Evening star., 1928-06-17
CURTIS FORBEARS
WERE KAW INDIANS
Commissioner Burke Halls
Senator as Vice Presi-
Dental Nominee.

Senator Charles Curtis of Kansas,
vice presidential nominee of the Re-
: publican party, Sprang from the tribe
Of Raw Indians. The Bureau of In
Clan Affairs OF the Interior Ders rtment
hailed his political victory and Com
missioner Charles H. Burke. who served
with Mr.. Curtis when both were men,
bers of the House Indian committee,
authorized a statement yesterday. in
which he praised the Kansas Senator.
MIR Burke is from South Dakota
Il think Senator Curtis is ore of the
outstanding instances of an American
boy rising 10 high position and making
q success of life" Commissioner Burke
declared. He acquired his education
largely unaided His success is due to
initiative. energy and ability. / per-
sonally hold him in high regard"
Commissioner Burke recalled that
Senator Curtis has ever been a cham
pion for good legislation for the Indian
snd a bitter opponent of those seeking
To take advantage of the Indian.
When Calvin Coolidge went from the
White House to the Capitol to be in
ancurateo as President. Commissioner
Burke declared. Charles Curtis was
his escort both ways"
a7esss:e - Indians.
IN 1925 Commissioner Burke issued
this message, with biography and pic
ture : Senator Curtis:
To the Indian youth everywhere:
! am sending ycu herewith an outline
OF the splendid success of one Of your
race and hope you will have oppor-
funity to know more of his life and
achievements, for there Is no safer
guide to high ideals and no greater
encouragement to honest effort than
We find in the victorious strivings of
those who have overcome the difficult
ties that at some time beset the lives
OF most of us
Il commend to you the example of
this distinguished man. whose career
Is so creditable to all Americans of
many races" the message concluded.
In the accompying biography, this
recitation is found: There should be
no lack Of just pride in ths fact that
the ancestry Of Senator Curtis runs
nack through two tribes of the South
ern Sioux, a branch Of the powerful
Indian family considered by some his
torlans as the greatest stock of all the
sbo-igines. and outnumbered only by
the pcpuloUs Algonquins of the East
lis great-grandfather was White Plume,
. chief of the Kansa Tribe. commonly
known as the Kaw His great-great-
grandfather was Pawhuska, chief of
the Csagss. one Of whose ancient ira
citions tells of their advent upon the
earth through the branches of a great
oak tree, and some blend of fact with
this strange fantasy is suggested BY
tbs oaken quality of the Senator's
prominent characteristics
AS Members Now Living.
There are now AS members of the
kaE tribe living and most Of them are
located in Oklahoma. Senator Curtis
is an enrolled member of the tribe and
Is one-fourth Kaw Indian. His chill
oren. one-eigath Kaw Indian are Mrs.
Lcona G. knight. Mrs. p. c. George
and Harry X. Curtis.
6ingulariy enough, Kansas City.
where the Republican party bestowed
upon Senator Curtis ore OF its highest
hnnors. il located In the country where
the Kaw Indians settled. The Kaws
settird at the mouth OF the Kansas
EiveF which flows into the Missouri
Fire. just al Kansas City. Topeka
where Senator Curtis was born, is
located On the Kansas River, and along
this waterway, historians. say, there were
20 Villages occupied By the Kaws sue
cesstSeiy befcre the settlement at
Council Grove, Kans., whence they
we're later removed 10 their reserya-
ttcn in the Indian Territory.
The Sioux Indian word kama"
means swift wind or smoky wind"
The Kaws are Southwestern Siouan
tribe and the Bureau of American
EthnoIogy Of the Smithsonian Inst!-
ti1te says that their linguistic rela-
tions are closest wfth the Usage, and
ere close with the Quspaw."
Divided in Migration.
In the traditional migration Of the
group, after the Guapaw had first sepa-
rated tf7erefrona." the bureau points
out, the main body divided al the
mouth Of OSage River, the Usage rnov-
ing up that stream and the Omaha and
Fonca crossing Missouri River and pro-
cee6ang northWard. while the KanSa
sScendeo the Missouri on the southern
side 10 tins mouth of Kansas River.
Here brief halt was made. after which
they assembled the Missouri on the
southern side until they reached the
present north boundary Of Kansas,
where they. were attacked by The Chey-
en1e and compelled 10 refrace their
Etepg.
In view Of the fact that Herbert
Hoover. who viii head the Republican
ficket with Senator Curtis. is a Quaker.
u is interesting 70 note that mission
scis0ois were conducted among the Kaw
INDIANS by the Guskers in Ise9-73. but
the conservatism Of tne triDeSmen pre-
vented attendance cf the children be-
lie .ng Il you'd oe degrading 10 Indian
character " adopt the white mans