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Native American Newspaper Stories
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The Osage Council
A letter of the 23d ult, from the Osage Council grounds, informs the Missouri Democrat that the treaty, in addition to provisions heretofore made known, provides for the sale of the present reservation and trust lands, in all about 8,000,000 acres, for the sum of $1,500,000, $100,000 to be paid within three months after the ratification of the treaty, and the rest in yarly payments of $100,000 and the completion of the Leavenworth, Lawrence and Galveston railroad, twenty miles south from Ottawa, patents for one-fifteenth of the lands in value are to be issued, and upon each subsequent payment and the completion of an additional twenty miles of railroad, patents for one-fifteenth of the lands are to be issued.
The prospects of the signing of the treaty were not very encouraging on the 20th ult.; but on the 23d the correspondent believed that it would be carried.
The Treaty Ratified
Since the above was written we learn from the St. Louis Republican, of the 31st, that the treaty had been ratified. A correspondent of that paper, writing from the council, on the 27th ult., says:
An important treaty between the United States Government, represented by Hon. N. G. Taylor, Commissioner of Indian Affairs, Col. Thos. Murphy, Superintendent of Kansas Indians, Col. A. G. Boone, and Major G. C. Snow and the chiefs, counselors, warriors, and head men of the Osage nation, was today concluded and signed by which the Osage nation ceded to the Government and the Leavenworth, Lawrence and Galveston road, the remaining lands owned by the Osages in the State of Kansas, including their trust lands, amounting in all to about 8,000,000 acres. By this cession the annuities of the Indians are largely increased and abundant provision made for their settlement in their new home in the Indian Territory, the establishment of schools, churches, a saw and grist mill, blacksmiths, etc.
Grave difficulties have recently occurred between the settlers and these Indians, and their early removal to the Indian Territory is regarded as a most desirable consummation. The sale of the lands to the Galveston road, upon the terms proposed, it is believed, will insure the speedy construction of this important line of railway, connecting the lakes and Gulf, and add largely to the wealth, settlement and commerce of the Western States.
This important item of information should cheer on the spirit of enterprise in our city and throughout the State. It shows that , in this enterprising country, even bad government cannot keep down the progressive energy of the people, and indicates that in a few years Texas will be far ahead of her present position in some of the most essential elements of prosperity and greatness.
The Galveston Daily News
Galveston, Saturday June 6, 1868
[Submitted by Nancy Piper]
FIVE WERE KILLED; DISASTROUS EXPLOSION IN A TERRITORY MINE
Of Seven Working in the Chamber, But Two Are Alive, and They Are Badly Burned
Kansas City, April 13 - A special to the Journal from South McAlester, I. T. says:
Five men were killed and two severely burned today by a gas explosion in Mine 77, of the Kansas & Texas Coal company at Carbon, I. T.
The dead: FLOYD ODER, GEORGE TEER, FRANK McMULLEN, JERRY KINCAID, O. A. FIELDS
The injured: Robert McCraney and Ben Hamilton.
he cause of the explosion is unknown. Seventy-five men were in the mine, but all escaped injury except the seven who were working in the chamber where the explosion occurred. All of the dead miners except McMullen had families.
[The Oklahoman, April 14, 1903, pg.1 - Submitted by Sara Hemp]
Asks Heavy Damages
South McAlester, I. T., April 21- Damage suits to the amount of $79,900 were filed against the Central Coal and Coke company, all growing out of the mine explosion shich occurred April 13 at mine No.77, at Carbon. The heirs of Jerry Kincaid sue for $20,000; the heirs of Jerry Hill sue for $20,000, and the father of Willie Johnson for $9,000. Ben Hamilton sues for $10,000 for personal damages. Six of the miners were killed or have since died, and two are badly hurt.
The Oklahoman, April 22, 1903, pg.2 - Submitted by Sara Hemp
Boom Town of Tents
Picturesque Scenes In The Indian Territory
Great Increase in Hayden’s Population When the Ex-Slaves of the Cherokee Tribe Receive $800,000 From the Government
The most interesting town in the Indian Territory and one of the wonders of the year, writes a correspondent of the Chicago Record, is Hayden, where the Government has been paying off the Cherokee freedmen. A few weeks ago it was only a post office, with one store and a blacksmith shop. In a few days it became a busy town of 4000 people, mainly colored. The one intent of the population was to receive checks from the Government of which they are the beneficiaries.
