Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 30.djvu/542

 FIFTY-FIFTH CONGRESS. Sess. II. Ch. 517. 1898. 503 and their descendants born since such rolls were made, with such intermarried white persons as may be entitled to Choctaw and Chickasaw citizenship under the treaties and the laws of said tribes. Said commission shall have authority to determine the identity of Tw determine iden- Choctaw lndians claiming rights in the Choctaw lands under article Z‘;§¥.,.{’,{g (Z15g2E2W,; fourteen of the treaty between the United State and the Choctaw C¤¤¤¤W1¤¤¤¤- Nation concluded September twenty-seventh, eighteen hundred and V¤1-7.1>·335- thirty, and to that end they may administer oaths, examine witnes es, and perform all other acts necessary thereto and make report to the Secretary of the Interior. . The roll of Creek freedmen made by J. W. Dunn, under authority of ;:;;*¤¤¤C¢¢¤k¤¤¤¤- the United States, prior to March fourteenth, eighteen hundred and sixty-seven, is hereby confirmed, and said commission is directed to enroll all persons now living whose names are found on said rolls, and all descendants born since the date of said roll to persons whose names are found thereon, with such other persons of African descent as may llaave been rightfully admitted by the lawful authorities of the Creek ation. It shall make a correct roll of all Choctaw freedmen entitled to citi~ ·Ch°°*" ’¤>°*l¤¤¤¤· zenship under the treaties and laws of the Choctaw Nation, and all their descendants born to them since the date of the treaty. It shall make a correct roll of Chickasaw freedmen entitled to any —Chi¤k¤¤¤w fr¤¤•1- rights or benefits under the treaty made in eighteen hundred and sixty- m$]o1.14, p. ms. six between the United States and the Choctaw and Chickasaw tribes and their descendants born to them since the date of said treaty and forty acres of land, including their present residences and improvements, shall be allotted to each, to be selected, held, and used by them until their rights under said treaty shall be determined in such manner as shall be hereafter provided by Congress. ` The several tribes may, by agreement, determine the right of persons . (xm <>f ¤i¤¤:;_¤_¤¤i1> who for any reason may claim citizenship in two or more tribes, and to 3,,, ° °r m°'° lb"' allotment of lands and distribution of moneys belonging to each tribe; but if no such agreement be made, then such claimant shall be entitled to such rights in one tribe only, and may elect in which tribe he will take such right; but if he fail or refuse to make such selection in due time, he shall be enrolled in the tribe with whom he has resided, and · there be given such allotment and distributions, and not elsewhere. No person shall be enrolled who has not heretofore removed to and __§;°,j{°;*l*;:{,m:;:•°· in good faith settled in the nation in which he claims citizenship: Pro- rmat. ' vided, however, That nothing contained in this Act shall be so construed mM¤¤¤i••i1>vi C ¤¤¤- as to militate against any right or privileges which the Mississippi "' (Slhoctawsmay have under the laws of or the treaties with the United tates. Said commission shall make such rolls descriptive of the persons i Aidafv C¤¤{¤1¤¤i¤:i¤¤ thereon, so that they may be thereby identified, and it is authorized to " ""` ”“ '° °‘° °’ take a census of each of said tribes, or to adopt any other means by ·°°¤¤“°· them deemed necessary to enable them to make such rolls. They shall —¤•=·=¤¤· ¤·¤¤>¤1¤>¤¤· have access to all rolls and records of the several tribes, and the United States court in Indian Territory shall have jurisdiction to compel the officers of the tribal governments and custodians of such rolls and records to deliver same to said commission, and on their refusal or failure to do so to punish them as for contempt; as also to require all ;;¤;i;g•$,¤,fn·;¤;g`¤¤;{g¤* citizens of said tribes,. and persons who should be so enrolled, to appear ° ' before said commission for enrolhnent, at such times and places as may be fixed by said commission, and to enforce obedience of all others concerned, so far as the same maybe necessary, to enable said commission to make rolls as herein required, and to punish anyone who may in any manner or by any means obstruct said work. The rolls so made, when approved by the Secretary of the Interior, Forceupf muswuea shall be final, and the persons whose names are found thereon, with '“""° their descendants thereafter born to them, with such persons as may intermarry according to tribal laws, shall alone constitute the several tribes which they represent.