The Washington herald., 1909-02-11
GRIEVANCES VOICED
By INDIAN CHIEFS
Tribe RepresentatiyeSatRan Ran
die Highlands Meeting.
TREATY RELATIONS BROKEN
spokesmen for Red Men Declare that
-Four Great Nations in oklahoma
Are suHerias from Invasion of
White Neutrality-suspicious. Specula-
tors Gain Homesteads.

L Is doubtful If ever before has the
spectacle been presented OF a delegation
Of fuIl-bIooded Indian chiefs addressing
a meeting OF citizens Of the National
Capital end laying before them judieiaIly
and conservatively the grievances Of their
tribes and their hopes for corrective legis-
lation.
Eufauls Harjo. Cesar Fixicochee, and
John Smith. interpreter. spoke last night
before a joint meeting Of the Randie
Highlands and Twining City Citizens
Association and the Indian Protective
League in the Baptist mission in Randle
Highlands. They reeounted the purpose
Of their mission 10 Washington from Ok
lahoma as the accredited representatives
Of the -Four Great Nations Of Indians
the Creeks, Cherokees, ChoctaTs, ana
Chickasaws, consisting al told OF more
than 5.o0o red men
Chief Harjo First.
introduced BY Capt. J. Walter Mitchell,
president OF the Citizens Association and
OF the Indian Protective League, Chief
Harjo was the first TO speak His address
vas presented entirely through the ne
dium Of the interpreter. sentence by sen
tence. Hsrio is the orator Of the -Four
Nations. and he made free use OF eN-
pressiye gestures throughout his talk
The mission haT was crowded Among
the most interested spectators were q
large delegation Of small boys and girls,
who trned out in force 10 see real II
juns''
Har5o told OF the treaty OF 1SS2 between
the United States government and the
-Four Great Nations. in which the govern
~ ut promised that as long as the sun
shone, grass grew, and water ran" the
Indians should be the wards OF the nation
as a recompeRse for their being moved
from their lands east OF the Mississippi
70 their. present territory, N Oklahoma
This treaty, he said, was now appar-
emily forgotten Settlers were being al
lowed to Overrun the Indians lands. and
under the new Statehood laws OF Okla
homa the red men were forced TO pay
taxes 10 work on the roads. and 70 fulfill
other duties of fully equipped citizens
For nine years, Harjo said, The -Four Na-
tons had sent delegations 70 Washing
ton 10 ask Congress 70 remember the
treaty OF 1SS2 Prolonged handclapping
greeted the chief as his last sentnece,
translated by John Smith. announced
that he had spoken.
InvOkes Blessing.
Fixieochee. who had listened 10 the
appeal OF his brother with bowed head.
rose 10 speak. With an upward gesture
OF his hands. he invoked the blessing OF
the Cod OF the white men, his God also.
who. he said. had brought about the
present gathering. FixicOchee spoke OF
the call OF Abraham Lincoln TO the -Four
Nations during the civil war and the re-
Spouse OF loo fighting red men. who went
out TO war to preserve the nation TO
which il was held by the sacred treaty.
Smith. whose mixed blood has given him
more OF the white mems customs than
his colleagues, was then asked by Capt
Mitchell 10 address the meeting He d.
rected hts remarks against the practice he
said existed among Inscriptions specula-
tors IN Oklahoma OF feeding bad whisky
10 the young Indians, contrary TO the pro
hibitions laws OF the State and the stu
stronger law fOrbidding the sale OF in
toxicating liquor to Indians.
These spectators. he said, were follow
ing a definite policy in making the TN
tutored Indians drunk and then inducing
them 10 sign papers renouncing their
rights to their farms and homesteads.
IN the last two months" he said
twelve OF our young men have died from
the poisonous whisky fed 10 them by
white men"
The medals presented to the Four Ma
tons BY the government. containing the
likeness Of John Quincy Adams and An
drew Jackson, as a token OF the perma-
hence OF the treaty, were displayed. They
are OF solid silver, and have been treas
ured by the tribes since their presenta-
ton IN Is35 and 1879. respectively.
ENJOYS Thanked.
The wampum belts. on which the rec
ords Of the -Four Nations have been
kept. also aroused great interest
\ motion was carried unanimously
thanking the three ENJOYS for their ad-
dresses. pledgng support 10 their claims,
and asking Congress 10 give careful con-
sideration 10 their requests
The Indians VIII hold a conference to
morrow with Representative Mcclure, Of
Oklahoma. and other members OF the
Lower House. at which a petition. signed
by 1900 members OF the Four Nations,
viii be discussed
Capt Mitchell announced that he had
received aceptances from Commissioner
Mcfarland and Representative Hale. OF
Tennessee, to the invitation Of the Citi-
zens' Association 10 address a meeting
next Tuesday night.