"A Dangerous Element": Politics of White Citizenship and Land Use in the Chickasaw Nation, 1866-1890

Abstract

In 1866, the Chickasaw Nation signed a treaty with the United States that ushered in an era defined by access to Chickasaw land and citizenship. Chickasaw law stipulated that any citizen of the nation could utilize the land held in common so long as they could afford to work it. Chickasaws built homes, businesses, and a thriving economy through this process. But citizenship was not reserved only for Chickasaws-by-birth. Article 38 of the 1866 Treaty stipulated that any White person who married a Chickasaw citizen would be treated as though they were Chickasaw themselves. With the addition of non-citizens living in the nation, demand for land increased. Chickasaw politicians faced and resisted this demand and pressure to relinquish their sovereignty to non-citizens by constructing permit systems and limiting White access to Chickasaw lands. However, two competing visions of Chickasaw sovereignty emerged within the nation that culminated in the election of 1888. This thesis examines the political conflict of 1888, illustrating how Chickasaw politicians sought to preserve their nation’s autonomy and future in Indian Territory.