Light-Horse Indian Police

[Couvi]

Light-Horse Indian Police

The Light-Horse in the Indian Territory, by Caroline Thomas Foreman, is an excellent article on early law enforcement in the Indian Territory.

The Five Civilized Tribes, the Cherokee, Seminole, Choctaw, Creek and Chickasaw, organized a mounted police forces and were directed to carry out laws among these Native American groups. A great many of their actions were at their discretion and illustrated unusual solutions to certain situations.

http://digital.library.okstate.edu/chro ... 34p017.pdf

This site illustrates some actions involving members of the tribal Light-Horse officers.

http://www.oklemem.com/Agencies/Tribal% ... cement.htm

http://www.seminolenation-indianterrito ... thorse.htm

Some current Light-Horse activites:

http://www.nativenewsnetwork.com/chicka ... ition.html

http://www.chickasaw-government-nsn.gov ... 394342.htm

Indian Police is another oft neglected activity in the Law Enforcement among the Native American populations. Indian Police could go into situations, and act effectively, where a White or Black officer would have been stone-walled at best, or have had the natives working against them at worst.

Images:

http://www.cowanauctions.com/auctions/i ... emId=80676

http://www.cowansauctions.com/auctions/ ... emId=14069

http://www.archives.gov/research/native ... t-002.html

[mnhorse]

I just read TOWARD THE SETTING SUN (or some version of the title) by Brain Hicks. Mostly about the "Cherokee Removal". The book made John Ross look like a hero. I guess there are other opinions of him.
To the point, the Light Horse came up several times in the book. Everything from its involvement of the suppression of the Creek Red Sticks to a little night riding vigilantism in The Indian Territory.
I just took the book back to the library or I'd go into a little more detail.
Richard