Los Angeles herald., 1910-12-12
SHAWNEES CLAIM
TRACT IN MEXICO
American Indians to Press Title
to go Miles Square Grant
in Chihuahua

SAN ANTONIO, Tex, Dec. H.
armed with a letter of introduction
from Governor Haskell of Oklahoma
to Governor Sanchez of Chihuahua,
Billy Little AK, with two other big
Shawnee Indians from Oklahoma, is
in Chihuahua, Mexico, to claim tract
of land sixty miles square in what is
now the state of Chihuahua. 1t is
claimed by the indians that long
time ago the Shawnees owned this
tract and the three Indians are now
searching the records for the title to
the land. The letter from Governor
Haskell is as follows:
1.-THE bearers of this letter are three
Shawnee Indians, and one of them is
grandson of our most famous chief
Tecumseh. They are Shawnees, and
their tribe, contrary to the disposition
of our native Indians, have always
been loyal to the state and federal
government under which they lived.
The Spanish documents in the archives
at Austin, Texas, relating to these
people, under date of october "a, 1884,
recite in part as follows: The Shaw
nees, and those accompanying them,
are both enterprising and Industrious,
and If given an award of land, which
they come soliciting, would be pro-
lSCIlOn 10 llSlE CePlIdA el65 clIoh bAlO
raids of the Wacos, and all other fierce
and refractory Indians who have
heretofore so often hostilized u.s. 1t
appears to be the purpose of the In
dams to look up the title to some lands
within your state that they believe
was granted to them through their
forefathers, which was for service rem
dered your city and state in reconcli-
ing and subduing the Apache and
other Indians about the year 1910. In
this state they have long been peace
full and law-abiding, and as such citi-
zens [ commend them to you"
The old chief speaks English better
than most of the old-time Indians.
Billy says that there has been great
change, not only in the conditions, but
in the manners and customs of the In
dians of his part of the country during
the past thirty years. Before that time
the average Indian, owing mainly to
the uncivilized state in which he had
been accustomed to live, and the abun-
dance of game all over the west, was
almost void of ambition, so far as
wealth was concerned, but the white
man came aud overpowered the no
madic bands of their bad boys, estab-
lished schools in which the little In
dians were taught the ways of the
world, of which they had always been
living in blissful Ignorance the game.
including the buffalo. was about all
killed off and when the various tribes
were finally compelled to go TO work
on the lands that had been given them
by the government, they began to rea-
lize the value of money and to appre-
ciate the earning capacity of their
lands. At first the majority of Indians
did not look upon the schools with
much favor, but as civilization poured
in on them and they we're turned from
the ways of transgression, the older
heads became more enlightened and
finally encouraged the children to go
to school; consequently. nearly all OF
the Indians are now prosperous and
ambitious. They have learned in a
great measure to emulate the white
man in upholding the laws of the land
and as seekers after knowledge.