Equity Case 7071 Lorenzo RUSSELL-CHOF#1364 (Repost-9-5-2013)

Equity Case 7071

Empower Me to Know My History

RUSSELL, Lorenzo et al.

·              Choctaw Freedman #1364

·                     Enrollment #4541&4542

·                     Place of Residence: Grant, Indian Territory Choctaw Nation

·                     Father: RUSSELL, Jim Choctaw Indian (CHOBB#1545)

·                     Mother: RUSSELL, Julia Choctaw Freedwoman CHOF#1363

·                     Joe and Dillard PERRY files BIA Record Group 75, Entry 90C, F-12

·                     See CHOF# 1303

I have to repeat why I enjoy researching the history of the Choctaw and Chickasaw freedmen and not just concentrate on my family’s history among these tribes. I take the position that if I research the freedmen at certain points I will discover my own family. The reason I do this is simple, the blending of families was obvious when I began researching this history and researching entire history (for me) is more interesting which serves to maintain my.

As I was going through some names of people associated with Bettie’s List (Equity Case 7071) I came across the name of Lorenzo Russell who appeared to have a Choctaw Indian father and freedwoman for a mother. It also appears both of his parents were alive and possibly had Dawes cards and interview packets indicates there is a possibility there is more information regarding any claim Lorenzo had to transfer to the Choctaw by Blood Roll.

M1186 Chickasaw Freedman #1306 Rear RUSSELL, Lorenzo

Based on the information provided on the rear of Lorenzo RUSSELL’S Chickasaw Freedman card number 1306 a Choctaw Indian named Jim Russell is given as Lorenzo’s father.  Who knows if it was by malice or just the Dawes Commission working with the leaders of the Choctaw Nation; the pattern of denying people of mixed African-Choctaw ancestry has done a disservice to the history and legacy of the Five Slave Holding Tribes in general.

M1186 Choctaw by Blood #1545 RUSSELL, James (Jim) 

M1186 Choctaw Freedman #1364 Front RUSSELL, Lorenzo

M1301 Choctaw by Blood #1545 p4 RUSSELL, James (Jim)

This is another example of the complex nature of relationships and identities that governed the lives of all who lived in Indian Territory. The fact that in 1904 this couple was married and a Choctaw Indian was married to a freedwoman for many years prior to this date had implications the Dawes Commission had to deal with when enrolling this family for land allotments.

Should the children be enrolled as Choctaw by blood? Would the children receive three hundred and twenty acres of land as opposed to the forty freedmen received? Was James’ wife entitled to be enrolled as an intermarried citizen? For an Indian with children by a white woman the answer was clear, she and her children would be enrolled as Choctaw citizens by blood.

For whatever reason the attorney for James Russell inquired about James being and whether HE was entitled to be enrolled as an intermarried citizen “the same as other intermarried Indians by blood.” The commissioner caught this statement and clearly must have scratched his head on why such a question would be a question for discussion.

I suspect the attorney inadvertently used James’ name when he should have been asking about the intermarried status of James Russell’s wife. It is later in the file on another page that the name of James’ wife is revealed.

M1301 Choctaw by Blood #1545 p7 RUSSELL, James (Jim)

There is nothing contained in this “interview” given by Julia Russell the wife of James Russell that Commissioner Needles sought to see if Julia’s children were on the Choctaw by Blood roll nor did he determine if she wanted to be enrolled as an intermarried Choctaw citizen due to the fact she was “legally” married to a Choctaw Indian. The commissioner simply rubber stamped the interview and enrolled Julia initially as a Chickasaw freedmen until she was later transferred to the Choctaw Freedmen roll.

Two remarkable documents were present in the file of James Russell; this one with Julia commenting on her parents provided information about her mother and siblings. The document provided information that Julia’s mother had been sold to someone in Texas and while there she gave birth to three other children.

It was this document and that history of being sold along with the name of her mother that rang familiar to me and my own family history. Phoebe Jackson and the story of her being sold by a James Lanihee is the same story of the sister to one of my great great grandfather on my maternal line; Isom Jackson.

M1186 Choctaw Freedman #1213 Rear JACKSON, Isom

M1186 Choctaw Freedman #1213 Front JACKSON, Isom

M1301 Choctaw Freedman #1213 p3 JACKSON, Isom

Looking at the brother of Julia, Isom Jackson’s Dawes card you will note Isom’s wife also claimed to have a father of Indian (Chickasaw) descent and blood. This is a reminder of just how complex the relationships were during this time and that despite all claims to the contrary there is more evidence that the Choctaw and Chickasaw men father a large number of children with their slaves and denied their own children the privileges of citizenship in the nation of their birth.

To illustrate just how misguided a policy this was by the tribes with the complicity of the United States government, the other document in the packet of James Russell is one dealing with the citizenship claims of another son, Dan Russell.

M1301 Choctaw by Blood #1545 p2 RUSSELL, James

·         Naturally the question becomes is this one of Julia’s sons?

·         Was he enrolled as a citizen by blood or was he a freedman?

·         Dan and Lorenzo have the same father so they both should be considered “Choctaws by Blood?”

·         You probably know where I’m going with this but bear with me…

·         If Dan was mentioned in his father’s Dawes file, he should have a file of his own, right?

M1186 Choctaw by Blood #5371 RUSSELL, Dan

Dan is the son of James Russell, he is also the half-brother of Lorenzo Russell but because Dan’s mother Molsy was considered a Choctaw Dan was placed on the Choctaw by Blood roll. Dan received payments in 1893 and was considered to be one-sixteenth Choctaw Indian.

Lorenzo on the other hand was placed on the freedmen roll, no mention of his Choctaw blood is provided and despite the marriage between James and Julia, not one other person in this family was placed on the Choctaw by Blood roll.

Quite frankly I don’t know how these tribes morally continue to toe this line of ONLY those who have an ancestor on the “blood” roll have a right to citizenship when the Dawes Commission clearly ignored the relationships and genealogy of the thousands of men and women who sought to be placed on the correct roll for citizenship in the nation of their birth.

As you can see, the story of the Choctaw and Chickasaw Freedmen is deeply intertwined with the history of the Choctaw and Chickasaw nations. Their story should be included as a vital part of both nations so a complete and accurate portrayal of the tribes and its entire people are presented.

To dismiss the history and presence of the Choctaw and Chickasaw Freedmen is morally indefensible. The relationships formed by freedmen and Indian despite the institution of slavery suggests the fear of blacks within the tribe is totally without merit. Contrary to the popular belief you have to be “Indian” to be a citizen ignores just how freedmen were ostracized from the nation of their birth and how subsequent generations sought to survive in a hostile community that marginalized their lives and relationships.

Why are the Choctaw and Chickasaw Nations continuing this legacy?