In the Creek Nation the six districts were followed for census purposes: Cowetah district, Deep Fork district, Eufaula district, Muscogee district, Okmulgee district, and Wewoka district. In the Seminole Nation there were no counties or districts. POPULATION. The population (a) of The Five Civilized Tribes was found to be 178,097, as follows: Indians of The Five Tribes living in their own tribes, 45,494; other Indians, including many Indians of The Five Tribes who were found in other tribes than their own, 4,561; total Indians, 50,055; Indian citizen negroes and others of negro descent, 18,636; Chinese, 13; whites, including some claimants of Indian citizenship, 109,393. The following table gives the total population of The Five Civilized Tribes by sex and by race for each tribe: The following table shows the relation of Indians by blood to the total of other races : POPULATION OF CHEROKEE NATION, INCLUDING ALL RACES, BY DISTRICTS, BY SEX, AND BY AGE PERIODS. a The population of Indian territory in 1890 was 180,182, as follows: The Five Tribes, 178,097; Quapaw agency, 1,281; whites and colored on military reservations, 804. THE FIVE CIVILIZED TRIBES. 5 The Cherokee national census of 1890 showed the total number of citizens of the Cherokee Nation under Cherokee laws to be 25,978, as follows: The Cherokee national census of 1880 showed a citizen population of 20,336, from which there is an apparent gain of 5,642 in the 10 years from 1880 to 1890 upon the basis of Cherokee censuses. POPULATION BY COLOR. - Total, 56,309. Cherokee, 20,624, of whom 11,531 are pure bloods; other Indians, 1,391; persons of negro descent, 5,127, including negro, 4,658; mulatto, 421; octoroon, 14; quadroon, 32; negro Choctaw, 1; negro Cherokee, 1; white, 29,166; Chinese, 1. POPULATION OF CHICKASAW NATION, INCLUDING ALL RACES, BY COUNTIES, BY SEX, AND BY AGE PERIODS. POPULATION BY COLOR. - Total, 57,329. Chickasaw, 3,941, including pure blood Chickasaw, 3,129; white Chickasaw, 681; negro Chickasaw, 122; mulatto Chickasaw, 9. Other Indians, 1,282, including Choctaw, 760; Cherokee, 149; Creek, 22; Shawnee, 3; Seminole, 1; Delaware, 4; Pottawatomie, 4; Caddo, 3; PottawatomieCherokee, 1; Wyandotte, 2; white Cherokee, 56; white Choctaw, 230; white Creek, 2; white Shawnee by marriage, 1; white Wyandotte, 1; negro Cherokee, 4; negro Choctaw, 27; negro Creek, 12. Persons of negro descent, 3,676, including negro, 3,651; mulatto, 20; quadroon, 3; octoroon, 2. White, 48,421. Chinese, 9. ..... : POPULATION OF CHOCTAW NATION, INCLUDING ALL RACES, BY COUNTIES, BY SEX, AND BY AGE PERIODS. POPULATION BY COLOR. Total, 43,808. Choctaw, 10,017. Other Indians, 1,040, including Indian negro, 214; Indian mulatto, 15; Cherokee, 87; Creek, 36; Chickasaw, 120; Mohawk, 4; Muscogee, 2; Catawba, 2; Chippewa, 5; Choctaw, one-half, 163; one-fourth, 7; white, three-fourths Choctaw, 1; white, one-half Choctaw, 4; white, onefourth Choctaw, 5; white, one-eighth Choctaw, 2; one-sixteenth Choctaw, 12; white Choctaw, 122. White married to Indian, 8; negro married to Indian, 5; quadroon married to one-half Indian, 1. Negro Choctaw, 207; Cherokee octoroon, 1; Choctaw quadroon, 2; Choctaw, one-fourth Indian, 8: Choctaw, three-fourths Indian, 4; Choctaw, one-eighth Indian, 2; one-sixteenth Cherokee, 1. Persons of negro descent, 4,406, including negro, 4,357; quadroon, 4; octoroon, 13; mulatto, 32. White, 28,345. The table shows: whites, 3,289; Creek Indians, enrolled as such, 9,291; negroes, enrolled as such, 4,621, many of whom are negro Creeks and claimants; 708 Indians, other than Creeks, given in detail above; 3 Chinamen. It is probable then that in The 708 Indians other than Creeks are: 462 Cherokees, 172 Seminoles, 31 Choctaws, 9 Chickasaws, 1 Stockbridge, 1 Sioux, 1 Canadian Indian, 3 Shawnees, and 28 Pottawatomies. Cowetah district the Euchees may have been enrolled among those of negro descent. have been quarter and eighth bloods. The Creek national census of 1890 gave 14,800 Creeks. This included the recognized Creeks of negro descent, but not the other Indians, claimants of negro descent, or whites. The census enumerators for the Creeks were almost all Creeks or of negro descent, and probably attempted to define citizenship as they knew it by Creek law. On the abstracts they gave the Indians other than Creeks as colored. POPULATION OF SEMINOLE NATION, INCLUDING ALL RACES. The column for negroes embraces the pure negroes and those of mixed Seminole blood. The Seminoles intermarry with negroes. It is probable that the 806 of negro descent are almost all classed by the Seminoles themselves as Seminoles. The 1,621 Seminoles are those of full, three-quarter, or half blood. GENERAL CONDITION OF THE FIVE TRIBES: 1890. The condition of The Five Tribes of Indian territory, as shown by the census of 1890, personal investigation, and the reports of special agents, is that of a self sustaining, fairly industrious, and law abiding people. They live in a land without assessment or taxes. The term "civilized" was originally applied to them in contradistinction to the life of the wild Indian tribes, but as a whole their condition is not the civilization of the Anglo-Saxon. The Indians of The Five Civilized Tribes, or a large number of them, are quarter and half breeds; in fact, are white men in features. They are generally progressive; but the most obstinate opponents of change are found among them. They have no written history. The majority of them still use the Indian language. The Cherokees have an alphabet. Their books and laws are printed in it. More than one-fourth of all the care and treaties and laws for Indians since 1815 has been for The Five Civilized Tribes. They have occupied a large share of official time since 1800. They are called nations and occupy separate areas covered by patents. They have governors or principal chiefs, elective legislatures, variously named, elective courts, and officers and police. Some minor divisions are called counties and some districts. Except the Seminoles, all the nations have written or printed constitutions and laws. They have schools of their own and charities and churches in profusion. Their school books are in English. Newspapers are numerous and post offices plenty. The civilization of The Five Tribes has not been accomplished without a vast expenditure of time and money by white people. No Indians in the United States have received such care from the whites or have been aided so much by the United States. The trust fund interest paid them by the United States has amounted to tens of millions. No figures are at hand to verify this, but $25,000,000 would be a small estimate. Much of their progress is due to a large negro population in the several nations. The greater portion of these negroes were at one time slaves, and they are now the laborers of The Five Tribes. They are fairly well advanced and are steadily increasing in numbers, wealth, and intelligence. In 1836 Albert Gallatin stated that the number of plows in The Five Tribes answered for the number of able bodied negroes. The Creek Nation is an alert and active one, which is largely due to the negro element which fairly controls it. In the Choctaw Nation it is death for an Indian to intermarry with a negro. In any of The Five Tribes where the negroes have a fair chance there is a perceptible progress due to them. The negroes are among the earnest workers in The Five Tribes. The Creek Nation affords the best example of negro progress. The principal chief, virtually a negro, comes of a famous family in Creek annals. His name is Lequest Choteau Perryman. He was born in the Creek Nation, Indian territory, March 1, 1838; educated at Tallahassee Mission of the same nation, enlisted in the Union army in Kansas November, 1862, and was mustered out as sergeant major of the first regiment Indian Home Guards, 1865. He served as district judge of the Coweta district, Muskogee Nation, six years; was elected to the council and served 13 years. He was elected principal chief and inaugurated December 5, 1887, for the term of four years. The negroes, once slaves of The Five Tribes, are of much interest in connection with the final settlement of the land question. The Five Tribes, except the Seminoles, all owned slaves prior to and during the war. These were freed by the proclamation of emancipation, and this was enforced and confirmed, after much protest, by the treaty of 1866. In 1860 the total number of slaves held by The Five Tribes was 7,369. The Seminoles held no slaves in Indian territory, but they intermarried with negroes. Since the war there has been a very large increase in the negro population of The Five Tribes by immigration from the old slave states adjacent. The negro question in the Cherokee, Chickasaw, and Choctaw Nations, the equities and rights of these people in the lands of The Five Tribes, and as to citizenship, have yet to be properly settled. The population of negro descent in The Five Tribes, which includes former slaves, in 1890 was as follows: with the Cherokees, 5,127; Chickasaws, 3,676; Choctaws, 4,406; Creeks, 4,621; Seminoles, 806; total, 18,636. In a country where land is virgin, fertile, and its use is to be had for the mere occupancy, there is but small inducement for careful or close farming. Poor roads prevent marketing crops, so cattle raising is a better occupation than farming. Much farming of The Five Tribes is merely for a livelihood. Crops of corn are frequently left to rot because of the cost of transportation to a market. While great and constant efforts are made toward progress in education, and steady improvement is manifest, it must be understood that the education of the ordinary day or neighborhood schools is of a limited kind. School terms consist of about from four to five months of the year. The best and highest education comes from efforts entirely without The Five Tribes. The noncitizens in The Five Tribes have a few schools sustained by private contributions, subscriptions, and fees. Many of the more wealthy noncitizens send their children to schools in the adjoining states. The members of The Five Civilized Tribes wear citizens' clothing. Ninety per cent of them practice the white man's ways and have his customs. Now and then a man can be found with an Indian pipe, and sometimes one wears moccasins, and shawls are worn as well as blankets. The Creeks and the Choctaws still keep up their ball play, and old Indian dances are still held in some of the nations. Some individuals of The Five Tribes are still classed as old time Indians and maintain a sturdy adherence to the old Indian faith. Medicine men are still to be found with them. Even among the Delawares in the Cherokee Nation can be found the survival of many old Indian dances and