The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1906-07-05
Indians Ruled by a Woman.
THE KICKApooS HAVE FOUND A HOME
IN MEXICO. =: =: =: a:
Tribe Noted For It's Wandering Remnants
Have Prospered in the Mountains of Mexico
Dying Off O. Tribal Reservation in Kansas


AA Ad W VI W ". W III III ~
when they desired to do so. No In.
dian was allowed to take any live
stock or property OF any kind which
had been furnished him by the United
States Government.
Their lands in Oklahoma, six miles
south of Shawnee City, are leased out.
The rentals average 500 a year for
an average farm of eighty acres. This
fund will support the Indian and fur.
nish all the luxurles he desires. ror
years the Government has made an
annual appropri- -tion of $4,000 for the
klckapoos, this fund being dlsbursed
by the Indian agent for agricultural
implements, stock and wearing ap.
parel.
The principal object of the investi.
CATION which is being made by the
United States Government in connec.
ton with the removal of the Klcka.
poos to Meyico is to determine wheth.
er any improper metho s were en-
ployed in obtaining the removal of the
restrictions whereby the Kickapoos
parted with :heir Oklahoma lands. 1t
is alleged that the price paid Tor these
lands by white people has in no in.
stance approached the real value Of
the land, and the department officials
believe that in some instances, at
least, the Kickapoos received nothing
for their lands in this territory, but
were to get in exchange other lands
In Mexico, practically without value
when compared with the rich agricul.
tural lands they held in Oklahoma.
During the last year an inspector
for the Indian Department was thwart.
ed while attempting to secure evidence
in Mexico, although he went there
after assurances had been given by the
Mexican Government to Minister Con.
ger that he would be allowed to pro.
ceed with the work. The investiga.
ton has been in progress ever since,
and it was on this business that AS.
sistant United States Attorney Out.
celt was recently instructed to go to
Mexico.
The Kickapoos are a pure race, new
er having intermarried with whites or
Within few years a Kickapoo girl
was wooed by a white man and he
had every reason to believe that she
would marry him. She perslstently re.
fused and, pressed for an explana.
tion, she said:
"YOu are fair to look upon and
agreeable to me, but your God is not
my, God and our offspring would be
neither Indian nor paleface. and there
fore a spiritual orphan, to be denied
in the unending life the protection Of
the Good Spirit
| Love him as she might vet she
loved her race more and refused his
offer. 1t is a boast of the Kickapoo
that none o. his tribe has ever be-
come Christian.
The KickapOos in Mexico are ruled
at the present time by a woman chief.
known as Wapahoka. She is about
forty-tve years old and her title is in
herlted. She has had much to do in
getting the remnants of the tribe in
Oklahoma TO come to Mexico, as her
advice to them has ever been TO leave
the United States for that country.
Whenever they have lived any
length of time by the water the Kick
apoos have become famous as swim
-ners. This would not be peculiar if
the tribe had lived on the coast or on
an island; they, however, are an in.
land tribe. The most expert of klcka.
poo swimmers have been known to re-
main under water for two minutes.
News OF the satisfaction of the Kick
apoos with their new locality has
spread among the fullbloods of other
tribes M Indian Territory, and a plan
is now on foot whereby all fullboods
will move to Mexico and colonize there.
The Indians are willing to dispose of
their lands in order to make the trans
fer, and many of them are so anxious
for the change that unless prevented
they Will not remain long enough to
dispose of their lands.