1897 Delegations
President in 1897:
Grover Cleveland (1893-1897)
Commissioner of Indian Affairs in 1897:
Daniel M. Browning (1893-1897);
William Arthur Jones (1897-1904)
Jan. 6, 1897: Evening Star: [Sac and Fox]
Indian Delegation Gone Home.
The Sac and Fox Indian delegation from Oklahoma went home today. Their main object in coming to Washington was to oppose the alleged efforts of some of their people to secure a payment to the tribe of $100,000 out of their general fund held by the government, but after reaching here they found there was no plan to secure the payment.
Jan. 8, 1897: Evening Star: [Pawnee]
Pawnees at the Capitol.
Curly Chief and three other Pawnee Indians were about the corridors of the House of Representatives today interviewing members as to a balance of $100,000 due their tribe.
Jan. 9, 1897: Evening Star: [Dakota]
Personal Mention.
Reb. John Eastman of Flandreau, S.D., and Dr. Charles Eastman of St. Paul, prominent members of the Sioux nation, are at the National Hotel. Dr. Eastman’s wife was the well-known poetess, Miss Elaine Goodale.
MAY 1, 1897: Evening Star: [Comanche, Kiowa, Apache]
An Indian Delegation.
The Secretary of the Interior today received a delegation of Indians from Oklahoma. They had come to see him to protest against the allotment of their lands in severalty, and to ask that justice on the reservation be meted out to white and red men alike, which they claimed is not now the case. They all wanted better school facilities. They were attentively listened to by the Secretary and an engagement made to receive them again next week when they will call on the President. The party was in charge of Capt. H. L. Scott, and consisted of Quanah Parker, the favorite of his five wives and his little son; Big Lookingglass [sic] and Wm. Tivis [?], Comanches; Ah Peatoin and John D. Jackson, Kiowas and Apache John of the Apaches.
MAY 3, 1897: Evening Star: [Comanche]
A ROMANTIC CAREER. Incidents in the Life of Comanche Chief Quannah Parker.
Chief Quannah Parker, the Commanche [sic] Indian who is here from Oklahoma to protest against the allotment of land of his tribe in severalty, has a romantic history. His mother was a white woman who was captured by the Comanches when a small girl, and grew up among the Indians, forgetting her own tongue. When Gen. McKenzie raided the Comanches and captured the tribe in 1874 Quanah Parker's mother, who had been taken as wife of the chief, was among the number. All that she could remember to identify herself was her name--Cynthia Ann Parker. She was finally located as being from Jack's county, Texas, where she was joyously received by her family, after having been looked upon as dead for many years. She took her son, now Chief Quanah Parker, with her, and had him educated. Later he returned to his tribe. He is a tall, fine-looking Indian, but he shows no trace of his white blood. The favorite of his five wives always accompanies him on his journeys, as does his young son, both of whom are now in this city. Chief Quanah Parker is quite rich in cattle and money, and is looked upon as one of the most intelligent of the Indian chiefs.
MAY 5, 1897: Evening Star: [Kickapoo, Potawatomi, Dakota, "Pearce" [Nez Perce?]]
AT THE WHITE HOUSE. The Biggest Gathering of the Year at the Executive Mansion. SENATOR QUAY INTRODUCES INDIANS. Masons From Winchester, Va., Bring an Invitation. PHILADELPHIA SINGERS.
By long odds, the biggest crowd of the year was at the White House today. There was a perfect congestion for three hours. At noon the rooms of the President and secretary and the hallways outside were filled.
"From Maine to Oregon," said Senator J.P. Jones of Nevada, who was a caller, "the patriots are here."
The crowd was so overwhelming that a dozen or more senators and representatives of prominence, including Senators Hanna and Proctor, went away without waiting to see the President, promising to call again. The callers went in delegations, in pairs and singly. Representative McCleary of Minnesota thought the whole thing was indicative of Kentucky Derby day.
