Condition of Certain Indian
Tribes.
Testimony of G. W. Stidham
Eufaula, Ind. T., May 25, 1885
before the US Senators.
..."the treaty provides that such and such a class
of colored people shall be citizens with equal rights with us in the country---those that we held as slaves,.."
....
Q. Have you some officers who are negroes?
--A. Yes, sir. Some members of the council are negroes, and we have one negro supreme judge, and the captain
of the light horse is a negro.
Q.
Have you any negroes who are school teachers?
--A. Yes, sir.
Q. Is there any discrimination as to holding office, or any other privilege in the nation?
--A. No, sir.
Q. A few moments
ago you spoke of a supreme judge being a negro.
--A. Yes, sir. (Justice Jesse Franklin, Creek Freedmen, Dunn Roll #1268)
Q.
What is the proportion of representation in the council between the negroes and Indians?
--A. The representation is governed by towns in which they
originally lived, instead, as it should be counties. They are represented by the old towns. They are represented in that way,
and the colored people form three towns, according to the population. In one town there is about 1,400 and the representation,
of course, is very large.
Q.How many colored members
are there in the council?
--A. I suppose we have about twenty in one house.
Q. From one town?
--A. No,
sir; from three towns.
Q. Then representation in the house is based upon population?
--A. Yes,
sir.
Q. I will ask you, in the house of warriors what is the proportion of strength
between the negroes and Indians?
--A. I think they have nearly twenty representatives out of ninety.
Q.
How is it in the upper house?
--A. They have three members in the upper house.
Q. Of how many members
does the upper house consist?
--A. It consist of forty five members in all.
Q. Was the negro
judge of the supreme court elected by the Indians?
--A. Yes, sir.
Q. He could not have
been elected without the consent of the Indians?
--A. No , sir.
....
Q.If I understand you, you
consider the negroes who came in under the treaty of 1866--that is to say, those born and raised among you, whose homes are
here and who came in as Creeks under the treaty--are citizens?
--A. Yes, sir; that is what the treaty
says...
Q. Your council consists of two houses?
--A. Yes, sir.
Q. The upper
house is called the house of kings?
--A. Yes, sir.
Q. And the lower house the house of warriors?
--A. Yes, Sir.
Reconstruction Indian Conditions 1866 Mackey, click here
Jesse Franklin, Creek Freedmen, Supreme Court Judge, click here
1879 Senate Committee on Territories Testimonies of Creek Leaders (a vidal read) click here
The Loyal Creek Claims, see which of your ancestors are listed here, click here
The Curtis Act of June 28, 1898, click here
The FINAL COUNCIL OF THE CREEK NATION, click here
Creek Nation writes history, excluding the history of African slavery and the contributions of Creek Freedmen, click here
The Creek Colored Tribal Towns
Arkansas Colored
Canadian Colored
Northfork Colored
Taken from the 1891 Perryman Map of the Creek Nation by Donald A. Wise
In 1891 the Creek Council made a complete census of citizens in the Creek Nation
listing the 48 political towns and their respective population totals. This enumeration included 9,639 Creek Indians and 4,203
Negroes for a total figure of 13,842. Whites, Chinese and Indians from other tribes were not listed since they were
not citizens of the Creek Nation in 1891. The
Executive Council of the Creek Nation was composed of two legislative bodies of elected members. The House of Kings consisting
of 48 members were elected and represented each of the 48 Creek Indian town units shown on this map. The other legislative
body was called the House of Warriors who were entitled to elect one representive from each of the 48 Creek Town Units and
additional representatives for each 200 people living in the designated Creek Town units. This included a total of 98 elected
members representing the House of Warriors in 1891.
Perhaps the most distinctive feature of the Creek government was its use of the town as the unit of elections and administration.
After the Creek Indians were removed west of the Mississippi River to Indian Territory, the people no longer restricted their
residence to the towns, but the older
system of governmental units was preserved
The Creek Nation Census of 1891 had the following population figures for the 48 respective
Creek Indian town units shown on this map:
l. Coweta - 593
2.
Broken Arrow (Thlikachka) - 431
3. Cheyah (Chiaha) - 154
4. Lockarpoka (Tulsa-Arkansas)
- 194
5. Chonchartey (Concharty) - 194
6. Hechetey (Hitchitee) - 182
7.
Cussehta (Cusseta) - 434
8. Taskeka (Tuskegee) - 401
9. Tulsa (Canadian) - 140
10.
Tulsa (Little River) - 360
11. Noyarka (Nuyarka) - 237
12. Alafaske (Okfuskee-Canadian) - 136
13. Arbekoche - 73
14. Arbeka - North Fork - 132
15. Arbeka - Deep Fork - 141
16.
Asselaraapeor Granlief (Ussalarnuppee)[Greenleaf] - 109
17. Oewohka (Wewoka) - 102
18. Tharthoculka
(Fish Pond) - 160
19. Tharprakko (Thlopthlocco) - 334
20. Tokebachee (Tuckabatchee) - 785
21.
Thewahley (Thlewarle) - 196
22. Kialiga (Kialigee) - 246
23. Tokpafka (Tookparfka) - 92
24.
Talmochassee (Talmochussee) - 86
25. Yoofula (Eufaula-Canadian) - 236
26. Yoofula (Eufaula-Deep Fork)
- 133
27. Pakantalahassee (Pukkon Tullahassee) - 102
28. Hillabe (Hillabee) - 109
29.
Chartaksofka -
30. Kichopatake (Kechopatarky) - 391
31. Artussee - 150
32. Tallahossochee
(Tullahassochee) - 59
33. Allabama (Alabama) - 171
34. Wewogufke - 185
35. Osochee - 87
36. Oeokofke (Wewoka) - 102
37. Okeharya (Okchiye) - 212
38. Ocheyapo a (Ochiapofa)[Hickory
Ground] - 331
39. Talwathakko (Tulwa Thlocco) - 171
40. Talartoga (Talledaga) - 159
41.
Hutschechapa (Hutche Chappa) - 196
42. Quassartey (Koasata) No. l - 79
43. Quassartey No. 2 - 48
44. Yoachee (Euchee) - 580
45. Big Spring (Wekiwa Thlocco) - 180
46.
Arkansas (Colored) - 1,970
47. North Fork (Colored) - 789
48. Canadian (Colored)
- l,444
The above article was published
in the Tulsa Annals, vol. XXXI, no. 3 of 3, Summer, 1996, pp. 9-13.
If you are interested in
participating in the reorganization of your ancestor's tribal town, email us your contact information using one of the
following tribal town email addresses.
ArkansasColoredTribalTown@gmail.com
CanadianColoredTribalTown@gmail.com
NorthForkColoredTribalTown@gmail.com
The 1895 Arkansas Colored Tribal Town Roll, click here.
The 1895 Canadian Colored Tribal Town Roll, click here.
The 1895 North Fork Colored Tribal Town Roll, click here.
Arkansas Colored Tribal Town 1895 PAYROLL, click here.
Canadian Colored Tribal twon 1895 PAYROLL, click here.
North Fork Tribal Town 1895 PAYROLL, click here.
Omitted Freedmen on the 1895 Tribal Town Rolls, click here.
Arkansas Colored 1896 Colbert Census Roll, click here.
Canadian Colored 1986 Colbert Census Roll, click here.
Canadian Colored 1896 Colbert Census Roll (hand written), click here.
If you are interested in
participating in the reorganization of your ancestor's tribal town, email us your contact information using one of the
following tribal town email addresses.
ArkansasColoredTribalTown@gmail.com
CanadianColoredTribalTown@gmail.com
NorthForkColoredTribalTown@gmail.com
Towns and Villages of the Creek Confederacy in 18th and 19th Century, click here
Testimonies of Creek Freedmen
Elected Leaders of the Council
Sugar George, click here
Simon Brown, click here
Monday Marshall, click here
Joseph Howard, click here
George Dann, click here
Black, White and Indian, by Claudio Saunt, click here
North Fork Town, click here
Town Site Map of North Fork Town (Please don't confuse this town with the North Fork Colored Tribal Town) click here
The Muscogee (Creek)Nation, click here
Muscogee (Creek) Nation, 1979 and current constitution, click here
The Creek Indian Researcher, click here
Government of the Creek Indians, by Morton, click here
Thomas F. Meagher, Indian Pioneer Papers, click here
