Indiana Coleman Dawes Commission Examination

Department of the Interior
Commission to the Five Civilized Tribes
Meridian, Mississippi, April 11, 1901.

In the matter of the application of Indiana Coleman for identification as a Mississippi Choctaw.

Indiana Coleman being first duly sworn testified as follows:
Examination by the Commission:

Q. What is your name

A. Indiana Coleman.

Q. What is your age.

A. 25 years.

Q. What is your post office address?

A. Hale, Clark County, Miss.

Q. How long have you lived in Mississippi.

A. All my life.

Q. Born here and lived here all your life?

A. Yes sir.

Q. You claim to have Choctaw Indian blood?

A. Yes sir.

Q. What proportion?

A. One-fourth.

Q. Is your father living?

A. Yes sir.

Q. What is his name?

A. Alex Allen.

Q. Where does he live?

A. In Clark County, Miss.

Q. He does not claim to have Choctaw Indian blood does he?

A. No.

Q. Is he Negro?

A. Yes, I think his father was a white man.

Q. Is your mother living?

A. Yes sir.

Q.   What is her name?

A.   Candis Allen.

Q.  She claims to have Choctaw blood?

A.  Yes sir.

Q. What proportion?

A.  Half.

Q.  The other half is Negro, is it?

A.  I reckon so; don?t know.

Q.  You get your Indian blood solely through you mother?

A.  Yes.

Q.  Are you married?

A.  Yes sir.

Q.  Is your husband living?

A.  Yes sir.

Q.  Does he claim to be a Choctaw?

A.  No sir.

Q.  Have you any children?

A.  No sir.

Q.  You make no claim for anyone besides yourself?

A.  That is all.

Q.  Have you ever received any benefits whatever as a Choctaw?

A.. No

Is your name on the Choctaw tribal rolls in Indian Territory?

A.  Yes, I reckon.

Q.  What makes you think it is?  You have never been out there have you?

A.  No.

Q.  You don?t know, as a matter of fact, whether it is or not?

A.  No.

Q.  Did you ever make any attempt to have your name placed on the Choctaw tribal rolls?

A.  No sir.

Q.  Did anyone ever attempt to have it put there for you?

A.  No

Q.  Have you ever made application to the tribal authorities for citizenship in  the Choctaw nation?

A.  No sir.

Q.  Did you make application to this Commission in 1896 for citizenship in the Choctaw nation?

A.  No sir.

Q.  You then, never have been admitted to citizenship in the Choctaw nation either by this Commission, by the Choctaw tribal authorities or by the United States court on appeal, have you?

A.  No sir.

Q.  You never have been recognized in any manner as a citizen of the Choctaw nation?

A.  No sir.

Q.  Do you now apply for identification as a Mississippi Choctaw?

A.  Yes sir.

Q.  What makes you think that you are entitled to be identified as a Mississippi Choctaw?

A.  I don?t know.

Q.  What makes you think you are entitled to be identified as a Mississippi Choctaw?

A.  I don?t know.

Q.  What makes you think you are entitled to rights as a Mississippi Choctaw?

A.  I have always heard my mother?s father was a Choctaw; they told me they  was driven away.

Q.  You think because you have Choctaw blood that you are entitled to be identified as a Mississippi Choctaw and get land in Indian Territory?

A. Yes sir.

Q. Do you want to claim under any particular treaty between the United States and the Choctaws:  Do you know what a treaty is?

A. No sir.

Q. It is an agreement.  In 1830 the United States and Choctaw Indians entered into an agreement by which the Choctaws were to remove out west of the Mississippi river to the new country.  Do you want to claim under that treaty?

A. Yes sir.

Q. Do you know anything about it?

A. No sir.

Q. Did you ever hear of it before this time?

A. No, not as I know of; I have always heard of Indian Territory, but I didn’t know nothing about it.

Q. You didn’t know how the Indians got out there?

A. No.

Q. The Commission is here for the purpose of hearing applicants for identification as Mississippi Choctaws claiming a right in the Choctaw lands in Indian Territory under the provisions of the 14th article of the treaty of 1830.  Do you want to claim under that 14th article?

