coates
| House. Mr.. Cassida is from North Caro-
/ lima