customs. No distilled spirits are supposed to be sold in The Five Tribes. In 1890, to June 1, the distilled spirits used in the arts, manufactures, and for medicine in The Five Tribes, as shown by returns from retail apothecaries, were : ordinary gallons of whisky, 20; ordinary gallons of brandy, 16; ordinary gallons of gin, 5. Liquors are smuggled in, sold, and drunk. One extraordinary article of distillation, known as "white mule", is used in the eastern part of the territory. It is a villainous moonshine whisky, distilled in the Ozark mountains of Arkansas. Its effects probably cause one-half of the crimes in that portion of the territory. Roads are poor and bridges across streams few and far between. The party mach ry in use in the Cherokee Nation in some features seems to be more advanced than the methods in use among e whites. The "barbecue" and "still hunt" are middle state methods. The method of viva voce voting is an old system. The judges or inspectors of election, four in number, are seated around a table under a shady tree. The space of 50 feet all around this table is guarded, no person being allowed to approach within the limited space. When any person wishes to vote he approaches the table, tells the name of his choice and for whom he wishes to record his name, repeating each name until all the candidates on the list for offices are voted for. After the polls are closed the result is summed up and announced. LICENSES.-Licenses to trade in The Five Tribes were formerly issued by the Secretary of the Interior; now, in addition, they are issued by authority of the several tribes or nations. Citizenship in The Five Tribes is regulated by tribal laws, and the right to make such laws has been conceded to them by the United States. Freedmen and other negroes become citizens of some of the tribes under said laws. The United States urged and then directed much of the legislation as to the negroes. In the towns of The Five Nations, even the Indian towns, pure Indians are few and far between. In the country some are met. Negro Indians, especially in the Creek Nation, can be found in abundance, and some speak only the Creek language. The Indians of The Five Tribes are largely one-half and one-fourth bloods and resemble white men more than Indians. The illustrations in this bulletin are typical, and show comparatively few full blood Indians. One constantly hears the remark from travelers in Indian territory, "Why, where are the Indians"? Clans in towns are still preserved with the Creeks (a), and among the Delawares with the Cherokees, and "bands" are noted still with the Seminoles. a The following is an account of the Creek towns in the Creek Nation by Governor L. C. Perryman, principal chief of the Creek Nation: "TULSA, CREEK NATION, I. T., September 29, 1891. "It is quite difficult to locate all of the Creek towns now on the map of the Muskogee Nation, at least some of them, as some of the citizens of the different towns are scattered all over the nation, but I have done so as near as I can. The general map you send me is not correct [map of 1882). To explain now why our people live in this way in towns] would be a hard thing to do. These towns, as they are called, have existed from time immemorial with the Creeks. We have had more towns, but some are now extinguished. The system grew out of the necessity of reaching our people quickly, and thus give the central control knowledge of the wants of our people. "It would take a volume to explain to you the authority each town used to have under the old customs, each having a king and warriors, that is, the power each then had, which aggregated powers made the old Creek confederacy, which is now the Creek or Muskogee Nation. Those fires in each town are still to be seen by seeing representatives of the towns in our councils. This town system is based upon communism. As long as the council represents towns the holding of lands by citizens of the nation in common will always be the rule, and I think it is the best way of holding lands for the poor class of citizens in any country. Our council, which meets at Okmulgee, consists of two bodies, the house of kings and the house of warriors. The members are the kings and warriors of the towns. No real patriotism can exist among our people, except as it comes direct from the traditions of these several towns." TOWNS.-1. Coweta. 2. Broken Arrow. 3. Cheyaha. 4. Locharpoka. 5. Conchartey. 6. Hechetey. 7. Cussehta. 8. Taskeke. 9. Tulsa (Canadian). 10. Tulsa (Little River). 11. Noyarka (Nuyarka). 12. Alfaske (Okfaske). 13. Arbekoche. 14. Arbeka. 15. Arbeka 2d. 16. Asselarnape or Grunlief (Ussalarnuppee or Green Leaf). 17. Oewohka. 18. Tharthoculka or Fish Pond. 19. Tharprakko (Tharpthlocco). 20. Tokebachee. 21. Thewahley. 22. Kialiga (Kialigee). 23. Tokpafka. 24. Talmochassee (Talmochussee). 25. Yoofula 1st (Eufaula). 26. Yoofula 2d (Eufaula). 27. Pakantalahassee. 28. Hillarbe. 29. Chartarksofka. 30. Kichopatake. 31. Artussee. 32. Tallahossochee (Tallahassochee). 33. Allabama (Alabama). 35. Osochee. 36. Oeokofke. 87. Okcharye. 38. Ocheyapofa. 39. Talwathakko. 40. Talartoga (Tulladegee). 41. Hutschechapa (Hutschecuppa). 42. Quassartey 1st. 43. Quassartey 2d. 44. Yoochee (Euchee). 45. Big Spring. 46. Arkansas (colored, newly organized). 47. North Fork (colored, newly organized). 48. Canadian (colored, newly organized). |