Louina King was a Restricted Indian. When oil was discovered in Seminole county, it was ironic that the section of land she had been allotted was one of the most oil rich sections in the county. At the height of production when prices were at a peak her oil royalty revenue was $15,000 to $16,000 per month. This income had accumulated to $250,000 as of 1931 and all this income was in the hands of the Superintendent of the Five Civilized Tribes under the jurisdiction of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs. As a Restricted Indian, she was given a monthly allowance but otherwise had no control of her assets.
Beginning in 1929 she began to petition the Commissioner of Indian Affairs for use of some of her very large reserves of cash beyond her monthly allowance. She wanted to buy more land, 80 acres, and 20 head of thoroughbred white faced cattle. She wanted to buy a new car. In a letter to US Senator William Pines seeking advice in April 1929 she wrote:
“I am advised that you can help the Indians who are unable to help themselves under the present system, so I am appealing to you for assistance. I have quite an amount of money and I am in poor health and do not expect to live a great while and would like to have the use and benefit of my money now instead of leaving a large sum to be dissipated after I am gone. I have asked for an exchange of cars. I want the best I can buy and I have been denied this – Can anything be done about it? I make application for what I desire but can have only what the Agent wants me to have and our tastes are not alike – Please advise me and I will appreciate it. –
Louina Walker King – Holdenville, Okla
There is a stark lack of understanding of tribal culture when Henry Scattergood, Assistant Commissioner of Indian Affairs complains to A. McMillan Superintendent of the Five Civilized Tribes that Louina is continually surrounded by a large number of people whom she gives money to and that “to increase her monthly allowance would only add to the number of persons that are now living at the place.” In January of 1930 Commissioner of Indian Affairs Charles Rhoads responded to her, “Careful consideration has been given your requests and it is not believed it would be in your best interest to grant them at this time. “
She hired Washington DC attorney F.M. Goodwin to represent her and he approached Rhoads in the fall of 1930 on her behalf to secure funds from her own account. He was unsuccessful.
With her health failing and with no success in securing the use of her money, in the summer of 1931, she marshaled a campaign of highly placed officials to advocate on her behalf in Washington to Commissioner Rhoads. Through Wewoka attorney C.H. Drew she had US Congressmen W.W. Hastings, Wilburn Cartwright, Tom McKeown, Wesley Disney, US Senators Thomas Gore and Elmer Thomas, and the Secretary of War Patrick Hurley all write on her behalf requesting assistance and a meeting with the Commissioner. She wrote directly her request in a letter to Rhoads July 2, 1931. Scattergood and Rhoads agreed to meet with her July 9. They rendered their decision immediately in the meeting and told her that “it would not be in her best interest to grant her request” and it was denied. In a remarkable note in the file at the National Archives clipped to the letter from Scattergood formally denying her request, in his own handwriting, he advises his colleagues “on the policy in general let us stick to our guns as per this letter as amended”.
I suggest Mr. Moose, and Mr. Gray and D Marshall get together on the few files about which question is raised by Mr. Moose. On the policy in general, let us stick to our guns as per this letter as amended.
Henry Scattergood
Louina King’s account continued to grow and by the year 1938 there was an accumulation of $403,000 in bonds held in her account. She was in terrible health and had documentation from her physician Dr. Wallace of Holdenville stating her unfavorable condition. She was requesting still what she had in 1929, which was her money, to buy land and cattle. The Superintendent wrote in his letter to the Commissioner, “I cannot recommend this payment as I do not see how she could receive any benefit therefrom, except possibly the pleasure of giving it away. I am informally advised that she has in mind the purchase of 320 acres of land in Pontotoc County and a herd of white faced cattle, but in the present condition of her health she would be unable personally to take any interest in such a venture, and in the end it would very likely result in a complete loss…We have given this application careful consideration, and in view of all the conditions, it is my recommendation that it be DISAPPROVED. (All caps his).
Louina Walker King died October 18, 1938 without succeeding with her request.
This record of many years of disregard for a Native woman, is found in Louina King’s file in the National Archives in boxes of records of the Office of Indian Affairs. The documentation linked below was copied from her file .
The US congressmen, senators, and Secretary of War’s letters to the Commissioner of Indian Affairs are viewable below. The letters written from Louina King to Senator Pines and the CIA are here as well. Nancy Tea Jacobs, a childhood friend of Louina’s wrote because she had been trying to sell land to Louina for years. Louina’s physician’s appeal and statement regarding her health appears below. The correspondence is presented in chronological order: