The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1910-06-22
INDIAN WOMEN ORGANIZE,
FEDERATION OF CLUBS
Old Oklahoma and Indian
Territory Associations
Consolidate.

GUTHRIE. Okla, June q. To tb
! people in general an announcement tina
the two declarations of woman's clubs
then IN existence within the limits q
Oklahoma, We're 10 amalgamate at tn
annual convention TO be held in Ard
more. meant no more than that the in
| terests Of old Indian Territory and Okla
| homa Territory were gradually bein
united. and that even the women Of IN
two Territories were finally Obliteratin,
1 the lines that formerly separated IN
two commonwealth This conclusion
was true enough, so far as the genera
public was concerned, but 10 the wOmel
of Indian Tcrritory-iu great part WON
en- of Indian blOOd-it had a diner6n
meaning.
When. several years ago, il oecam
evident that Statehood. beyond an.
doubt, would be granted 10 OklahOm;
only upon condition that the TerritOrl
would be yoked with Indian Territory a
one State, prominent women of Indian
blood conceived the idea Of forming a.
OrganiZ9 ton Of WOmens clubs through
out the then Indian Territory. Tn,
members Of the various clubs were, a.
general rule, women Of Indian blood
women of the highest culture and edu
cation. talented. capable. and generally
too, women Of more than ordinar!
beauty OF face and form.
Opportunity Offered.
The promoters Of the plan believed
that such an organization would give t,
the women Of Indian blood an opportu
nifty 20 prove their worth and ability il
comparison with that demonstrated D.
other womau's decorations, and follow
ing the organization of the Indian Ter
ritory federation. IN 1908. IL bOasted
membership Of talented women all DE
seconded from Indian families.
The chief originator OF the plan q
form such an organization Of lndia'
women was Mrs. Michael COnlan, o
AJoka, a native of Indian Territory ant
proud Of the fact that she had one
fourth Indian blood in her veins. %
ChiCkdsaW and Choctaw blood, she wa
descended from two OF the most pronl
nent families IN the two tribes-the Col
berts and the FolsOms-
in urging the organization of the In
dian Territory federation. Mrs. COnla
first obtained the Endorsement Of L.
national president. Mrs DenniSOn VIII
gave assurance that the indian Terri
tory Federation. once organized. woul
receive due recognition from the ma
uonal federation. Prior % this Orsani
cation the Indian Territory clubs, a
least a number of them, had helouEe
20 the Oklahoma and Indian TeTTitOT,
Federation, an organization Offered al
Territory and by a few women of In
dian blood
Officers All Indian.
The new federation al Ardmore wa
organized December 10. 1903. with Airs
Conlan its first president. The oJhe
officers were all women of Indian blood
The CORES 0ndlnE secretary is the Wiz
Of sam Downing the Indian "ROugl
Rider" VINO won fame az san Juan HIl
with Colonel Roosevelt
When the biennial convention p
the national federation was helt
in St Louis. i'm May, 1904, the
Indian Territory Federation was rep
resented by five gafeS-MrS Con
Ian, Of Atoka. Mrs. j. j. Deiss. OF
Durant. Mrs Hodges, OF Ada. Mrs. q
l.. MilcCN. Of EufauIa. and Mrs. p
Perry. If COalEate. Mrs Perry is Z
LCFlOTe a direct descendant OF tina
Greenwood LeFlore. the Cluctaw chic
who at the head Of an Indian reGi
nent fought side by side with An
drew Jackson az New Orleans.
This was the first time that a dele
cation of Indian women sat in WON
ans national convention. Two years
later. Mrs Wilcox succeeded 10 thu
presidency Of the Indian Territory
Federation. with Mrs. Stella LeFlor'
Webb. Of ArdmOre, as secretary Mrs
Conlan then became the honorary
president
At the annual convention IN SOutl
NcAlester in 1905 and at the sue
cceding annual convention IN Tulsa
a year later, invitations from the Ols
Oklahoma and Indian Territory. Fed
Grafton to consolidate were spUrncd
During the Tulsa convention the fed
Grafton went on record as faVoriug
system Of separate schools for neETOe.
and whites in the new state.
Two Federations United.
The national federation Of clubs
finally decided the matter by author.
ling the consolidation of the two
federations i'm this state under the
name Of the Oklahoma Federation OF
WOmau's Clubs This merger was
perfected at the next meeting a Ard
more.
When the national federation held
its annual convention in Boston, both
Mrs. Michael Conlan and Mrs. Stella
LeFloTe-W ebh, two of the organizers
of the Indian Territory Federation
attended as delegates.
In the meantime Mrs. Conlan had
been elected a member Of the board OF
education at Lindsay. her present
home, hut an order from the office OF
the attorney general of Oklahoma
held that a woman could not serve on
such a board. Mrs COnlan immedi7
ately took the matter up with the
other women of prominence through