Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1919-07-03
Nsien Within |
Nation Passes
Z In Oklahoma

Oklahoma City. July IAN Ameri-
can nation, one Of our Isubject.peoples"
which once owned practically all Of
the land which produced tho vast
wealth derived from Oklahoma oil
passed into history the other day with
the sale to the city Of Okmulgee. Okla.
OF their council house. once the capital
OF their nation. for 100000. with the
signing Of the agreement to sell the
old house. in the early part Of March.
the tribe Of Creek Indians performed
its last act as nation. Schools. mis-
stons and other public Buildings. for
plerly owned by the tribe. have al
ALREADY passed from tribal control.
Allotted TO Individuals.
The Creek national domain that
comprises bore than 5000. 900 acres Of
ia2d. which has produced billions Of
dollars in oil and agricultural products.
has been allotted to Individual men,
bers of the tribe, and already most Of
1t has passed on to other owners. "The
burtal-grounds OF their dead and the
memories Of their national greatness"
says O writer in the Boston Trans
cript, will alone remain during the
few years that will elapse before the
tribal affairs of the Creeks are finally
settled UP by the United States gov,
eminent"
The. recent fortunes Of the nation,
beginning with the building of the,
ceuncil-house. are thus outlined By
The Transcript:
House Built in 1873.
The council house was erected by the
Creeks In 1878, nine years after they
had dopted written constitution for
the government Of their people. Previ-
obs to its erection. the capitol Of the
Greek nation was a large log house
which stood on a site, just south Of the
present council house.
Within the halls OF the council-h
all the executives, judicial. and lcgis-
lative acts-of a nation which owned g.
100000 acres OF rich land. and whose
people numbered thousands, were per-
formed from 1873 until 1906. when the
last meeting Of the Creek council was
held. The proclamation Of President
Theodore Roosevelt which, admitted
Oklahoma to the sisterhood Of states
in the Union put an end to the tribal
government of the Creeks.
Met az Intervals.
Since 1896 the government Of the
Creeks has been carried ON by the state
anu nation. aittiiso the tribe s..!!!!i, ss:s
a chief and the tribesmen are still
called together at intervals to discuss
matters affecting the welfare OF the
tribe.
All OF the outstanding events in the
history OF the Creek nation took place
in or about the council house. The an
nual meeting of the Creek council was
held in the building. The council con-
sisted Of an upper and lower house,
called the house of kings and the house
Of warriors. The nation was divided
into IS clans, and each clan had one
representative in the house of kings
and two representatives in the house
of warriors. These legislative repre-
sentatives were elected by the various
clans.
The chief Of the tribe was the presid-
ing officer of the council. The second
chief held position similar to that of
the vice-president Of the United States.
and therN were other tribal officials,
such as judge4a an auditor. and a treas
urer. The chief was elected by the peo-
pie for term OF four years. During
the time that the council house served
vas capitol Of the nation but seven
men were raised to the rank Of chief.
( The last was Monty Tiger. The present
chief Of the Creeks Is Captain G. w.
Grayson of Eufaula, who was appoint
ed two years ago by President Wilson
to succeed Chief Monty Tiger.
Many years ago the Creeks sold
about one-fifth OF their domain to
Oklahoma territory for 80 cents an acre
receiving therefore 32.22s.000. The
lands they retained have since proved
to be the richAst oil lands in the world
but most of the vast wealth from the
oil lands found its~way to other hands
than those Of the Creeks. S
When the supplementary treaty was
made between the Dawes commission
and the Creeks in 1862, Chief Pleasant
Porter, forseeing that q great state
: was to be formed within the Indian ter
ritory. and that the Creeks as nation
would soon cease to exist, attempted to
have clause put into the treaty that
the state. county or city which should
to be built up about the, Creek capitol.
Other leaders Of the tribe objected to
the plan OF Porter to donate the CAPT.
toll building, and a clause was put in
the treaty which provides thatthe state,
countyIor city shall have the first OPP
fporthnity to buy the council house at
It's assessed value. The state and coun-
ty have waived their rights, and the
city will now become the owner of the
property.
The affairs, Of the Creek tribe have
been under government control since
1898. when the lands owned by the
tribe were allotted to- the individual
members. Every member Of the tribe
was allotted 100 acres. Many of the,
aliottees have disposed of their allot-,
ments since,
.------ $500 ---
AMERICAN BARONESS HoNoRED.