Evening star., 1915-01-14
OUR INDIAN WARDS
Legal Protection for Chill
dren.
By Frederic J. Haskin.

One of the most vigorous reforms of
the present administration has been
accomplished in Oklahoma in the re-
organization of the probate procedure
for the estates of minor Indian chill
dren. These estates involved millions
of dollars. The children of the Five
Civilized Tribes of Oklahoma are the
richest average children in the world.
since in the allotment of tribal lands
and funds they were given the same
amount as their parents Their land
holdings amount to 19,525,966 acres and
the enrolled membership of the tribes
is 101 ,209. Some of the land is exceed
ingly valuable. That belonging to
some members of the Creek nation in
cludes oil fields which yield princely
revenues to their owners. Some of
these Indians are heavy contributors to
the income tax now being collected By
the federal government. Up to June
80, 1914. ninety-seven Creek and Chero-
kee Indians had paid the sum Of S.
231.61 as income tax.
Each of these young plutocrats is a
ward of the government and the whole
nation is honor bound to see that the
full value of his property is secured to
him. Unfortunately, this obligation
has not always been fulfilled. Fla
upon large numbers of Indians. but
hereafter the absolute protection Of the
rights of all Indians in the courts of
Oklahoma Is assured.
The total number of Indians in the
United States exceeds 100000. Most of
them are wards of the government and
live upon reservations which are man.
aged with the idea of aiding the Indian
toward acquiring civilization.
X
Their lands include 1os.150 square
miles. territory equal to Maine. New
n a m h re.
Value of Holdings Vermont. Mas
Nearly One Billion. Rhode F = a Island. y d.
Kentucky and Virginia. It is worth at
least $700, 200. 900. Almost two-thirds of
this land Is now allotted into individual
farms, the revenues of which go to
their holders. The balance is unallotted
or tribal lands. the proceeds Of which
are divided among the members Of the
tribes. The full value of all Indian
lands, including oil. coal and timber
land, and the herds and personal prop
erty Of the Indians, is estimated at
nearly $1,000. 100000. The United States
Treasury has trust or tribal funds on
deposit amounting to $50.000.O00. and
individual Indians have $10,000,000 on
the country. Consequently the Indian
commissioner has many problems to
deal with.
When Congress transferred the ad-
ministration Of the estates Of minor
Indians to the county courts of the
a
greater amount of probate work was
involved than existed in any other
state in the country. Many judges and
other officials. as well as private citi-
zens, felt that the government had no
right to impose upon the courts OF
Oklahoma the burden of caring for the
interest of those who were in reality
the wards of the entire nation. The
court dockets were already overcrowd-
ed with state matters. In most in
stances the Indians had no one proper
ly authorized to appear in the courts
for them, and some of the judges were
not disposed to give much attention to
agents who were not regularly licensed
to practice in the courts of the state.
The state was new, so most of the
judges and other court officials were
inexperienced and few were dishonest.
No law existed which properly protect
ed the rights of the Indian.
The injustices prevailed not SO much
from the intention of the state officials
as because there
Lack of Legislation was lack of le-
n44 p:~h4. gal enactment
w Aio'e'' A'Ae A'0' in favor of the
Indians, and no one was directly In
terested A bill presented to the
legislature for the establishment
of an office of public defend
er" passed. but became ineffective be-
cause of the discontinuance of the ap-
rrnnriatinn For years Indian eStatas