copyright 2009, Polly's Granddaughter - TCB
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Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Tombstone Tuesday - Lizzie Tadpole Hooker
Our Dear, Beloved Cousin, Lizzie
Lizzie Tadpole was born May 8, 1905 in Cherokee Nation, Ind
ian Territory, the daughter of Tiger and Sallie (Phillips) Tadpole. She was listed on the Final Dawes Roll as a fullblood and was given money in lieu of land. Her parents obtained the allotment of her late grandmother, Polly Vann Tadpole, for her and her sister, Betsy. Later, that land was condemned by the Corps of Engineers for the construction of the Fort Gibson Dam and Lizzie purchased another 'homestead'. That land is still in the family today. Lizzie was nearly 4
0 when she finally married her husband, James T. "Skinner" Hooker. They spent time hunting and fishing and traveling. They never had children. When Lizzie died, she was only 3 months from her 95th birthday. Though many strive to live a long life, Lizzie expressed sadness that she had outlived her husband, her parents and all her siblings. She said she didn't know why she had to live so long and added that she felt like Methuselah. Toward the end of her life, Lizzie refused to speak anything other than the Cherokee language. She died March 1, 2000 and was buried in the Hogan Cemetery in Locust Grove, Oklahoma beside her husband, Skinner.
With Lizzie's passing, our family lost not only a beloved cousin, but a connection to our past that will forever be mourned. Lizzie was our family's last living original Dawes enrollee. When she died, our living connection to the historical Cherokee Nation died too. The sadness that brings to my heart is something I can never put into words.
Rest in peace, Lizzie, among your family and fellow citizens of our great, historic nation.
copyright 2009, Polly's Granddaughter - TCB
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Monday, October 26, 2009
Stealing the Identity of Indians
On my father's side, I have ancestors who immigrated to the United States from Germany. I don't speak German and I don't know anything about German history other than the few things I have learned from world history classes. When my German ancestors left their native country to become citizens of the United States, they had to renounce their citizenship to their old country and swear their allegiance to their new one. By doing so they not only forfeited their own citizenship and rights to their native country, but also that of all their descendants.
What if I decided I wanted to be German, but since the government there would not recognize me as a citizen, I started my own nation called "The German Nation of the United States"? What if I sold citizenship cards to other people who were also not accepted as German citizens? What if I and my fellow "Germans" started having gatherings where the public was invited to share in our versions of German culture and learn our versions of German traditions? What if we sang songs in our version of the German language? What if we told our family stories and said they were part of German history even though those stories were in direct contrast to actual German history? What if we said we were the "free Germans" who refused to be held under the iron fist of Hitler or any other German government? What if we petitioned the United Nations for recognition as our own nation? Would this be absurd? Of course it would. Would it be an insult to real German people? Of course it would. If someone did something like that, it would be viewed as terribly wrong and people everywhere would oppose it.
If it is wrong to do this to a recognized nation in the world, then why is it okay to do it to a federally recognized Indian nation? Federal recognition is not something handed out willy nilly by the government. Recognition is a legal term that means theUnited State United States
For Cherokees, this means after the forced removal, one had to be living either in Indian Territory or among the Eastern Cherokees in North Carolina. There were no other Cherokee communities in the United States that had a government to government relationship with the United States. Any former citizens of the historical Cherokee Nation had renounced their citizenship and had become citizens of the United States, just like any other person who had left the nation of their birth. This means they not only forfeited their own citizenship and rights to the Cherokee Nation, but also the citizenship and rights of all their descendants.
There are only three federally recognized Cherokee tribes in the United States, the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. But, there are over 200 fake Cherokee tribes masquerading as authentic Indians. These fake tribes are often composed of people who have no documented connection to the historical Cherokee Nation. Despite this, these people claim to be Cherokee and start their own "tribes" since they are not accepted by any of the three authentic tribes.
These "tribes" offer membership with little to no proof of any Cherokee ancestry required. They hold gatherings and pow wows where they "teach" their ideas of Cherokee history and tradition. They sing in bad versions of the Cherokee language and tell their family stories as if they are actually part of Cherokee history even though there is no proof to verify what they claim. These "tribes" call themselves the free, disenfranchised or lost Cherokee. Often the people in these tribes claim their ancestors refused to "sign the roll" or refused to bow down to the government. These tribes clog up the federal recognition process with their attempts to become accepted and recognized as Cherokees. Is this absurd? Of course it is. Is this an insult to real Cherokee people? Of course it is. But, people do this all the time and few people, other than real Cherokees, see anything wrong with it.
