The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-04-25
THE IDEAL OF
CRAZY SNAKE
CKansas City starr

pure aboriginal had begun 10 be mixed
in blood with the invading races. The
French and Spanish pioneers, the Eng
lish and the negro had placed their
strains among his people and there ex-
listed two castes-the pure blOOds and
the mixed breeds. This invasion Of the
white men was bitterly resisted Ny the
full-bloOds. and when the intention to
send the Indian from his native forest
further west became evidenced there
sprang up the Ma-nah-We movement,
a secret organization of the full-bloods,
sworn to put 10 death any who favored
the project 10 move the tribe.
This movement today holds its last
slender root IN the Snake branch of the
once mighty Greek tribe, and Chitto
Harjo or Crazy Snake, is its last pow
erful fgure-an Indian with the stole
ism and exclUsiveness Of his ancestors
strong upon him-an apostate of the
white mans physical modernity,
To Chitto Harjo and his followers
there is only one Indian. He is not an
ape Of the white man. he has taken
none of the white mans customs; nei-
Their is he farmer living on an allOt-
ment. The old faith is his; he hallows
the old wild life and deals his tribal
Justice and his tribal equity as he did
in the Alabama swamps a century ago.
but unless he adhere 10 the ancient
ways he is no Indian. This is the faith
of Chitto Hsrjo and his banda con-
viction which long since brought from
the ubiquitous white settler and ex-
ploiter the name, Crazy Snake
though this really is a free translation
Of his name
The so-caUed Snake Indian did not
originate in the Creek nation as is
on a liz Fs1TT Frre I-1rz
ming back in Alabama. He was not
then known as a Snake" but as a
'Ma-nah-we" Indian. During the lat
ter days of the occupancy of Alabama
by the Greeks a movement was begun
among the sure-enough full-blOods 10
check the growing sentiment for the
disposal to white men of tribal lands.
To such an extent was the movement
carried that a law was passed to the
effect that should any member of the
tribe sell or offer for sale a foot of
Creek soil ne should forthwith be put
to death. the penalty prescribed by the
law being death. For a time this blue
law was much feared. but at length il
was nOised about that certain leading
men were talking Of exchanging the
lands of the Creeks in Alabama for
lands west Of the Mississippi, and right
here is where the Snake Indian first
dpptdFeu IN creek history.
Becoming farmers is something the
Snakes have never done. Their land al
lotments have been made for many
years, but they have never taken them
UP. Once in a while an old Indian in
need of "fire-water" appears at the
agency and looks his allotment paRers
over He never touches them, however
The doctrine of Hario is too strong.
But Chitto HaTiO is not without an
IDEAL To his mind the Indian on q
farm allotted to him by the paIeface is
4 slave. lie knows what the white man
himself has found in most cases. that
the place for the aboriginal is in the alb
original Ordinarily the Indian is i'll
lifted for civilizaticnA The halfbreed.
even, does better under modern condi-
tons. For the most part the fuIl-bloOd
is a primitive creature and his pristine
mind IS too simple for complications of
civilization.
Yet while Harjo is the present ex-
ponent of an idea that began among
the ll-blOOds. his followers in the
present trouble are not fuH-bIood In
uians, but mainly negro Indian half
breeds. The mixture has nearly always
proved dangerous, and Harjo's follows
ing is no exception
OLD Hickory Ground, where the recent
trouble among q number of Creek freed
men ana officers of Mcintosh and Ok
mulgee counties happened. is in the
western portion Of the first named coun-
" and about seven miles east of the
coal mining town OF Henryetta in the
latter.
Old Hickory Ground is historical
point. and has been the stamping
ground Of the Creeks since sacred shes
OF the council fire were taken there
many years ago, shortly after they were
first deposited AT Council Hill, 70 the
north of Old Hickory Ground. on the
removal of the tribe from Alabama.
They formed their government in 1912.
and II was shortly after this that Ola
Hickory Ground was selected as the
place for their councils end named after
The ground they used IN Alabama.
which was really hickory grove. but
on Old Hickory Ground there is not
single hickory tree.
There are about $1,000 fulI-bIood
creeks. and these are known as Snakes.
taking their name from their leader.
Chief Chitto Harjo, meaning Crazy
Snake, or, literally, according to the
best interpretation. snake crazy. There
are a number of Creek freedmen. or
negroes, among them. some formerly
their slaves and the children Of these
slaves. While the Snakes are peace
able and law-abiding lot of Indians
once supplied with whisky. cause much
trouble. II is from this class the pres
ent troubles have arisen. OF the first
forty-four arrested and taken to Eu-
faula and placed in jail. all except three
were negroes. the three being young
Indians.
Chitto is man of about 50 wears of
powerful physique and strong intellect.
He is lover of his people. He is a firm
believer in the treaty Of 1882. and insists
that congress has not the power TO
dispose Of their lands by ailotments.
and that no person has a right TO sen
it.
The allotments to the Creeks were NJ
like those of the ChoctaWs and Others
Of the Five Civilized Tribes. and we-..
arbitrary. All OF the Creeks accented
the a1lotments so made with the ex-
ception of the full-bioods. and these
compose the band known as Snakes.
They say they want to hold their LANDS |
in common. that they can make their
living there. do not want to disturb /
outsiders and all they ask is to be le, (
alone.
Two years ago ChiJto asked the tribe |
10 select another chief. He said he real
tzed he was getting old and wanted to ]
know before MS death that they mad I
al ~