The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1906-01-12
DESIRE STATEHOOD.
AGITATION IN INDIAN AND
OKLAHOMA TERRITORIES.
Governors of Choctaw and Chickasaw
Nations Resist Interior De-
partment-The Tribes
Involved.


ests in the Indian territory are prepar-
ing to take up the fight in the coming
session of congress to make one state
out of Indian and Oklahoma terri
tories. 1t is contended that Indian ter
ritory should be admitted as state
with Oklahoma on the same footing.
On March 4, 1906, the tribal govern
ments will go out of existence and the
tribal officers will, under the present
law, pass into history as the last Off
GERS of the five tribes. 1t is probable
that after this day not even single
tribal officer will be permitted to eX-
ercise any of the prerOgatiyes OF his
Office.
The chief of the Cherokees has be-
lieved all the time that when he was
elected in August, 1903, for term OF
four years some provision would
be made for his continuance in office
after the tribal governments became
abolished by law, but the recent rul-
ings of the interior department to the
effect that none of the tribal funds
can be used to support Cherokee
schools is taken to mean that none OF
the tribal funds can be used to pay
the chiefs salary.
Another fact which lends credence
to the belief that the governors and
chiefs of the five tribes will be no
longer officers after March is that the
governors of the Choctaw and Chick
asaw nations have been obstreperous
and have been resisting the interior
department in the matter of the deliv-
cry of deeds.
The monthly reports of the heads OF
departments in the office of Tams Blk
by, commissioner to the five civilized
tribes, since he has succeeded the
Dawes commission indicate that the
work of allotment is progressing in a
highly satisfactory manner. The work
in the Creek nation and in the Sem
mole country is practically completed
and it is believed that the work in the
Cherokee nation will be practically
completed by the first of the year.
1t is also believed that the Choctaw
and Chickasaw land offices will soon
follow the Cherokee office in complet-
ing the work of allotment.
1t is believed here that with the
coming of statehood congress will re-
move the restrictions upon the aliena-
ton of lands on all citizens except
full-bloods, and thus open up the
country from commercial point Of
view and clear the way for good farm
ers.
The statements prepared by the
commercial interests Of the five civil
lied tribes show that the total taxable
lands in the five civilized tribes is as
follows: Seminoles, 253 ,41S.52 acres:
Cherokees, 3,631,231 Creeks, 2,560,S53
Choctaws and Chickasaws, 10,780,935
acres.
The total of nontaxable land in the
five civilized tribes of Indian territory
is as follows: Seminoles, 10, 160 acres;
Cherokees, 100000 acres; Creeks.
$4,000 acres; Choctaws and Chick
asaws, 100000 acres, making total of
nontaxable lands 2,112,120 acres.
The Quawpaw reservation, in the
northwest corner of the Indian terri
tory, has been allotted and consists of
a number of small Indian tribes, who
ovn about $4,000 acres of land nearly
all of which for the present will be
nontaxable unless congress removes
the restrictions upon the sale of any
of this land.
The total acreage in the Cherokee
nation is in the neighborhood of 5,031,-
351. The total amount of acres subject
to allotment in the Cherokee nation
is 5,013,351.
There are approximately $4,000 al
lottees in the Cherokee nation and
about 100000 acres of the land is
nontaxable. The total acreage of land
in the Seminole nation is 365, S5157.
A surplus is left Of 1S,630.64 acres
which have not been allotted.
The total acreage of the Choctaw
and Chickasaw nations is approximate
ly 11,33S,935 acres and of the Creek
nation 3,172 ,S13.77 acres.