Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1906-04-26
WRONGS TO
THE INDIANS
MORE MONEY ADDED TO THE
APPROPRIATION
ARE KICKING REDSKINS
Indians Who Sold Their Lands in
Oklahoma for Small Pittance
Will Receive More.

Washington. April 26,-An amend
ment in the Indian appropriation
bill just inserted by the senate com
mittec on Indian affairs, allowing
$2l5,239 for the relief Of the kicking
Kickapoo Indian hides story of
wrongs suffered by Indians at the
hands of the United States govern
ment that probably is mequaled in
the course Of the relations Of the gov
ermment with the red men.
These kickapoos, who are now in
Mexico, sold the lands set aside for
them in what is now Oklahoma TO
the United States for the ridiculously
low sum Of 81 l-2 cents per acre. The
present appropriation is designed to
pay back to the tribe the difference
between the sum derived from the
subsequent sale of the lands by the
government and the pittance that the
Indian received. The branch of the
tribe it is designed to benefit now
needs the money in order to purchase
land in Mexico, there to found an
other home and continue in the tribal
relation.
In 1924 the Kickapoo Indians pre-
sented themselves to the AIcade of
the City of Austin, Tex, then under
Spanish rule. They said that they
were being crowded and pursued by
the Anglo-SaXon population of the
north, and they asked permission to
acquire lands and home with the
Mexican people. They settled ON a
tract forty miles square northwest of
the present capital Of Texas, the
grant was ratified later by the Re
public Of Texas.
They lived in peace until the Civil
war. At the beginning Of this stru2-
ole General Sam Houston Of Texas
advised them that there would be
war. and recommended that they
move into the Indian Territory where
there would be less likelihood Of mo-
lestation. They accepted this coun-
sci, and founded new tribal head
quarters on the Little Red River. But
the war came and in its intensity
! fhe tr46d, even Indian Territory, for
TO ioin first one side and then The
other
Chief Nah Che Ma Net (Blg
George) of the Kickapoos is the Ie-
cumseh of the tribe. He said in an
Grafton still to be remembered: 1--WE
do not understand what these white
paople are wanting to fight about ;
none of them have injured us, and
wbv should we stain our hands with
their blood? We will leave them
and 90 into the wilds Of Texas, and
take no part in the fight"
In the early fall of 1869 they all
IL
started south, intending to locate IN
Tom Greene county, Tex. In De
cember of that year they reached
the ranch of William Tankersley
two miles from the present town OF
Knickerbocker, Tex Mr.. Tankersley
is still living, and he tells the tale OF
the arrival of the Indians. They hat
assisted him in recovering stock tina
: had been stolen by Comanches years
4 before. and he liked them. lie IN
1 vited them to make permahen
! camp on his possession.
The next day a large company o
4 Confederate cavalry appeared. MI
. Tankersley assured the captain ina
: he need not be concerned about tn
4 Kickapoos, that they were triendl
z and would serve as protectlo
3 against hostile Indians, who wer
= emboldened by the absence OF 5
z MANY Texans at the war. But tn
> officer wanted to capture the her
: of horses possessed by the Indians.
\ As the cavalry approached tn
9 Indian band, an old Indian war1o
> bearing a white flag was sent tol
: ward, accompanied on either side D
Z an AGED squaw. This trio was rutl
: lessly shot down, it is said, and
: battle followed, in which losses wei
4 suffered on both sides. The Confe'
Z crates finally drew off to get re-il
. forcements.
Z The Kickapoos broke camp, thinl
Z inc that war had been declared q
: them by Texas. They started f'
: Mexico. leaving a path Of bloo
Z which is a well known item of TeX'
: history: They forded the Rio Graz
: de river and established their trlb
Z home in beautiful and fertile va
Z lev, said to be unexcelled for beau'
; and richness in the world.
: The authorities of Mexico we
Z coined the tribe, because 1t unde
A.Hs