Chitto Harjo

He resisted changes which the US government and local leaders wanted to impose to achieve statehood for what became Oklahoma.

These included extinguishing tribal governments and civic institutions and breaking up communal lands into allotments to individual households, with United States sales of the "surplus" to European-American and other settlers.

He was a traditionalist, belonging to the minority of the tribe who remained loyal to the Union during the American Civil War.

[3] Later in the century, traditionalists worked to reinstate the tribal government of 1867 and to enforce treaty rights with the United States.

[4] While a young man, Chitto Harjo was allied with the federalists or Loyalists led by Opothleyahola, who moved the group to Kansas in 1861 with the start of the American Civil War.

He and many of these Creek men were recruited to the Union Army and served with federal forces in the Civil War.

In testimony in 1906, he said that he had believed this service, in a war between the white men and one which did not concern the Indians, would help ensure the maintenance of government promises to his people.

Congress created the Dawes Commission in 1896 to carry out the allotment of lands for the Five Civilized Tribes.

This group sought to revive the traditional practices and solidarity between related tribes that had been relocated to Oklahoma from the southeastern United States.

In 1900 a meeting at Harjo's ceremonial grounds of Old Hickory declared the chief Pleasant Porter deposed for having violated the 1867 Creek Constitution while cooperating with the allotment process.

They founded a police force, known as Lighthorse, and attempted to dissuade the Creek from accepting allotment of lands.

During the next five years, the majority of the tribe accepted the changes and were allotted individual plots of land, in preparation for the territory to be admitted to statehood as Oklahoma.

[4] In 1906 members of a Special Senate Investigating Committee visited the Indian Territory to learn more about the issues and why some of the Muscogee Creek people were resisting changes.

[4] It is often quoted for the phrase, "as long as the grass grows", used in regard to the promised perpetuity of Indian treaties and agreements with the US government.

In 1909, after Oklahoma had achieved statehood and passed Jim Crow laws like those of neighboring states of Arkansas and Texas, a group of African Americans came to Harjo's grounds seeking refuge.

During the time of the March meeting of the Four Mothers Society, local European-Americans said that a piece of smoked meat had been stolen from them.

Fearing an alliance between the Creek and the African Americans, they called together a white posse to break up the black encampment.

[6] Whites began to get arms, wanting to break up the Creek-black encampment and to arrest Chitto Harjo, known as a conservative leader.

Two white deputies were quickly killed and others were wounded; Harjo and his followers escaped to the old Choctaw Nation.

The commanding officer found that whites were causing most of the problem and forced the disbanding of posses in the area.

Harjo took refuge with Daniel Bob, a Choctaw conservative leader, in McCurtain County, Oklahoma.

Harjo, along with several representatives of Cherokee, Creek, and other tribes strongly opposed breaking up tribal land into individual allotments.

"[7][8] Harjo gave this further testimony: "I will begin with a recital of the relations of the Creeks with the Government of the United States from 1861 and I will explain it so you will understand it.

"Now, coming down to 1832 and referring to the agreements between the Creek people and the Government of the United States; What has occurred since 1832 until today?

In my old home in Alabama and all through the south part of the Nation and out in this country, these black people were held in slavery and up in the North there were no slaves.

When I took the oath, I raised my hand and called God to witness that I was ready to die in the cause that was right and to help my father defend his treaties.

I served the father faithfully and as a reward, I regained my country back again and I and my children will remain on it and live upon it as we did in the old time.

I am informed and believe it to be true that some citizens of the United States have title to land that was given to my fathers and my people by the Government.

Senator Teller of the Committee enquired of Mr. Hodge, the interpreter, "Do you believe that the old man is honest in his statements?"

Mr. Hodge very readily and with emphasis answered, "Yes sir, he is as honest and straight forward and sincere in his statements as a living man can be."