Natives versus Army: the Crazy Snake Rebellion, 1909
Most people think of Indian Wars as being something that only happened in the 19th century. True, most conflicts with Native peoples had ceased by the 1880's, with the Apaches being among the last major opponents. However, unrest continued to flare into the first decades of the 20th century. One of these hot spots was Indian Territory itself, the soon-to-be State of Oklahoma.
The treaties made with the Five Southeastern Tribes during the era of Indian Removal had promised them self government on their land, which was held in common among members of the tribe as a whole. As White settlers poured into Oklahoma and prepared for admission as a state, something had to be done to entice more settlers to the area and curtail the rights and powers of the various tribes. Under the guise of assimilating Natives to White society, the government came up with the idea of allotting each family their own plot of land similar to a homestead and, in 1895, began surveying the tribal lands to prepare for this. Native leaders opposed this, not just for the simplistic reason that communal ownership was more in keeping with tribal custom but also for the very self-evident reason that anyone could see that, after allotment, thousands of acres of tribal land could be stripped away and opened to settlement. The U.S. passed the Dawes Act in 1896, which provided for 160 acre allotments to each Native family.
Many Creek Natives thought they had a solution, since their treaties provided them self government on their own land. In 1898, those who opposed allotment simply voted to disallow it on Creek land. Congress passed the Curtis Act, which stripped Native tribes, but in particular the Five Southeastern Tribes, of all right to self-government. Washington then proceeded to appoint leaders whom it felt would be amenable to federal interests. Chitto Harjo was a leader of the Four Mothers Society, a religious movement within the Southeastern tribes. He and other like minded Creek proceeded to meet near Henryetta, Oklahoma and form their own government, with Harjo as Principal Chief, an assistant chief and a legislature. Government authorities declared this government invalid and continued to work with their appointed tribal governments. Chitto Harjo, whose name roughly translates into Crazy Snake, organized a troop of cavalry known as Lighthorse to harass anyone who submitted to allotment. (A word on his name. Harjo/Hadjo or Crazy is a Muscogean honorific for a warrior who was known for his recklessness in battle. It didn't mean mental imbalance.)
In 1907, as Oklahoma achieved statehood, authorities began imposing Jim Crow segregation laws on the black population. This included blacks who were tribal freedmen, i.e., who were former slaves or descendants of former slaves of the Southeastern tribes. Many of these people were mixed race and considered themselves Natives. Angry freedman and blacks began to coalesce around Harjo's group. In 1909, during an annual meeting of traditional Creeks gathered along with Creek freedman and other blacks. Citizens in a neighboring town accused some of the blacks of having stolen smoked meat from a farmer's smokehouse. A posse went to Harjo's encampment to serve warrants for the arrest of the accused blacks. The blacks refused to surrender, indicating that they were tribal citizens and not subject to local authority. A battle broke out and one black man was killed, 32 others arrested.
On March 27, 1909, a posse from McIntosh County attempted to arrest Chitto Harjo himself. They raided a cabin where he was believed to be hiding and started the building on fire. In the ensuing confusion, they only found one woman who was badly injured during the fire, but no sign of Harjo. By this time, vigilantes were beginning to form, mostly with the intent of harassing blacks, both Native and otherwise. The Oklahoma governor called out the National Guard. Units of the 8th U.S. Cavalry were also dispatched to Oklahoma to quell any disturbances and try to arrest Harjo. In the end, he was never arrested. The rebellion died down as quickly as it had begun. Harjo died in 1911 in either Choctaw territory or Mexico.
The treaties made with the Five Southeastern Tribes during the era of Indian Removal had promised them self government on their land, which was held in common among members of the tribe as a whole. As White settlers poured into Oklahoma and prepared for admission as a state, something had to be done to entice more settlers to the area and curtail the rights and powers of the various tribes. Under the guise of assimilating Natives to White society, the government came up with the idea of allotting each family their own plot of land similar to a homestead and, in 1895, began surveying the tribal lands to prepare for this. Native leaders opposed this, not just for the simplistic reason that communal ownership was more in keeping with tribal custom but also for the very self-evident reason that anyone could see that, after allotment, thousands of acres of tribal land could be stripped away and opened to settlement. The U.S. passed the Dawes Act in 1896, which provided for 160 acre allotments to each Native family.Many Creek Natives thought they had a solution, since their treaties provided them self government on their own land. In 1898, those who opposed allotment simply voted to disallow it on Creek land. Congress passed the Curtis Act, which stripped Native tribes, but in particular the Five Southeastern Tribes, of all right to self-government. Washington then proceeded to appoint leaders whom it felt would be amenable to federal interests. Chitto Harjo was a leader of the Four Mothers Society, a religious movement within the Southeastern tribes. He and other like minded Creek proceeded to meet near Henryetta, Oklahoma and form their own government, with Harjo as Principal Chief, an assistant chief and a legislature. Government authorities declared this government invalid and continued to work with their appointed tribal governments. Chitto Harjo, whose name roughly translates into Crazy Snake, organized a troop of cavalry known as Lighthorse to harass anyone who submitted to allotment. (A word on his name. Harjo/Hadjo or Crazy is a Muscogean honorific for a warrior who was known for his recklessness in battle. It didn't mean mental imbalance.)
In 1907, as Oklahoma achieved statehood, authorities began imposing Jim Crow segregation laws on the black population. This included blacks who were tribal freedmen, i.e., who were former slaves or descendants of former slaves of the Southeastern tribes. Many of these people were mixed race and considered themselves Natives. Angry freedman and blacks began to coalesce around Harjo's group. In 1909, during an annual meeting of traditional Creeks gathered along with Creek freedman and other blacks. Citizens in a neighboring town accused some of the blacks of having stolen smoked meat from a farmer's smokehouse. A posse went to Harjo's encampment to serve warrants for the arrest of the accused blacks. The blacks refused to surrender, indicating that they were tribal citizens and not subject to local authority. A battle broke out and one black man was killed, 32 others arrested.
On March 27, 1909, a posse from McIntosh County attempted to arrest Chitto Harjo himself. They raided a cabin where he was believed to be hiding and started the building on fire. In the ensuing confusion, they only found one woman who was badly injured during the fire, but no sign of Harjo. By this time, vigilantes were beginning to form, mostly with the intent of harassing blacks, both Native and otherwise. The Oklahoma governor called out the National Guard. Units of the 8th U.S. Cavalry were also dispatched to Oklahoma to quell any disturbances and try to arrest Harjo. In the end, he was never arrested. The rebellion died down as quickly as it had begun. Harjo died in 1911 in either Choctaw territory or Mexico.
Comments
Post a Comment