Timeline Tuesday Senate Document 157; 55th Congress, 1st Session

Senate Document 157; 55th Congress, 1st Session Cover page

In an effort to understand the history of the former slaves of the Chickasaw Indians we have to look at the efforts to get Congress to enforce the terms of the Treaty of 1866. The Chickasaw Freedmen sought to get their rights enforced  to become "citizens by adoption" in the same manner the former slaves of the Cherokee, Creek, Seminole and Choctaw nations.

With the assistance of an attorney, R.V. BELT submitted to the United States Senate a document outlining their concerns on citizenship in Senate Document 157; 55th Congress, 1st Session. This is a very informative historical document for all students of freedmen history. The "memorial" is almost sixty pages of information and within those pages is a timeline of events that demonstrate the nature of the Chickasaw Freedmen's political and social status in the nation they were enslaved.

Senate Document 157; 55th Congress, 1st Session page 2

When you consider the status of the former slaves of the Chickasaw and Choctaw Indians and why they were “not” adopted as citizens many issues become apparent. The first thing to take a critical look at is the nature of the agreement made between the United States and the joint treaty with the Chickasaw and Choctaw Indians.

In their memorial to the Senate it is clear, the Treaty of 1866 negotiated with the Choctaw and Chickasaw Indians was doomed to failure because the treaty left it “optional” to adopt their former slaves as citizens unlike the treaties negotiated with the Creek, Seminole and Cherokee Indians.

Senate Document 157; 55th Congress, 1st Session page 2

Many people want to believe Native Americans and blacks have some sort of commonality when it comes to a history of oppression in the United States and on some levels that may be a true fact. In the case of the Five Slave Holding Tribes in general and the Chickasaw Indians specifically it is important to look at the facts.

The Chickasaw freedmen were enslaved by Chickasaw Indians and when the Chickasaw Nation sided with the Confederates during the War of Rebellion the United States the Treaty of 1866 had as a stipulation the Five Slave Holding Tribes adopt their former slaves as citizens.

From the very beginning the Chickasaw Indians let it be known “...The Chickasaw legislature passed an act, approved November 9, 1866, declaring it to be the “Unanimous consent of the Chickasaw legislature that the United States shall keep and hold said sum of $300,00 for the benefit of said negroes (sic) and ...it is the wish of the Chickasaw Nation for the Government to remove said negroes (sic) from within the limits of the Chickasaw Nation..."

From 1866 and the next two years the Chickasaw Freedmen attempted to get the United States to enforce the Treaty of 1866 because “in view of the apparent feeling of the Chickasaws toward them, to be removed and located elsewhere…” Clearly, the question has to be asked how could the United States “negotiate” an “optional” Treaty that was not enforceable and subsequently the United States did not take the steps to remove the former slaves from a place they were being clearly discriminated against in a hostile environment?

Senate Document 157; 55th Congress, 1st Session page 3

Because the Choctaw Nation eventually adopted their former slaves as citizens in 1883 it is assumed the Chickasaw Nation never passed legislation adopting their former slaves. Factually the Chickasaw Nation adopted their former slaves in 1873, ten years before the Choctaw Nation but seven years after the terms written in the Treaty of 1866.

Following that legislation to “adopt” the former slaves the Chickasaw Nation time and again make attempts to have their former slaves “removed” from the nation. Yet, people persist in thinking African-Americans and Native Americans have had some mutually shared history of respect. Unfortunately the record does not seem to reflect that sentiment.

Senate Document 157; 55th Congress, 1st Session page 3

As we know the Choctaw Nation finally adopted their former slaves in 1883 which was promptly approved by the United States Interior Department which for some reason did not happen in the Chickasaw Nation in regards to the adoption of their former slaves in 1873.

Congress failed to ratify the legislation by the Chickasaw Nation to adopt their former slaves and before Congress could act on the legislation the Chickasaw Nation again demanded the United States government “remove” their former slaves from the nation. Once the two year time limit for adoption passed, the Chickasaw freedmen made request after request for the United States to remove them to land appropriated for their relocation. In addition to being “removed” the freedmen demanded the one-hundred dollars per capita earmarked in the Treaty of 1866 once the former slaves were removed.

What is also hard to understand is that in 1891 the United States government had a “land run” in Oklahoma Territory; an area that was thought to be preserved for the relocation of the former Chickasaw slaves. The question remains, how in good faith could the government open that land up for settlement and did absolutely nothing for the former Chickasaw slaves who had a treaty that required they be either adopted in the Chickasaw Nation or be removed under the terms of the Treaty of 1866?

Senate Document 157; 55th Congress, 1st Session page 4

Senate Document 157; 55th Congress, 1st Session page 5

I want to stress that as a researcher of Indian Territory Freedmen in general and the Chickasaw Freedmen specifically, we need to be more aware of the documented history of our ancestors and how it shaped their existence, their legacy and our appreciation for the struggle they endured seeking to build homes where they could prepare a future for us.

This is just one document that demonstrates their heartfelt concerns and the obstacles designed to stymie their evolution from an enslaved community within the Chickasaw Nation to the freedom loving political fighters that their story demonstrates.

Within this one document are references to other material that we should all take the time to study and inform us on how we may maintain that legacy our ancestors were keenly aware of as they formed a united front to the Jim Crow of the Chickasaw Nation and the disregard to the Supreme Law of the land demonstrated by the dubious Treaty of 1866 that was never enforced and I contend was never intended to be enforced by the United States Department of Interior.

I welcome all comments and if you would like a copy of any of these documents and can’t locate them online drop me a note and perhaps I can provide a copy for a small fee?

 Congressional Records Contained in this Article:

HOUSE EXECUTIVE DOCUMENT #207-42^ND CONGRESS, 3^RD SESSION

An act passed by Chickasaw Nation entitled “An Act to adopt the Negroes of Chickasaw Nation”

HOUSE EXECUTIVE DOCUMENT #212-43^RD CONGRESS, 1^ST SESSION

                Treaty with the Choctaw and Chickasaw Indians  April 14, 1874

SENATE DOCUMENT #157-55^TH CONGRESS 1^ST SESSION

                Chickasaw Freedmen June 23, 1897

SENATE EXECUTIVE DOCUMENT #166-50^TH CONGRESS, 1^ST SESSION

                Letter from Secretary of Interior Relative to Chickasaw Freedmen May 9, 1888

SENATE EXECUTIVE DOCUMENT #82-40^TH CONGRESS, 2^ND SESSION

                Papers relating to the rights of freedmen under the 3^rd article of April 28, 1866 Treaty

SENATE MISCELLANEOUS DOCUMENT #95-42^ND CONGRESS, 3^RD SESSION

                Letter to Hon. James HARLAN in relation to April 28, 1866 Treaty February 27, 1873

SENATE MISCELLANEOUS DOCUMENT #118-43^RD CONGRESS, 1^ST SESSION

                Letter to Chairman of Indian Affairs Committee; Senate Bill #680 Relief of persons of African descent resident in Choctaw and Chickasaw Nations May 2, 1874