A.  Yes sir.

Q.  Do you know what it contains?

A.  No.

Q.  Do you know anything that is in it at all?

A.  No sir.

Q. What makes you think you ought to claim under it then? Just because you have Choctaw blood?

A.  Yes sir.

Q.  Have you any evidence that any of your ancestors ever complied with any of its terms?

A.  No sir.

Q.  How old is your mother?

A.  About 49 years.

Q.  Who did she get her Indian blood through?

A.  Father.

Q.  What is his name?

A.  John?I don’t know anything but John; some said John Thompson and some said John Smith.

Q.  She was a slave was she? Your mother?

A.  Yes sir.

Q.  Your father was a slave?

A.  Yes sir.

Q.  You claim your mother?s father was a full blood Choctaw?

A.  Yes.

Q.  There were no full blood Choctaws slaves.

A.  I don’t know whether he was a slave or not; they just said he was a full blood Choctaw.

Q.  You would not be willing to swear positively that he was a full blood?

A.  No, nothing but what I have heard.

Q.  Did you ever see him?

A.  No.

Q.  Do you speak the Choctaw language?

A.  No sir.

Q.  Does your mother speak it?

A.  No, she did when she was small.

Q.  Does you mother speak the Choctaw language?

A.  No.

Q.  Do you know whether your mother’s father was living in Mississippi in 1830 or not 70 years ago?

A.  Yes, I reckon he was; he died when I was about a year and six months old.

Q.  You can’t swear positively that he was living here in 1830?

A.  No, because I was not here.

Q.  Wasn’t he living in Alabama at that time?

A.  I don’t know.

Q.  You don’t know as a matter of fact whether our Choctaw ancestors were living here in Mississippi in 1830 when this treaty was made, do you?

A.  No sir.

Q.  Do you know whether any of your Choctaw ancestors ever claimed or received any land in Mississippi under the provisions of the 14th article of the treaty of 1830?

A.  I never have heard of it

Q.  Does your mother own any land in Mississippi?

A.  No sir.

Q.  Ever own any?

A.  No

Q.  Did her father ever own any?

A.  No, I don?t reckon he did.

Q.  Do you this any of your ancestors ever got any land from the Government?

A.  No.

Q.   Do you think your grandparents got any?

A.  No, I haven?t heard them say.

Q.  Do you know your mother?s father and mother?s names?

A.  No I don?t know them.

Q.  You don?t know where they lived?

A.  No.

Q.  Do you know whether any of them were living here in Mississippi in 1830 or not?

A.  No sir.

Q.  Do you know whether your ancestors ever received any land or money in the state of Mississippi?

A.  No sir.

Q.  Do you know whether they ever got any money from the Government?

A.  No sir.

Q. Do you know whether any of your Choctaw ancestors ever got any money from the Government?

A. No sir.

Q. Did any of your Choctaw ancestors ever move out to the Choctaw Nation, Indian Territory?

A.  Not as I know of.

Q.  Is there any additional statement in regard to your case that you want to make at this time?

A.  Not as I knows of.

Q.  Are there any papers that you want to file in support of your application?

A.  Hudson & Arnold, attorneys for applicant ask leave to file written evidence in support of this claim.  Permission is granted attorneys for applicant to filed written evidence in support of this claim if filed within thirty days of the date hereof.  You will be furnished at a later date with a copy of the decision of the Commission with regard to the application you make for identification as a Mississippi Choctaw, mailed to you at your present post-office address.  This applicant claims to be ¼ Choctaw Indian.  From her color, features and hair it would appear that she might be possessed of Indian blood.

 

Frances R. Brown having been first duly sworn upon oath states that as stenographer to the Commission to the Five Civilized Tribes she reported in full all proceedings had in the above entitled cause on the 11th day of April, 1901, and that the above and foregoing is a full, true and correct transcript of her stenographic notes of said proceedings on said date.

Frances R. Brown

Subscribed and sworn to before me this 16th day of
April, 1901, at Meridian, Mississippi.
Unreadable Signature
Notary Public

 


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