Sallie Williams Chickasaw by Blood, Denied

In 1906, attorney, a letter on behalf of Sallie Williams and her family was written to the Department of the Interior, in support of Sallie Williams' request to be removed from the Freedmen roll to that of the roll of Chickasaw By Blood.

Sallie was basing her claim on her relationship to her brother Wyatt Mahardy on the rolls by blood. They are also children on Ann Thomas a Chickasaw woman, and she is stating her claim as a citizen also by blood.

The petition mentioned the people to whom Sallie Williams and her family had ties to, some of whom were on the roll of Chickasaws by Blood. One was Amanda Abram, who was placed on the blood roll during the Dawes enrollment process. She was on the Chickasaw roll of citizens by blood.

National Archives Publication M1186

Chickasaw Roll, Card # 610

(Image of Amanda Abram, courtesy of Black and Red Journal,
shared by Terry Ligon April 25, 2011) 

The children of Sallie Williams actually ended up on a Freedman card. The children Marcus, Cora, Kimble, Maise and Joe, were all on Chickasaw Freedman Card #437.

On the reverse side of the card, Sallie's name does appear as their mother.

Sallie applied however, as a Chickasaw by blood, but she was rejected and placed on a rejected card.

Sallie was interviewed by the Dawes Commission, and it appears that over the years she had been collecting payments as a Chickasaw citizen. She was recognized as Chickasaw, and that was her identity.

Charles Cohee a man well known in the Chickasaw community, testified on her behalf ascertaining that she was Chickasaw, and perceived to be so over the years, and she had even received per capita payments made to Chickasaw Indians.

Unfortunately for Sallie herself, she was not to remain on the roll as a Chickasaw by blood, although he full sister was able to do so, as was her half sister Amanda, and others in her family. This happened to others by blood as well, and in this particular case, the identity of Sallie and her children was changed to that as Freedmen. Her father was a black man, and it was determined that she would not be allowed to receive land allotment as a Chickasaw by blood, and that of her children was affected with them to receive the lesser allotment that was given to those designated as Freedmen. Although she fought against this, claiming the identity that was hers, the final decision denied her from her Chickasaw claim. She was the daughter of her Chickasaw forefathers, nevertheless.