When the Cherokee Nation liberated its slaves during the Civil War a treaty was arranged between them and the Government that the freedmen should be received into that Nation as citizens and hold land in common with the Cherokees. When the Cherokee strip was sold the Indians forgot the provisions of the treaty and wanted all the money, but the Court of Claims gave $800,000 to the freedmen and it was the distribution of this large sum that brought the people together.
Hayden is twelve miles from the railroad and the gathering was all housed in tents, for there was no time to make permanent dwellings if there had been an intention. The Indians and freedmen were accompanied by a large number of fakirs, who had the most enticing devices for the money to be paid out. They put up a “Midway Plaisance,” where all sorts of games were in progress. Then, to swell the crowd, there were hundreds of business men who have been selling goods to the freedmen for months on credit, trusting in the coming of this suspicious time for their pay. The total number of freedmen on the rolls was over 4500, and each share was worth $188.74. The payment was made by family, and on account of the tangled relationship of a race that was so lately slaves, the making of the rolls proved to be a tremendous task. The identification of the members of the families was no less onerous, for they all look alike to the stranger. The public school is one of the unknown factors of Indian life in this section and there are few who can read and write.
The camp has been the most orderly in the history of the Indian Territory payments. In former cases there has been always a larger attendance of the tough element which has made the nights hideous. Here the nights become wild about the midnight hour and then the “fellows” who want to cut a dash are in their element. Then it is that the Alkali Ikes are ready to go out and shoot a few holes in the atmosphere without warning. Girls with red ribbons in their hair are here and they “do” the town of tents in the most approved fashion, while the old folks are having a shouting prayer meeting, after the manner of the colored folks of the South. The brethren from Oklahoma are numerou s and they are usually of the sort that has the money-making craze well developed. There is an attempt to keep gambling off the grounds, but with small success.
Riches of the Osage Nation
Over in the Osage portion of the territory every member of the tribe is wealthy. The men are handsome and the squaws are not bad-looking. They are few in number and are decreasing every year. Now there are only 345 voters in the tribe and they are the recipients of the bounty that might well make a price happy. The tribe has 1,000,000 acres of land and about $9,000,000 in the United States Treasury On which the interest is $400,000 a year. This is paid every three months and it amounts then to $54 for each men, women and child in the tribe. Of the $400,000 one-tenth is set aside for education and the children are all sent to schoo l. They go to Catholic boarding schools and are not allowed to get the apportionment if they are not is school. The Indians, too, have a large amount of rent from their land, which they lease to the cattlemen for cash.
Frequently the leading men go East on a visit and travel in Pullman cars, as do other luxurious Westerners. They take their families to Europe and have for their servants white men and women who are tempted by the princely wages to forget that they are the superior race. While full bloods wear in the council chamber, and sometimes on the street, the full robes of the Indian
Warrior, for the most part they are dressed in the in the ordinary fashion of the whites. One of the wealthiest men, who by the way has twelve children, lives in a house that is the equal of any city residence, having cost $10,000. It has all the improvements of plumbing and heating and is as comfortable as could be desired.
The Osage nation is ruled by a council of fourteen members which is chosen once in two years and which is in continuous session. It meets whenever there is anything for it to do. The present council wants to draw from the fund in the national treasury a sum equal to $600 for each member of the tribe and spend it in beautifying the lands of the nation, in building roads and in erecting public buildings. They promise that the money shall be used to good advantage, but it is doubtful if it will be allowed. The elections are like those of other states, except that the electors go up to the judges and announce their choice of members of the council. No ballots are used. The lands of the Indians are separated by a strip of public domain about a quarter of a mile wide and this cannot be tilled. This tends to keep the Indians from quarreling and makes the courts of the nation comparatively free from business.
