Interior - Bureau of Indian Affairs - Sac and Fox

Dora Schexnidet, one of the first female Indian tribal chiefs, lost re-election as principal chief of the Sac and Fox tribe to John B. McClelland. McClelland, a Tulsa certified public accountant, won the election with 210 votes to 161. Other positions within the tribe were also filled through elections. The tribe opposed a division of judgments based on 1891-92 rolls, preferring a division based on current membership rolls, 1937 rolls, or 1866-67 rolls. The Bureau of Indian Affairs also objected to the use of the 1891-92 rolls due to inaccuracies and irrelevance to the land sales and cessions on which the claims were based.

The Speaker expresses support for H.R. 4016, which would provide for the disposition of funds awarded to the Sac and Fox Nation by the Indian Claims Commission. The legislation aims to divide the funds among the different Sac and Fox tribes, and the Speaker hopes it will be approved by the Subcommittee. Additionally, details about a hearing involving the Chief of the Sac and Fox Tribes in Washington are provided, and legislation is introduced for the distribution of funds to the Sac and Fox Tribes of Iowa, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Nebraska. The Speaker emphasizes the need for prompt action on the proposed legislation to resolve the long-standing dispute over the funds.

The Speaker's office received a letter from Chairman Lloyd Meeds of the House Indian Affairs Subcommittee regarding H.R. 4016, the Sac & Fox bill, which provides for the distribution of the Sac and Fox judgment. The Speaker expressed interest in the legislation and plans to hold hearings on it. Chairman Meeds also received letters of support for the bill from other members of Congress. The Subcommittee is working to resolve the Sac and Fox matter during the current Congress.

The text discusses proposed legislation to distribute approximately $12.5 million awarded by the Indian Claims Commission to the Sac and Fox Nation. The Secretary of the Interior has submitted a draft bill for this purpose, and the Chairman of the Indian Affairs Subcommittee is seeking input from the Oklahoma delegation on introducing the legislation. Details of the awards in three dockets (219, 153, and 135) are provided, along with the history of the funds and the need for legislation for the Indians to benefit from them.

Morris Thompson, Commissioner of Indian Affairs, testifies in support of bill H.R. 4016 to distribute funds to pay judgments in favor of the Sac and Fox Indians from Indian Claims Commission dockets. The bill divides funds based on 1937 census rolls, with the Sac and Fox Tribe of Oklahoma agreeing to this division. There were previous proposals for different divisions based on different criteria, but the current proposal is based on the 1937 census rolls. Thompson opposes using the 1891 and 1892 allotment and annuity rolls as a basis for division.

The Sac and Fox Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma supports H.R. 4016 for the allocation of awards among the three Sac and Fox bands. They believe the awards should be divided based on current tribal membership, while the other two bands and the Department of Interior suggest using population statistics from an earlier date. Despite not being in total agreement, the Oklahoma Sac and Fox are willing to compromise for the sake of resolving the long-standing controversy over the division of claims awards. They believe H.R. 4016 presents a reasonable compromise and support its passage.