Well, there is something wrong with it. These people are making money by impersonating Indians and in my opinion, it is both morally and criminally wrong. After all, if I made money by pretending to be a well known person, I would probably be arrested for criminal impersonation. These fake tribes should be no different.
The authentic Cherokee tribes are made up of descendants of those listed on either the Dawes or Baker Rolls. Those rolls include the names of citizens who stayed with their nations; helped clear and farm their nations' land; helped build their nations' businesses and schools; participated in their nations' governments; and defended their nations in times of war and unrest. Through their loyalty to their nations, those Cherokee citizens paid the price for their descendants to have the right to call themselves Cherokee. No one else has that right. In the past, everyone wanted to steal our land. Now they want to steal our identity. What is next? Our first born child? Oh, wait, that's been done already..........When will these crimes against Indians stop?
Those are my thoughts for today.
Thank you for reading.
CC
The Granddaughter
What if I decided I wanted to be German, but since the government there would not recognize me as a citizen, I started my own nation called "The German Nation of the United States"? What if I sold citizenship cards to other people who were also not accepted as German citizens? What if I and my fellow "Germans" started having gatherings where the public was invited to share in our versions of German culture and learn our versions of German traditions? What if we sang songs in our version of the German language? What if we told our family stories and said they were part of German history even though those stories were in direct contrast to actual German history? What if we said we were the "free Germans" who refused to be held under the iron fist of Hitler or any other German government? What if we petitioned the United Nations for recognition as our own nation? Would this be absurd? Of course it would. Would it be an insult to real German people? Of course it would. If someone did something like that, it would be viewed as terribly wrong and people everywhere would oppose it.
If it is wrong to do this to a recognized nation in the world, then why is it okay to do it to a federally recognized Indian nation? Federal recognition is not something handed out willy nilly by the government. Recognition is a legal term that means the
For Cherokees, this means after the forced removal, one had to be living either in Indian Territory or among the Eastern Cherokees in North Carolina. There were no other Cherokee communities in the United States that had a government to government relationship with the United States. Any former citizens of the historical Cherokee Nation had renounced their citizenship and had become citizens of the United States, just like any other person who had left the nation of their birth. This means they not only forfeited their own citizenship and rights to the Cherokee Nation, but also the citizenship and rights of all their descendants.
There are only three federally recognized Cherokee tribes in the United States, the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. But, there are over 200 fake Cherokee tribes masquerading as authentic Indians. These fake tribes are often composed of people who have no documented connection to the historical Cherokee Nation. Despite this, these people claim to be Cherokee and start their own "tribes" since they are not accepted by any of the three authentic tribes.
These "tribes" offer membership with little to no proof of any Cherokee ancestry required. They hold gatherings and pow wows where they "teach" their ideas of Cherokee history and tradition. They sing in bad versions of the Cherokee language and tell their family stories as if they are actually part of Cherokee history even though there is no proof to verify what they claim. These "tribes" call themselves the free, disenfranchised or lost Cherokee. Often the people in these tribes claim their ancestors refused to "sign the roll" or refused to bow down to the government. These tribes clog up the federal recognition process with their attempts to become accepted and recognized as Cherokees. Is this absurd? Of course it is. Is this an insult to real Cherokee people? Of course it is. But, people do this all the time and few people, other than real Cherokees, see anything wrong with it.
Well, there is something wrong with it. These people are making money by impersonating Indians and in my opinion, it is both morally and criminally wrong. After all, if I made money by pretending to be a well known person, I would probably be arrested for criminal impersonation. These fake tribes should be no different.
The authentic Cherokee tribes are made up of descendants of those listed on either the Dawes or Baker Rolls. Those rolls include the names of citizens who stayed with their nations; helped clear and farm their nations' land; helped build their nations' businesses and schools; participated in their nations' governments; and defended their nations in times of war and unrest. Through their loyalty to their nations, those Cherokee citizens paid the price for their descendants to have the right to call themselves Cherokee. No one else has that right. In the past, everyone wanted to steal our land. Now they want to steal our identity. What is next? Our first born child? Oh, wait, that's been done already..........When will these crimes against Indians stop?
