In 1873 the Chickasaw Nation passed legislation to adopt the formerly enslaved people of their nation as citizens. The legislation was forwarded to the United States House of Representatives for approval and ratification.
The House to this day has not acted upon this legislation to fulfill their fiduciary responsibility that was an important part of the Treaty of Fort Smith in 1866.
42nd
CONGRESS, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Ex. Doc 3d Session No. 207
NEGROES OF THE CHICKASAW NATION
LETTER
FROM
THE SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR,
TRANSMITTING
An act passed b the legislature of the Chickasaw Nation entitled “An act to adopt the negroes of the Chickasaw Nation,” &c. February 13, 1873 Referred to the Committee on Freedmen’s Affairs and ordered to be printed.
D
EPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR,Washington, D. C., February 10, 1873
Sir: I have the honor to transmit herewith copy of a communication from the Acting Commissioner of Indian Affairs, dated the 4th instant, inclosing a communication to him from Douglas H. Cooper, of the Chickasaw Nation, dated the 23d ultimo, together with a letter addressed to the President of the United States, by Cyrus Harris, governor of said nation, dated the 10th ultimo, transmitting an act of the Chickasaw legislature providing for the adoption of negroes in the Chickasaw country, referred to in the third article of the treaty with the Choctaws and Chickasaws, concluded April 28, 1866. (Statutes at Large, vol. 10, P. 769)
A careful examination of these communications exhibits the fact that the third article of the treaty referred to remains unexecuted. Neither the Choctaws nor Chickasaws have made such rules and regulations as were contemplated in said article in regard to persons of African descent residing iii their respective nations, within two years after the ratification of the aforesaid treaty. The Choctaw Nation has never, at any time, attempted the execution of this treaty in regard to said persons, and what has been done by the Chickasaw Nation was done after the expiration of the two years in which their action was limited by the treaty aforesaid.
Deeming it important that the provisions of said treaty be carried out, I have respectfully to recommend that such legislation be had during the present session of Congress, it possible, as will extend the time in all respects for the execution of the provisions of the third article of the treaty before referred to, for the term of two years from the 1st day of July, 1873.
Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
C. DELANO,
Secretary,
Hon. J
AS. G. BLAINE,Speaker U. S. House of Representatives, Washington, D. C.