The ambition of many of the frontier white men to become rich has led them to marry squaws of the Osages. They can do so, if the woman is willing, without any other formality than the paying of $20 for a license. This does not give them any part of the trust fund distribution, but their children are so entitled and some of the men thus married are wealthy from the start that they got in this way. The whites of course are in favor of drawing out of the National Treasury the money for improvements, as each member of their family will get a share. The full bloods on the other hand, are somewhat jealous of the movement, and prefer to let the United States keep the cash and pay them only the interest.
This money came from the sale of the Indians’ former home in Kansas which was in the best part of the State. They seem to have made a good trade when they took the Government’s offer and sold out. Instead of being paupers they are among the Nation’s richest people, and if they are successful in getting the additional amounts that they are asking they may have it within their means to make great advances in civilization.
The fears of many, when the territory was opened to the settlers, that there would be frequent outbreaks of the Indians and consequent scalping have not been realized. The Indians having sold their lands to the whites seem to have made up their minds that they are on honor to behave themselves and they do so. They keep on their reservations and any wrong doings that are reported are usually of the harmless order.
It is plain that they are taking on the customs of the whites, and some Kansans who went down to the territory to fleece the poor redskin at one of the pay days, taking with them about $300, had to send home for money to pay return fare. They made up their minds that the Indian is not quite such an unsophisticated individual as he is purported to be in the pages of Fenimore Cooper.
New Oxford Item (New Oxford, Pennsylvania) June 18, 1897 Page 6 - Submitted by Nancy Piper
Ten Outlaws Captured
Ardmore, I. T., Feb 7 – Deputy United States Marshall John S. Wayne, with four deputies and a special posse of eighteen men, arrested and brought to this city Thursday ten desperate outlaws who have been defying the officers, and committing numerous robberies and murders in the Chickasaw nation for several months past. In the skirmish which followed Bill Hudgins one of the desperadoes was shot and seriously wounded. There is a reward of $2,000 for Hudgins, who is charged with the murder of Will Carry last October.
Lima Daily Times
Feb 7, 1891
Submitted by Christina Anthony
CHEROKEE NATION TO REUNITE
Three Day Event at Red Clay State Park to Commemorate the Reunion
Divided by their forced removal in 1838, a tragedy known as the Trail of Tears, members of the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians and the Cherokee Nation will reunite to commemorate and celebrate the Cherokee Nation at Red Clay State Park in Cleveland, Tennessee April 16-18, 2009.
"While many miles may separate us from our Cherokee people in Oklahoma, we are still a united Nation and we will be recognizing and celebrating this relationship at this event," said Michell Hicks, Principal Chief of the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians. "As a people and as U.S. citizens, we have an obligation to educate our children and our people about our ancestry and history. This event will assist us in moving the Cherokee people forward while remembering the trials and lessons learned from our past."
The three-day event begins Thursday, April 16 with a symposium of Native American scholars discussing the historical significance of the Trail of Tears and its impact on Cherokee society. Thursday will also feature cultural demonstrations and performances. The second day begins in Cherokee with the symbolic Eternal Flame Run in which tribal members will run from Cherokee, N.C. to Red Clay State Park. The Chiefs of each tribe will carry torches to lead the runners into the park to commemorate of the return of the Eternal Flame to the historic Red Clay Council Grounds.
Following the run, leaders of the Eastern Band and the Cherokee Nation will meet at a Joint Council to discuss and pass resolutions to symbolize the reunification of the Cherokee Nation. The Red Clay Reunion concludes with a cultural celebration on Saturday, April 17 and includes Cherokee traditional dances, music, storytelling, a stickball game and arts and crafts demonstrations. The entire event is free and open to the public.
"We can never forget the emotional, historic and tragic events that resulted in the Cherokee Nation coming together on these grounds more than 170 years ago," said Chad Smith, Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation. "The Cherokee government survives because our leaders exhibited great clarity, power and passion while seeking resolution to the conflict brought about by the state of Georgia and the United States. Their courage and wisdom are the reason we have the enduring legacy of the Cherokee people, which is to face adversity, survive, adapt, prosper and excel."