Those are my thoughts for today.
Thank you for reading.
CC
The Granddaughter
copyright 2009, Polly's Granddaughter - TCB
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Saturday, October 24, 2009
Surname Saturday - The Cherokee Fishers
My great great great grandfather, Johnson Fisher, was the first generation of my Fisher ancestors to use that surname. On the 1852 Drennen Roll, he was listed simply as Johnson. His father was listed as Fisher. No surnames were attached to either of them. By the time the two men enlisted and fought with the 3rd Regiment of the Indian Home Guard, they were using the names Fisher Hatchet and Johnson Fisher. As you can see, Johnson Fisher took the first name of his father as his surname. This was a common practice among the Cherokees when asked for a surname. Since he was Johnson, the son of Fisher, he became Johnson Fisher on records recorded by English speakers. Later, when the children of Johnson Fisher applied for the Guion Miller Roll, each stated the name of their father was Johnson Fisher and the name of their paternal grandfather was Fisher Hatchet.
To people who are used to researching their ancestors who always used both a given name and a surname, they assume it is nearly impossible to trace Cherokee ancestry. This is not true. There are many records of the citizens of the Cherokee Nation. Sometimes family groups are listed on the rolls or censuses. The Old Settler Payment rolls list the names of a person's heirs and the relationship the heir had to the original payee. The Guion Miller applications often have both the Cherokee and English names of the parents and grandparents of the applicant. Sometimes even the names of aunts, uncles and cousins are listed.
Often times, people will claim to have Cherokee ancestry but then say they can't prove it because there are no records. Hopefully by sharing the history of my Cherokee surname Fisher, I have helped dispell that myth. I have tried to show how our Cherokee ancestors can be traced, even when the family did not follow the traditional naming conventions of the English. It may take a little more time and require a little more work, but Cherokee genealogy is not impossible.
Those are my thoughts for the day.
Thank you for reading.
CC
The Granddaughter
To people who are used to researching their ancestors who always used both a given name and a surname, they assume it is nearly impossible to trace Cherokee ancestry. This is not true. There are many records of the citizens of the Cherokee Nation. Sometimes family groups are listed on the rolls or censuses. The Old Settler Payment rolls list the names of a person's heirs and the relationship the heir had to the original payee. The Guion Miller applications often have both the Cherokee and English names of the parents and grandparents of the applicant. Sometimes even the names of aunts, uncles and cousins are listed.
Often times, people will claim to have Cherokee ancestry but then say they can't prove it because there are no records. Hopefully by sharing the history of my Cherokee surname Fisher, I have helped dispell that myth. I have tried to show how our Cherokee ancestors can be traced, even when the family did not follow the traditional naming conventions of the English. It may take a little more time and require a little more work, but Cherokee genealogy is not impossible.
Those are my thoughts for the day.
Thank you for reading.
CC
The Granddaughter
copyright 2009, Polly's Granddaughter - TCB
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Friday, October 23, 2009
Don't Pretend You Know Us
Not long ago, I read an article in a small town newspaper about Oklahoma. The writer had a lot of negative things to say about the state. He said the terrain looked like something you would see in the pictures from the Mars Rover. He also said they really play up the "Native American thing" there. He talked about dilapidated houses and said the Native American way was "a gun in one hand and a bottle of whiskey in the other." At the end of his article, he even said Oklahomans would make good pets!
I am not sure if the article was the worst attempt at satire I had ever seen or if it was the true feelings of the man, but either way, I was highly offended. But, I have heard other outsiders say similar things about any area that is inhabited by a large population of Native Americans. Because of this, I feel the need to address such ideas and misconceptions. I cannot stand back and allow such things to be said without adding my own insight on the subject.
My mother lives in Oklahoma and I travel there as much as possible, because in my opinion, there is no other place like it on the face of the Earth. It is the land where my people, my Cherokee ancestors, rebuilt their lives after being forced from their homes by the United States government in 1838. It is the land where they lived and loved and died. It is the land where my great grandpa cut hair for a living and where my grandpa played the fiddle to entertain his family. It is the land where my great grandma danced around teasing my aunt and the land where my mother was born. It is the land of my people and it is precious to me.
