The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1906-06-13
CROCTAW-CHtcKbSAW
FREEDMEN.

/ tiOns there are some two or three
thousand persons with Indian and ne
gro blood all of whom have been en-
rolled as Freedmen. except such as
have a legitimate Indian mother
Under the various treaties and laws
negro in tho Choctaw or ChicKssi
nation who Is an ov-slave or .ae de
scendant Of an exslave and vtu has
no supreme right by reason of tribal
recognition Is only entitled to forty
acres of the average allotao'e imj
and IS not allowed 10 partcioai, 10
the distribution of tribal fund.-. ln ;nc
case Of a regularly enrolled ludian
Of these two tribes his share of tie
/ land is 800 acres Of average land and
an equal share of the tribal money
I IN the Cherokee. Greek aud Seminole
nations. negro. even without Indian
blood who has been recognized by the
tribal authorities and enrolled by the
| Commission to the Five Civilized
Tribes enjoys every right that au ln.
dian by blood has and iu the allot.
mcut Of land such negroes receive the
same number of acres as the Indians
and IN addition share In the tribal
funds equally with the Indians An.
other distinction IN tho status of the
| freedmen OF the Choctaw and Chicka.
saw nations Is that their io-acro aliot
Imonts are by law declared 20 be- home
steads and therefore can not be- sold
/ or transferred f0r twenty five years
In the other nations mentioned the
restrictions have been removed from
| the negroes of the tribes and they
can dispose OF their surplus lands.
| In the Chickasaw nation the negro
| freedman is not permitted to vote In
! the tribal elections. In the other ma
tions they are The Chickasaw freed
men have been only suffered 10 remain
In the nation and even the right to
do this has been over the vigorous
protest Of the nation Shortly after
the Civil war the United States gave
10 the eX.slavcs Of the Indians of the
Five Tribes all the rights that their
former owners had. All Of the tribes
ratified this act of the Federal govern.
ment except the Chickasaws
Albert \. Lee. an attorney Of Ard.
more. associated with Webster Ballin.
ger a resident attorney Of washing
ton. number Of years ago raised the
contention that Choctaw or a Chick
asaw freedman with Indian blood as
shown by the tribal rolls aad who had
been born and raised Ia the two ma
ions should be considered and enrol
led as Indians aud not as Freedmen.
aad they are endeavoring to have
such as are enrolled as freedmen chang
ed 10 Indians The Commission tu
the Five Civilized Tribes has refused
Ia make any such change IN their re-
cords for the reason that clause In
the recently passed Curtis Act prOhib'
iting transfer of names from Freed
men TO Indian rolls unless formal ap
pllcation for enrolment as a citizen
by blood had been actually made and
recorded by the Commission within
the time heretofore prescribed by law
and the records OF the Commission are
conclusive proof as To the fact of such
application Prior TO the passage OF
the Act Of Congress referred to. the
Assistant Attorney General for the In
terror Department had expressed IN,
opinion that II person of mixed In
dian and negro blood could conclusive
ly show descent from recognized
member OF either tribe and asserted
any right 20 Indian citizenship within
the time prescribed 10y law such per
son was entitled to be enrolled as ~
indian by blood
The attorneys contend that In 1895
when the Dawes Commission was &,
the field enrolling Indians and Freed
men a number Of persons Of mixed In
dian aud negro blood were erroneous
ly enrolled as Freedmen. when, as 3
matter Of right they should have bee,
enrolled as Indians The Attorney
also contend that AZ the time of On
rollmcnt. such persons claimed to b,
indians, This puts the applicants h
bad shape rs the law passed mahc'
"a, records uf tie Commission final
p The attorneys iusist aud alloge thai
7 some valuable evidence of thoil
+ clients have been misplaced by IA,
j Commission aud that such misplace,
; evidence, II Il could bc found woulC
0 show that they were of Indian as We!
? as OF negro blood, II this can 1'
}. proven. then ,hey will have no diei
, Guilty In having the names trausfcrrc,
2 from the Freedmen 10 the Indian g,ll
+ and their clients will get 500 acres q
! land Instead tf 40 aud also have thlu