Five Civilized Tribes In Oklahoma Collections

Z. T. Bottoms, Choctaw

Z. T. Bottoms and his relatives sought recognition as Choctaw citizens based on descent from Billy Bottoms (alias Nockatubbee) and Ann Meshulahtubbee. Despite supporting affidavits and evidence of residency in the Choctaw and Chickasaw Nations, their petition was initially denied in 1896. A U.S. court later ruled in favor of several descendants, but the Choctaw-Chickasaw Citizenship Court overturned this decision in 1902. Witness testimonies confirmed their Choctaw ancestry, but inconsistencies in the court’s evaluation led to a final rejection.

Willie G. Patterson and Maggie Lee Glance, Choctaw

The case of Willie G. Patterson et al. and Maggie Lee Glance et al. concerns their attempt to be enrolled as Choctaws by blood. They claimed descent from Sarah Patterson, a one-fourth Choctaw, but their names were absent from tribal rolls. Their brothers, James and Walter Patterson, were enrolled as Choctaws by blood, but Willie and Maggie were only allowed to apply as Mississippi Choctaws under the Treaty of 1830. The Dawes Commission denied their applications in 1903, citing lack of evidence that their ancestors complied with the treaty. The decision was approved by the Secretary of the Interior in 1903.

William T. Stephens, Choctaw

William T. Stephens applied for Choctaw citizenship by intermarriage in 1896, citing an 1887 decision by U.S. Indian Agent Robert L. Owen, which was affirmed by the Secretary of the Interior. He was enrolled by the Dawes Commission under the Act of June 10, 1896, but the Choctaw Nation appealed. A U.S. court upheld his enrollment in 1897, but the Citizenship Court later ruled against him in 1904, despite lacking jurisdiction. Stephens died in 1903, and his heirs sought to secure his rightful place on the final rolls. His first marriage to Catherine Wall in 1858 had originally granted him Choctaw citizenship.

William E. Moore, Choctaw

The case of William E. Moore et al. concerns their application for Choctaw citizenship by blood. They claimed descent from William McCager Moore, son of Nittuchachee, a Choctaw chief and a 14th article reservee under the Treaty of 1830. Although some Moore family members were listed on the 1896 Choctaw census roll, their names were later struck off. Despite affidavits from Choctaw citizens confirming their residency, recognition, and tribal participation, the Dawes Commission denied their application in 1896. A U.S. court admitted them in 1897, but this ruling was overturned by the Choctaw-Chickasaw Citizenship Court in 1904. A final 1907 ruling denied their enrollment due to lack of tribal roll documentation.

W. R. Sessums, Choctaw

The case of **W. R. Sessums et al. v. The Choctaw Nation** concerns the Sessums family’s attempt to gain recognition as **Choctaws by blood**. Their claim traced descent from **Penny Fisher, a full-blood Choctaw**, and her son, **Redding Sessums**. Initially **denied by the Dawes Commission in 1896**, the **U.S. court admitted them in 1898**. However, the **Choctaw and Chickasaw Citizenship Court overturned this ruling in 1902**, questioning their ancestors’ recognition. A final **1906 decision denied their enrollment**, citing lack of proof of prior tribal recognition. This case highlights legal challenges in proving Choctaw ancestry during the early 20th century.

W. A. Clark, Choctaw

The case of **W. A. Clark et al. v. The Choctaw Nation** concerns the Clark family’s efforts to secure recognition as Choctaws by blood. **Moses C. Clark** first applied for citizenship in **1890**, but his claim was denied due to late filing. Subsequent appeals and testimonies traced his lineage to **John Harkins and Nancy Gardner Harkins**, Mississippi Choctaws. Despite multiple hearings and affidavits affirming their ancestry, the **Secretary of the Interior denied their enrollment in 1906**. The case highlights the complexities of Choctaw citizenship claims during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Virginia Savage, Chickasaw

Virginia Savage and her children sought enrollment as citizens by blood of the Chickasaw Nation through a petition to the Secretary of the Interior. Despite their inclusion on the 1893 leased district payment roll and the 1896 Chickasaw census roll, their application was denied under the 1898 Curtis Act for non-residency. Virginia Savage argued her lineage, citing relatives enrolled in the Chickasaw and Choctaw Nations. The case was supported by the Chickasaw and Choctaw leadership but ultimately required Congressional intervention for enrollment. Their petition followed precedent established by prior legislative actions recognizing individuals under similar circumstances.