The historically significant Council Grounds at Red Clay was the seat of Cherokee government from 1832 through1837. It was at Red Clay that Chief John Ross learned the Cherokee were to be forced off their ancestral land and driven west in what would later be called the Trail of Tears. From this site a delegation was sent to Washington in an attempt to dispel the false treaty, and from where fire from the last great council flame would be preserved for future generations who settled in the west.
Cherokee, N.C., presents some of the most significant and culturally authentic events in the United States, rich in elaborate Native American ceremony, regalia, native song and dance, traditional arts and crafts, legends and historic traditions. Cultural attractions include the 60th anniversary of the outdoor drama "Unto These Hills" performed at the open-air Mountainside Theater, the Museum of the Cherokee Indian, Oconaluftee Indian Village and the Qualla Arts and Crafts Mutual. Cherokee, N.C., was named 2006 Travel Attraction of the Year by the Southeast Tourism Society. For more information about Cherokee, call (800) 438-1601.
Red Clay Reunion Event Schedule
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Red Clay Reunion Cultural Celebration (10 a.m. – 5 p.m. at Red Clay State Park)
Scholars Symposium
(1 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. at Red Clay State Park)
The symposium features Native American scholars discussing the historical significance of the Trail of Tears and its impact on Cherokee society. Notable scholars include:
• Brett Riggs PhD
• Jan Simek PhD
• Dr. Barbara Duncan PhD
• Tom Belt
• Wilma Mankiller
Special Ceremony with Congressman Zack Wamp
(3p.m. Red Clay State Park)
Friday, April 17, 2009
Cherokee Eternal Flame Run
(arriving in Red Clay at 8:30 a.m.)
An organized run from Cherokee, N.C. to Red Clay State Park in Tennessee will commemorate the return of the Eternal Flame to the historic Red Clay Council Grounds. The run will retrace a portion of the Trail of Tears leading up to the Eternal Flame Monument in Red Clay, which served as the capital of the Cherokee Nation from 1832 to 1838.
Chief Michell Hicks and Chief Chad Smith will run the final leg of the run while carrying torches lit from the Eternal Flame into Red Clay.
Runners from the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma and the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians will run from Cherokee to Red Clay. Eastern Band runners include:
• Shannon Swimmer Bryant
• Sabrina Wooten
• James Oocumma
• Joseph Smith
• Robin Swimmer
• Channing George
• Tyler Bowman
• Arie James Bird
Runners Agenda (April 15-17)
Route: Highway 19 to 74 at Hyatt Creek, 74 to 64 through Nantahala Gorge, Andrews, Murphy, Copper Hill, Tenn., Ocoee River, Cleveland, Tenn.
Wed. April 15 7:00 a.m. - Approx. Departure
9:45 a.m. - Nantahala Gorge
1:30 p.m. - Andrews
3:00 p.m. - Murphy
4:30 p.m. - Copper Hill, Tenn.
Thurs. April 16 7:00 a.m. - Approx. Departure
9:00 a.m. - Ocoee River
10:30 a.m. - Benton, Tenn.
12:00 p.m. - Cleveland, Tenn.
1:00 p.m. - Red Clay, Tenn.
Fri. April 17 7:45 a.m. - Depart for Red Clay State Park
8:15 a.m. - Arrive to run last mile together
8:30 a.m. - Arrive at Red Clay State Park
Joint Council Meeting
(9 a.m. – 12 p.m. at Red Clay State Park)
The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and the Cherokee Nation unite as one Tribal Council to consider legislation affecting the Cherokee People. Leaders will discuss issues pertinent to both Tribes, and Red Clay State Park will be recognized by the Tribes for its historic significance to the Cherokee People.
Red Clay Reunion Cultural Celebration
(1 p.m. – 6 p.m. at Red Clay State Park)
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Festival Celebration
(10 a.m. – 5 p.m. at Red Clay State Park)
On a day to celebrate the continuation of the Cherokee people, the Red Clay Reunion Cultural Celebration includes all-day performances of traditional dance, music and storytelling; demonstrations of Cherokee arts and crafts; a stickball game; marbles demonstration and more.
