The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1905-08-23
MAY RELEASE
THEIR FILINGS
Intermarried Claimants in the
Cherokee Nation Can Re-
Iinquish Holdings in Far
vOr Of Citizen Mem
bers Of the.F amiIy.

The following order, which Is SELF
explanatory, has been issued by Tams
Bixby, commissioner to the Five Civil
lied Tribes;
Department Of the Interior, Commits
sioner to the Five Civilized Tribes,
Muskogee, Indian Territory:
"In the matter of the relinquish-
ment of selections Of allotment or
portions thereof made BY intermarried
claimants to citizenship in the Chero-
kee Nation, the records OF this Office
show:
"That Immediately after August 7,
1902. the date of the ratification of
the Act of Congress approved July |,
1902 (32 Stats T., 7l6), known as the
Cherokee Agreement, the Commission
to the Five Civilized Tribes began the
preparation OF the final rolls Of citi-
zens Of the Cherokee Nation, including
those who claim right to enrolment
in said Nation by reason of inter-nar-
rage with said tribe, and from time
to time, as soon as portions Of said
rolls were completed, transmitted
these schedules to the Honorable Sec
retary of the Interior for his approval.
eThat among the schedules SO ap-
proved there were included the names
Of eleven hundred and forty-tlve ll45)
who claimed the right to enrolment
as citizens by intermarriage Of said
Nation.
THAT upon the opening OF the
Cherokee Land Office at Vinita, In
dian Territory, n January ?, 1902, for
the reception of selections of allot-
ment and designations Of homesteads;
"That in many cases the fntermar-
ried claimants, including those who
had been finally approved by the Hon
orable Secretary of the Interior and
whose applications were at that time
pending, designated as their allot-
ments lands upon which were located
their home places, their most valuable
holdings, believing that there was
little doubt as to their final enroll
ment, in view of the favorable action
thereon as to a number of said appli-
oants by the Commission to the Five
Civilized Tribes and by the Secretary
of the Interior.
"That on February "a, 1903 the Sec
retary Of the Interior referred the
rights of intermarried claimants to
citizenship in the Cherokee Nation to
the United States Court of Claims for
determination, and at that time said
Commission was instructed TO take no
further action in the matter Of the
enrolment Of such claimants until a
decision had been rendered by said
Court of Claims in the matter Of their
right to enrolment.
"That on the 18th day Of May, 1905,
the United States Court of Claims
rendered its decision holding adversely
to the claimants for rollment as
citizens BY fntermarriage Of the said
Cherokee Nation, and an appeal was
thereafter taken ir N said decision to
the Supreme C,uJ Of the United
States, where the matieris now pend
ing.
THAT the Commission 10 the Five
Civilized Tribes and its successor, the
Commissioner to the Five Civilized
Tribes, have received numerous appli-
cations from this class of claimants
petitioning that they be permitted to
relinouish their selections or portions
thereof which include their improve
ments, In order that SO memLer Of
their family may be filed upon said
lands, thus protecting them from
selection thereof by some stranger.
at is further a matter Of record in
this Office that many families Of inter-
married claimants Of said Sasion have
completed their selections Of allot-
ment, and compliance with the re-
quest above noted will necessitate
favorable action upon applications to
relinQuish allotments or parts thereof
heretofore made to ocitizen members OF
families Of these intermarried claim
ants, in order that they may be filed
upon tracts containing the improve
ments owned by, and which have been
selected by said intermarried claim
ants as their own allotment selections.
"As many Eof these intermarried
claimantsshave had set apart to them
selves from their holdings lands which
contain their most valuable improve
ments and refusal to grant heir
prayer to relinquish said holdings in
favor Of an enrolled member or mem ;
bers Of their families may do them
irreparable injury and cause them 70
lose valuable improvements owned BY
them