Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1921-02-11
THE CATAWBA. INDIANS
Special Committee Files Its Report
With Governor Cooper.
WOULD GIVE THEM full CITIZENSHIP
Old System of Single Chief Now Done
Away With-Catawbas Governed by
Committee of Three-The Committee
Would Give Them Additional Land
About 1876 on the Reservation.

Would Give Them Additional Land
About 1876 on the Reservation.
Recommendation that the full rights
: of citizenship be given the Catawba In
: dams is embodied in the report of the
special committee on Indian affairs, re-
Gently appointed by Governor Cooper
The committee has completed it's re-
port and filed the same with the gov
crnor. The commission in its report
points out that the Catawba Indian is a
ward Of the state and therefore must
be properly cared for. The commission
recommends that the state purchase
additional lands. giving tract to each
family, provide adequate houses.
churches and schools, furnish equip
ment employ an efficient agrlculturist
to teach them to properly farm and
furnish funds for putting them on their
feet. For the aged and infirm members
Of the tribe, who cannot work and have
no younger members of the tribe to
whom they can look for support, it is
recommended that adequate provision
be made for their care during life.
Busy Several Weeks.
The commission, composed of w. NJ.
Dunlap and w. II. Hope, of Rock Hill,
and r. S. Stewart OF Lancaster, has
been engaged in their investigation for
some weeks. During tha thine men,
bers have taken testimony of scores of
persons who are familiar with condi-
tions existing at the reservation and
the information thus obtained aided
materially in arriving at a recommen-
dation. Members of the Indian tribe
were also interviewed and the entire
membership held meeting at the res
crvation, at the request Of the commits
sion, and formulated Il request for a
settlement. All of this data was taken
and given close study by the commits
sion before arriving at decision In
their recommendation to the Legislature
the commission in part follows the de-
sires OF the members of the tribe, but
the settlement desired was as q whole,
regarded as unrea sonable. Those who
are familiar with the situation are Of
the opinion that the recommendations
| furnished about the best solution Of the
problem. The consensus of, opinion is
that IL would be useless to continue to
| furnish en- annual appropriation as in
| the past and that if land was given in
fec simple it would be traded. AS one
man expressed it. the Catawbas are
simply children Of the state and must
be dealt with as children; the govern
ing body controlling affairs until the
members of the tribe have been ctu-
Gated in habits Of thrift and self sup
port. The annual appropriation by the
state has served to make many OF the
members more shiftlcsS than before, az
members who have left the reservation
and embarked upon their own initiative
have made good. All of the testimony
taken by the commission has been SUBJ
mitted to the legislature, with the re-
quest that the members acQuaint them
selves with the facts in the case, there
i BY enabling them to more intelligent!y
act upon the recommendations for a
settlement.
Favor Full Citizenship.
The report recommends that the In
dams be given full citizenship and the
privileges Of voting, right that has
heretofore been denied them; that the
present reservation be maintained and
that the state provide Il building for a
school, maintain and pay white teach
el' with a first grade certificate, to give
instruction to the children for nine
months in tho year; also that build
ing for religious worship be maintain
ed: that ut least 500 acres OF land ad-
Joining the reservation he purchased
and that the entire tract be divided in
to IS acre tracts, on each of which
there would he q suitable dwelling,
barns, etc, farming implements horse
or mule and COW and !: tract allotted to
the head of each family; that trained
and competent farmer be secured for =
period Of three years to instruct the H.
dinns in modern farming methods; if
at the end Of five years the family
proves itself capable of sustenance that
4 deed in fee simple be given to the
tract, otherwise the family is given tho
option Of returning to the reservation
without future aid from the state; that
after the period Of five years the state
will appropriate only such funds us
needed fn. the care and support of the
aged and infirm members of the tribe
so as TO make them comfortable for the
rest OF their lives. 1t is also recon-
mcndcd that Il commission Of three be
laDoointcd to have entire charge, con
troll and management of the reserva :
ton and lands hereafter purchased; al
so all appropriations hereafter made
schools and all buildings and not hamp-
cred i'm any way in the Use of the
funds or the management Of Indian al
fairs by legislative authority.
The commission also recommends
,.m, the appropriation this year be 81
500. the same as last year: decreasing
il 80 $1,000 next year and thereafter or:
~ such sum as needed for the support
nf the aged and intirm members of Tho