Petition of Freeman Sanders and Other Edgartown Men to the Massachusetts Senate and House of Representatives

The non-Indian proprietors send a petition to the State Senate and the House of Representatives requesting that the Indian Guardianship in Dukes County be abolished. They believed it to be unjust and an anti-republican system. It appears that they realized that the tribe had special rights and was recognized as a separate entity, and the tribe’s rights had an impact on their lives. “A species of barbarism” is visible, but has a line through those words to strike them out. Interesting that Joseph Pease and Richard Pease, Commissioner, are shown on the land allotment map that pertains to the Massachusetts Act to Enfranchise Indians of 1869, and possible relatives of theirs signed this petition. Other non-Indian proprietors also signed this petition. Chappaquiddick Wampanoag heard that this petition was submitted, and, on March 9^th, submitted a rebuttal.