OCR Text |
Show 80 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. report, in its general provisions does not differ greatly from the Choo-taw and Ch~ckasawa greement heretofore discussed. One of its provisione, however, entails upon the Government the duty of making an effort to enlarge the Seminole Reservation, and is as follows, via: It being known that the Seminole Reservetian is insnffioient for allotments for the use of the Seminole people upon whioh they, as citizem holding in severalty, may reasonably and adequately maintain their families, the United Stmtea will make effort to purchase from the Creek Nation, at $1.25 per acre, 200,000 acres of land immediately adjoining the eastern boundary of the Seminole Reaerration and Lying hatveeu the North Fork and South Fork of the Canadian River, in trust for and to be conveyed by proper patent by the United Statea to the Seminole Indiana upon said sum of $1.25 per acre being reimbursed to the United Statea by said Seminole Indisns, the s m e to he allotted ea herein provided for lands now owned by the Seminoles. No provision has been made by law for the opening of negotiations with the Creek Nation for the purpose, but it is thought that the Dawes Commission, now engaged in the exercise of their duties in the Indian Territory, will have the authority under their general powers to make an agreement with the Creek Nation for a cession of a part of their lends on the west, to be added to t.he Seminole Reservation. INTRUDERS IN THE INDIAN TERRITORY. In my last anund report a full statement was giveu of the status to date of intruders in the Five Civilized Tribes. Since then, although nothing directly has been doue in the matter, the entire situation has been changed. A provision of the Indian appropriation aot of July 1,1898, has an important bearing on the intruder question in that it authorizes appeals in all citizenship cases from the courts in the Indian Territory direct to the Supreme Court of the United States. Under this provision, as before remarked, the vexed question of citizenship, which more than anything else has complicated the intruder question, will be finally determined by the courts. Moreover, the extensive and radical modiEcatious of tribal goverument and ownership in the Five Civilized Tribes, caused by the Curtis Act, as set forth above, will probably so dispose of the iutruder question as to obviate theneoessity for any removal of intruders being made. SALE OF PEORIA AND MIAMI LANDS, INDIAN TERRITORY. The Indian appropriation act approved June 7,1897 (30 Stats, p. 72), provides- That the adult allottees of land in the Peoria and Miami Reservation in the Qua-paw Agency, Indian Territory, who have each reoeived allotments of two hundred acres or more may sell one hundred sorea thereof, nuder suoh rules and rngaletions as the Seoretsry of the Illterior may prescribe. |