#6700 297, IKDEC CARDS: Ckoctaw Satloa Tribe-Cfcoctai Clioctaw Zaad= Tribal Gofernteent Choctaw Permits Depot aad Customs Living Conditions ^ -*, A.. I.
LEWIS, CHAHUC8 STUART. MTEHYIIW Itta D. Mason Interviewer Joly 14, 1987. \ in Interview with Charles Stewart Lewi a LITE IH THS IHHIAM TERRITOflr FIFTY TEARS AGO. Lewie waa born at North Manchester, CJonnacticut, June 22, 1866. Hit fattier vat Charles Henry Levia, born In Con- - neetleut and hla mother «as Larlnla stamirt, born at Doaksrllle. Both hi a father and aother were Choctawe. Tbe alder Levia vma in the Union Anqr. I had heard «y father tall atorlea about the In* dlan country in the neat and the opportunities it held for young men, so when I was t wtnty-one I decided to neks sy hoas there. When I arriyed in the Indian Territory I found great possibilities. with equal rights to all. The land was held in eoamon we were allowed all the land we needed for our use but BO two fasdlies eould live eaoh other than one quarter mile, we were allowed
LUIS, GHAHLS8 STIWART. IWOSRfXXff. #6TCl6 %W one square mile for pasture, and there, was no liadt to stock on public domdn* Our stock was branded r d narked with our own personal nerk and brand* We had our own got*»maent also and our principal Chief waa elected by the tribe* All our GOTxm enaent expenses were paid by the Tribal Goreraoeat. \ if* <* rite«our raremea from natural raaouroes «4 froa pendta paid by vntmrmm Each ranter paid fire dollars which entitled him to ten head of»dleh cows and as nan? hogs and horses ss ha needed for faming. The Capitol of the Cnoetaw Ration waa at Tuakahoaa. Green MoCurtain was Treasurer of the Chootaw nation and handled the money paid the Indiana for the * land sold to the Goteiment* Under the Indian laws if a mn was found guilty he was givan six nontna^ probation* At the end of the six months he returned to the court to be shot* Very few failed to return, but if one failed to return and stayed away ten' years
LHWIS» CH RL".S STE VART. IKTEBVIEV! 6700 30 0. «. «" - 3 - he could return and be free. If a man stole anything he was given fifty lashers for the first offense. If he committed theft the second time; he was given one-. hundred lashes. If he stole the third time he was hanged* l*here were all-k'thdo of religious beliefs in the tribes, "e had camp meetings at Tilickjack, a place a few miles west of the present village of Tushka.~ No one was charged for food at the meetings. was prepared on the grounds and was free to all. It All demoninationa united and preached and prayed and s mg together. i:uch good was accomplished at these meetings ur trading points were Boggy Depot, Atoka, Cadda, Vahey and Doaksville. The rivers were crossed by fords or ferries. Our schools were divided into districts and our teachers were white men or women who were not citizens of our tribe. The teachers were paid two dollars per child per month. "oney came from the Indian treasury. v»e had boarding schools at different points in the Indian Territory, and we also sent students- to schools in the States. -Te tried to select our most intelligent boys and girls for we wanted to be always
IFWIS, CHILES STEMRT 1MTERVIK?. 6700 * ' 301-4- on the upward trend. among the Choctaws. Prohibition was strictly enforced T^e law makers of the tribe cooperated with the United 5tatee Government officials, and when an Indian was ciu^ht with whisky he was promptly turned over to Government officials. Our roids were worked with free labor, the ige limit being eighteen to forty years. Our houses nnd fences were built by community gatherings, Denison and Paris Texas, e did our banking at v.e crossed the Red River by ferry. Our crops were corn, cotton, grain and vegetables* Tin cans we're used for cunning fruits; and vegetables were dried* There wus a steam gristmill.t Armstrong Academy and a gin was located at Ga^do, and one at " 3 onham / Texas. cotton brought from twenty^ five to forty dollars per bale* Cotton cloth was three and a half to six cents per yard, fhoes were from sixty cents to a dollar and a quarter per pair. Cotton trousers were sixty cents per pair, "en's woolen suits were seven dollars, "ach family dried as mich at- one beef during the fall. The memt was cut into strips, laid in the sun till cured, then hung in the smoke house
LEWIS, CH-'RLKS STEWART' ' mttrvlew ' 6700-5- and emoked with hickory smoke, cured pork was smoked Slso. We ha^d.all the wild honey we, could use and we always tried to take the bee hives with us when we cut down a bee tree* In time we had honey at home. All these hippy times were pa.'.sod near Mahey in thechoctaw Nation,"and though i am an old man the memory of the past is very dear to me. I like to visit ''ahey, Doaksville and tfoggy Tepot where so much of my best years have been spent. 7i 'y nrandmother^'fryphena ill?tew rt, is buried at uoaksville, Indian Territory, and her grave hns this simple inscription: rryphena's Grave.