Of course they "play up the Native American thing there". That is because there are Native Americans, or as my family calls ourselves, Indians, there. Before Oklahoma became a state, half of that land was called Indian Territory. And, I guess the land is rather barren and might resemble the pictures you see from the Mars Rover. But, you must remember, it is the land the government gave the Indian Nations long ago. Why did they give it to the Indians? Because it was seen as having little value and it was the land no one else wanted.
So, my ancestors and many other Indians moved to that untamed land and started new lives there. They built their homes, cultivated the rocky soil and raised their families. The Indians from the Five Civilized Tribes did not live on reservations. Their land was considered nations within a nation. They had their own governments, constitutions and laws. They had businesses, schools, jails, and everything else the whites had.
When whites started to see how good the Indians were doing, they decided they wanted to live there too and they started squatting illegally in Indian Territory. By 1890, the whites in Indian Territory far outnumbered the Indians. In the early 1900s, after pressure from all the whites, the government took the land back to include it as part of a new state. They broke up the Indian nation land through allotments. Ownership of the land was a new concept to Indians therefore much of their land was quickly stolen or cheated away from them by greedy whites. So, once again, those families had to start over....just like after the Removal of 1838.
Then, as if enough Indian land had not already been taken away, in the 1940s, the Corps of Engineers decided to put in the lake. And, they had to condemn lots of Indian land. So, many of those Indian families who had managed to hold on to their allotments were forced off their land by the government yet again. And, yet again, those families had to start over.
My family has a humble little home in Oklahoma. To outsiders, I am sure it wouldn't look like much and I imagine they would find some reason to make fun of it. But, that is because they would see it through the ignorant mind of an uninvited visitor. Anyone who knows the history of the house and the land would appreciate what it stands for and what it means to the family that owns it.
The house stands upon the land my beloved cousin bought after she had to leave her grandmother's allotment in the 1940s. My grandpa helped build the little house that stands on that land after he came home from serving in WWII and spending six months in a POW camp. That is the house and land where my Cherokee family and ancestors spent time and lived. It may not look like much to others, but it is priceless to us.
Maybe outsiders see some parts of Oklahoma that they feel are just not as modern as the rest of the United States. Too bad they don't take the time to explore the history of those places to discover why things are that way. Much of what people talk about sounds like poverty stricken areas to me. If one wanted to learn why there is so much poverty, they might discover that the oppression of the Indians is not just something that happened hundreds of years ago, but something that has happened repeatedly and even within modern times.
There are people living today who were forced into Indian schools and not allowed to speak their native language or follow their native traditions. These schools were not pleasant places. The goal of these schools was to make the Indian child as 'white' as possible. Today, many native languages and traditions are dying because of such acts by the government. Indian children were taught that being Indian was a bad thing. Imagine growing up believing that your whole sense of identity is bad! How much damage would that do to a young mind?
These acts of oppression led to things like alcoholism, poverty and depression. Maybe that is why some people think it is in the "Native American tradition" to do things with "a gun in one hand, and a bottle of whiskey in the other." But, these people are wrong. This is not a Native American tradition. Stop and look around the United States. There are very few Native Americans, but there sure are a lot of guns and an abundance of alcohol. People are falling back on a stereotype of Indians and it is nothing short of racism.
Personally, I find nothing funny about racism. If the writer of the article I mentioned had written that he had visited Harlem and said the people who lived there would "make great pets", I have no doubt, that column would not have been published. I don't understand why a column written about Oklahoma, which is known as "Native America" should be any different. Such comments and opinions show that little has changed since the whites started invading our nations hundreds of years ago. Since we don't look or live as you do, we are viewed as inferior and a topic of disgust or entertainment. This is unacceptable.
It is time outsiders realize they cannot bend and twist and shape us into the image of themselves. We have repeatedly overcome attempts of forced assimilation. We have repeatedly rebuilt our lives after everything has been taken away. Maybe we are not where we want to be yet, but we will get there. Until then, please refrain from making judgments about Native Americans. If you don't know our history, then you don't know anything about us. Please don't pretend you do.
Those are my thoughts for today.
Thank you for reading.
CC
The Granddaughter
I am not sure if the article was the worst attempt at satire I had ever seen or if it was the true feelings of the man, but either way, I was highly offended. But, I have heard other outsiders say similar things about any area that is inhabited by a large population of Native Americans. Because of this, I feel the need to address such ideas and misconceptions. I cannot stand back and allow such things to be said without adding my own insight on the subject.
