Five Civilized Tribes In Oklahoma

United States Congress. Five Civilized Tribes In Oklahoma, Reports of the Department of the Interior and Evidentiary Papers in support of S. 7625, a Bill for the Relief of Certain Members of the Five Civilized Tribes in Oklahoma, Sixty-second Congress, Third Session. Department of the Interior, United States. 1913.

Angus A. Spring, Choctaw Claim

This claim details the extensive legal journey of Angus A. Spring and his family in their quest for recognition as citizens by blood of the Choctaw Nation. Initially listed on the Choctaw tribal roll in 1896, their application faced multiple rejections and appeals. The family’s legal battle spanned over a decade, involving various courts and commissions, and highlighted the complexities of citizenship claims within the Choctaw Nation. Despite favorable judgments, their status was repeatedly challenged, culminating in a final denial of enrollment by the citizenship court in 1904.

Acts under which the Work of Enrollment was Prosecuted

It has been pointed out above that the intervention of the United States in respect to the making of the tribal rolls was necessary because the tribal authorities had themselves failed to make correct rolls, owing to their corrupt practices, and that many persons who were entitled to citizenship were unjustly deprived of their rights. From all that has been said it is apparent that Congress intended to. and actually did, repudiate the tribal rolls in a large measure. In undertaking the work of making the rolls Congress legislated as guardian upon the theory that the Indians were wards of … Read more

Acts of a Supplemental Character

(7) Act of March 5, 1905 (33 Stat., 1048,1060} This act was supplemental to the regular enrollment acts and authorized the Commission to the Five Civilized Tribes, for 60 days following the approval of the act, to receive and consider the applications of certain newborn children for whose enrollment no provision had been made. This act was restrictive in three respects: (a) It restricted the right to make application to the offspring of persons whose enrollment had theretofore been approved by the Secretary of the Interior. This was probably an unintentional defect in the law, but nevertheless it operated to … Read more

A Bill to Reopen the Rolls of the Choctaw-Chickasaw Tribe

This letter from the Department of the Interior, dated July 2, 1912, to Hon. John H. Stephens, discusses H.R. 19123, a bill proposing to reopen the rolls of the Choctaw-Chickasaw Tribe and address rights from the 1830 treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek. It outlines the history and challenges of the Mississippi Choctaws’ claims, emphasizing difficulties in proving lineage and compliance with the treaty. The letter critiques the feasibility of the bill’s provisions, particularly the extensive evidence required and the unrealistic timeline for re-investigating claims, and recommends against its enactment. The document is signed by First Assistant Secretary Samuel Adams.