The rush began early in the morning with a big delegation of Kickapoo and Pottawatomie Indians from Kansas and Oklahoma, Senator Quay of Pennsylvania acting as their spokesman. The delegation was composed of Chief Wah-pe-te, Ke-sho-ka-me, Wa-pe-noc-o-sa, Pan-o-was and Johnny Nune of the Kickapoos; Wahk-quah-boak-key, Kan-keh-quan-bit, James Thompson and Peter Curley of the Pottawatomies; Dr. Eashman [sic] of the Sioux, John Wadsworth of the Pearce [sic] Indians.
President McKinley was in the cabinet room when they went into his room. They were invited to seats, which they silently occupied until the President made his entry. Had they not been invited to sit down they would have considered themselves unwelcome and would have been uneasy.
"This is the President-the great father" said Senator Quay, as the President walked up to the group. All the Indians arose and shook hands.
Senator Quay then explained that the Indians had come to ask the President to appoint W. S. Fields of Oklahoma deputy commissioner of Indian affairs.
Mr. Fields was present and the President assured him that he would give the matter consideration.
The Indians were dressed in more aboriginal style than any seen in Washington in years. Chief Wah-pa-te had a pair of beautiful moccasins on his feet, made by a white woman. The letter "K" was embroidered upon them. A majority of the party was profusely painted and looked grotesque as well as picturesque. [end of section on Indian delegates]
May 6, 1897: Washington Post: [Kickapoo, Potawatomi]
[long article about delegations of politicians, etc. to White House edited out]
A delegation of Kickapoo and Pottowattaomie Indians, with painted faces, feathered headgear, and colored blankets, saw Mr. McKinley and urged him, through their interpreter, to appoint W. S. Field, of Oklahoma Territory, Deputy Commissioner of Indian Affairs.”
June 28, 1897: Evening Star: [Dakota]
To Repair Damages.
Indian Tribe Asks for a Part of its Trust Funds.
Ex-Representative Pickler of South Dakota has seen the President, the Secretary of the Interior and the Indian commissioner, in company with Little Thunder, Simonds and Rev. Mr. Robinson of the Indian tribe of Sioux at the Sisseton agency of South Dakota.
They requested that the government give them $250,000 of the tribe’s trust funds to repair damages caused by heavy storms last winter.
Aug. 14, 1897: Evening Star: [Chippewa]
Claim That Pledges Have Been Broken and Settlers Are Encroaching Upon Their Reservation.
Gus Beaulieu and William Richards of the Mille Lac Chippewa Indian delegation, which called on the Indian commissioner yesterday, submitted the following letter, which they received from the Mille Lac reservation. The letter is self-explanatory:
“Notices in writing have been given to some of the Mille Lac Indians at this reservation by persons who say they were sent here by the government to do so. These notices are to vacate the lands of the reservation.
“Further depredations have been committed against some of the Indians since you left by the destruction of their fences and the cattle of the white settlers on this reservation are destroying our gardens.
“Andrew Bird and Sergeant say that Gus Beaulieu can accomplish nothing in out behalf and that your appeal to the Secretary of the interior, copies of which you sent us, will not be noticed by the government.
“Your friend, Quay Konce,”
The letter was handed to the Indian commissioner, called in Chippewa tongue Ain-dus-o-keshig.
The Formal Statement [document follows, not copied]
A careful investigation of the treaties effected with the Chippewas will have to be made before any action is taken by the commissioner, and it may be necessary for Congress to legislate in regard to the matter.
Dec. 11, 1897: Evening Star: [Cherokee]
Brings Cherokee Delegation to Present Claims to Congress.
St. Louis, Mo., December 11.—The Cherokee Indian delegation on the way to Washington to appear before the joint Indian committee of Congress has arrived here and will stop a day or two before going to Washington. Mr. S. R. Walkingstick, a Cherokee senator, said: “We go to Washington to use every honorable effort to present the proposed abolishment of our tribal courts and to head off the unpending change by which he President of the United States will have the power to sanction or approve the acts of the Cherokee national council before they become laws. Chief Ishpiechle of the Creeks has proposed a plan by which the Indians are at some time to become part of the United States as an Indian state. I believe his idea is a good one.”