Learning Our History

Condition of Certain Indian Tribes.
Testimony of G. W. Stidham
Eufaula, Ind. T., May 25, 1885
before the US Senators.

..."the treaty provides that such and such a class of colored people shall be citizens with equal rights with us in the country---those that we held as slaves,.."
....
Q. Have you some officers who are negroes?--A. Yes, sir. Some members of the council are negroes, and we have one negro supreme judge, and the captain of the light horse is a negro.
Q. Have you any negroes who are school teachers?--A. Yes, sir.
Q. Is there any discrimination as to holding office, or any other privilege in the nation?--A. No, sir.
Q. A few moments ago you spoke of a supreme judge being a negro.--A. Yes, sir. (Justice Jesse Franklin, Creek Freedmen, Dunn Roll #1268)
Q. What is the proportion of representation in the council between the negroes and Indians?--
A. The representation is governed by towns in which they originally lived, instead, as it should be counties. They are represented by the old towns. They are represented in that way, and the colored people form three towns, according to the population. In one town there is about 1,400 and the representation, of course, is very large.
Q.How many colored members are there in the council?--A. I suppose we have about twenty in one house.
Q. From one town?--A. No, sir; from three towns.
Q. Then representation in the house is based upon population?--A. Yes, sir.
Q. I will ask you, in the house of warriors what is the proportion of strength between the negroes and Indians?--A. I think they have nearly twenty representatives out of ninety.
Q. How is it in the upper house?--A. They have three members in the upper house.
Q. Of how many members does the upper house consist?--A. It consist of forty five members in all.
Q. Was the negro judge of the supreme court elected by the Indians?--A. Yes, sir.
Q. He could not have been elected without the consent of the Indians?--No , sir.
....
Q.If I understand you, you consider the negroes who came in under the treaty of 1866--that is to say, those born and raised among you, whose homes are here and who came in as Creeks under the treaty--are citizens?--A. Yes, sir; that is what the treaty says.
....
Q. Your council consists of two houses?--A. Yes, sir.
Q. The upper house is called the house of kings?--A. Yes, sir.
Q. And the lower house the house of warriors?--A. Yes, Sir.

The Creek Colored Tribal Towns

Arkansas Colored

Canadian Colored

Northfork Colored

Taken from the 1891 Perryman Map of the Creek Nation by Donald A. Wise
In 1891 the Creek Council made a complete census of citizens in the Creek Nation listing the 48 political towns and their respective population totals. This enumeration included 9,639 Creek Indians and 4,203 Negroes for a total figure of 13,842. Whites, Chinese and Indians from other tribes were not listed since they were not citizens of the Creek Nation in 1891.

The Executive Council of the Creek Nation was composed of two legislative bodies of elected members. The House of Kings consisting of 48 members were elected and represented each of the 48 Creek Indian town units shown on this map. The other legislative body was called the House of Warriors who were entitled to elect one representive from each of the 48 Creek Town Units and additional representatives for each 200 people living in the designated Creek Town units. This included a total of 98 elected members representing the House of Warriors in 1891.

Perhaps the most distinctive feature of the Creek government was its use of the town as the unit of elections and administration. After the Creek Indians were removed west of the Mississippi River to Indian Territory, the people no longer restricted their residence to the towns, but the older
system of governmental units was preserved

The Creek Nation Census of 1891 had the following population figures for the 48 respective Creek Indian town units shown on this map:
l. Coweta - 593
2. Broken Arrow (Thlikachka) - 431
3. Cheyah (Chiaha) - 154
4. Lockarpoka (Tulsa-Arkansas) - 194
5. Chonchartey (Concharty) - 194
6. Hechetey (Hitchitee) - 182
7. Cussehta (Cusseta) - 434
8. Taskeka (Tuskegee) - 401
9. Tulsa (Canadian) - 140
10. Tulsa (Little River) - 360
11. Noyarka (Nuyarka) - 237
12. Alafaske (Okfuskee-Canadian) - 136
13. Arbekoche - 73
14. Arbeka - North Fork - 132
15. Arbeka - Deep Fork - 141
16. Asselaraapeor Granlief (Ussalarnuppee)[Greenleaf] - 109
17. Oewohka (Wewoka) - 102
18. Tharthoculka (Fish Pond) - 160
19. Tharprakko (Thlopthlocco) - 334
20. Tokebachee (Tuckabatchee) - 785
21. Thewahley (Thlewarle) - 196
22. Kialiga (Kialigee) - 246
23. Tokpafka (Tookparfka) - 92
24. Talmochassee (Talmochussee) - 86
25. Yoofula (Eufaula-Canadian) - 236
26. Yoofula (Eufaula-Deep Fork) - 133
27. Pakantalahassee (Pukkon Tullahassee) - 102
28. Hillabe (Hillabee) - 109
29. Chartaksofka -
30. Kichopatake (Kechopatarky) - 391
31. Artussee - 150
32. Tallahossochee (Tullahassochee) - 59
33. Allabama (Alabama) - 171
34. Wewogufke - 185
35. Osochee - 87
36. Oeokofke (Wewoka) - 102
37. Okeharya (Okchiye) - 212
38. Ocheyapo a (Ochiapofa)[Hickory Ground] - 331
39. Talwathakko (Tulwa Thlocco) - 171
40. Talartoga (Talledaga) - 159
41. Hutschechapa (Hutche Chappa) - 196
42. Quassartey (Koasata) No. l - 79
43. Quassartey No. 2 - 48
44. Yoachee (Euchee) - 580
45. Big Spring (Wekiwa Thlocco) - 180

46. Arkansas (Colored) - 1,970

47. North Fork (Colored) - 789

48. Canadian (Colored) - l,444

The above article was published in the Tulsa Annals, vol. XXXI, no. 3 of 3, Summer, 1996, pp. 9-13.

Testimonies of Creek Freedmen
Elected Leaders of the Council

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Creek Freedmen Sandy Tobler served on a jury doing a Creek trail. Just more proof of Creek Freedmen equal citizenship status in the Muscogee (Creek) Nation.

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