Victoria Boyd, Choctaw-Chickasaw

Victoria Boyd’s case before the Dawes Commission involved multiple applications for enrollment as a citizen of the Choctaw Nation by blood. Born in Arkansas, she moved to Texas before settling in the Choctaw Nation in 1896. Her applications (1896, 1899, 1900) were denied due to lack of documented proof connecting her to Nellie Dyer, a recognized Choctaw ancestor. Despite appeals and legal arguments citing her lineage and residency, the commission upheld its denial in 1904. Boyd and her children—Willie Glover, Dollie Glover, Georgie Boyd, and Lence Boyd—were ultimately excluded from the rolls.

Vaughn – Duncan Consolidated Cases, M. C. R

The case of Robert L. Vaughn et al. and Annie M. Duncan et al. involved applications for enrollment as Mississippi Choctaws, submitted in 1900. Vaughn and Duncan, siblings, claimed descent from Alexander Vaughn, a full-blood Choctaw who resided in the Choctaw Nation in Mississippi in 1830. They argued their family had long been recognized as Choctaw, though not officially enrolled. The Commission to the Five Civilized Tribes denied their claims in 1902, citing lack of evidence that their ancestor complied with Article 14 of the 1830 Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek. Their appeals were ultimately unsuccessful.

Unraveling Catherine Whittle’s Choctaw Citizenship Claim

Catherine Whittle applied for enrollment as a Choctaw citizen in 1899, alongside her children, due to her sister Sarah Whittle’s recognized status. Their application was denied in 1900 despite their long-term residence in the Choctaw Nation. Legal efforts in 1910 highlighted familial connections and supportive testimonies, but a final decision remains unrecorded. Other related claims were made by Eliza Jane Pearce, Catherine’s cousin. Evidence of lineage was provided but met with administrative resistance throughout the enrollment process.

The Five Civilized Tribes in Oklahoma

Há-tchoo-túc-knee, Snapping Turtle, a Half-breed, George Catlin, 1834

This manuscript has been extracted from Congressional records relating to relief of specific individuals of the Five Civilized Tribes in Oklahoma. If one of your ancestors was rejected or added to the rolls of any of the five civilized tribes in Oklahoma, you should peruse the information here. It contains a lot of case work involving specific Native Americans and those that attempted to prove themselves as part of the five civilized tribes in Oklahoma.

Terry Thompson Stubblefield, M.C.R.

The case of Terry Thompson Stubblefield et al. concerns a claim for Choctaw Nation citizenship, initially approved by the Choctaw council in 1896 but later rejected by the Dawes Commission in 1902 due to nonresidency. Stubblefield, born in Mississippi around 1861, moved to the Choctaw Nation as a child with her father, Arthur F. Thompson. Though she lived there until her marriage, she moved to Texas by 1878. Despite retaining property in the Choctaw Nation and her family’s enrollment, her claim was denied due to prolonged absence. Legal arguments emphasized her tribal ties and intent to return.

T. D. Arnold, Chickasaw

The case of T. D. Arnold et al. concerns a citizenship claim in the Chickasaw Nation, initiated in 1896 by T. D. Arnold and 68 others. The applicants asserted descent from Susan Pistol, a half-blood Chickasaw and daughter of George Colbert, a full-blood Chickasaw from Colbert’s Reserve in Alabama. While the U.S. court initially ruled in favor of many claimants in 1898, the Choctaw and Chickasaw Citizenship Court overturned this decision in 1904. The case highlights legal complexities surrounding tribal citizenship, ancestry verification, and the distinction between Chickasaw families from Mississippi and Alabama.

Susan Brashears, Choctaw by Blood

Susan Brashears (formerly McCoy) and her descendants sought transfer from the Choctaw Freedmen Roll to the Choctaw Roll by Blood, citing their lineage from Oliver Stock McCoy, a recognized Choctaw citizen of mixed blood. Despite their enrollment on the 1885 Choctaw census as citizens by blood or marriage, the Dawes Commission denied their request in 1907, stating no prior application for blood enrollment had been made. Counsel argued their rightful inclusion based on the 1898 Curtis Act and precedent cases. The claimants included Susan Brashears, her children, and grandchildren, all of whom had been enrolled as freedmen.

Surnames Sanders to Swimmer

This document contains genealogical statements regarding various individuals and families of Creek, Choctaw, Chickasaw, and Mississippi Choctaw descent who sought recognition and enrollment in tribal rolls. The records, primarily from 1909 reports, detail claimants’ ancestry, enrollment issues, and tribal affiliations. Many individuals were denied enrollment due to factional disputes, legal technicalities, or failure to apply within deadlines. The document includes references to official reports and affidavits, offering insights into the complexities of Native American citizenship and land rights during the early 20th century.