My mother lives in Oklahoma and I travel there as much as possible, because in my opinion, there is no other place like it on the face of the Earth. It is the land where my people, my Cherokee ancestors, rebuilt their lives after being forced from their homes by the United States government in 1838. It is the land where they lived and loved and died. It is the land where my great grandpa cut hair for a living and where my grandpa played the fiddle to entertain his family. It is the land where my great grandma danced around teasing my aunt and the land where my mother was born. It is the land of my people and it is precious to me.
Of course they "play up the Native American thing there". That is because there are Native Americans, or as my family calls ourselves, Indians, there. Before Oklahoma became a state, half of that land was called Indian Territory. And, I guess the land is rather barren and might resemble the pictures you see from the Mars Rover. But, you must remember, it is the land the government gave the Indian Nations long ago. Why did they give it to the Indians? Because it was seen as having little value and it was the land no one else wanted.
So, my ancestors and many other Indians moved to that untamed land and started new lives there. They built their homes, cultivated the rocky soil and raised their families. The Indians from the Five Civilized Tribes did not live on reservations. Their land was considered nations within a nation. They had their own governments, constitutions and laws. They had businesses, schools, jails, and everything else the whites had.
When whites started to see how good the Indians were doing, they decided they wanted to live there too and they started squatting illegally in Indian Territory. By 1890, the whites in Indian Territory far outnumbered the Indians. In the early 1900s, after pressure from all the whites, the government took the land back to include it as part of a new state. They broke up the Indian nation land through allotments. Ownership of the land was a new concept to Indians therefore much of their land was quickly stolen or cheated away from them by greedy whites. So, once again, those families had to start over....just like after the Removal of 1838.
Then, as if enough Indian land had not already been taken away, in the 1940s, the Corps of Engineers decided to put in the lake. And, they had to condemn lots of Indian land. So, many of those Indian families who had managed to hold on to their allotments were forced off their land by the government yet again. And, yet again, those families had to start over.
My family has a humble little home in Oklahoma. To outsiders, I am sure it wouldn't look like much and I imagine they would find some reason to make fun of it. But, that is because they would see it through the ignorant mind of an uninvited visitor. Anyone who knows the history of the house and the land would appreciate what it stands for and what it means to the family that owns it.
The house stands upon the land my beloved cousin bought after she had to leave her grandmother's allotment in the 1940s. My grandpa helped build the little house that stands on that land after he came home from serving in WWII and spending six months in a POW camp. That is the house and land where my Cherokee family and ancestors spent time and lived. It may not look like much to others, but it is priceless to us.
Maybe outsiders see some parts of Oklahoma that they feel are just not as modern as the rest of the United States. Too bad they don't take the time to explore the history of those places to discover why things are that way. Much of what people talk about sounds like poverty stricken areas to me. If one wanted to learn why there is so much poverty, they might discover that the oppression of the Indians is not just something that happened hundreds of years ago, but something that has happened repeatedly and even within modern times.
There are people living today who were forced into Indian schools and not allowed to speak their native language or follow their native traditions. These schools were not pleasant places. The goal of these schools was to make the Indian child as 'white' as possible. Today, many native languages and traditions are dying because of such acts by the government. Indian children were taught that being Indian was a bad thing. Imagine growing up believing that your whole sense of identity is bad! How much damage would that do to a young mind?
These acts of oppression led to things like alcoholism, poverty and depression. Maybe that is why some people think it is in the "Native American tradition" to do things with "a gun in one hand, and a bottle of whiskey in the other." But, these people are wrong. This is not a Native American tradition. Stop and look around the United States. There are very few Native Americans, but there sure are a lot of guns and an abundance of alcohol. People are falling back on a stereotype of Indians and it is nothing short of racism.
Personally, I find nothing funny about racism. If the writer of the article I mentioned had written that he had visited Harlem and said the people who lived there would "make great pets", I have no doubt, that column would not have been published. I don't understand why a column written about Oklahoma, which is known as "Native America" should be any different. Such comments and opinions show that little has changed since the whites started invading our nations hundreds of years ago. Since we don't look or live as you do, we are viewed as inferior and a topic of disgust or entertainment. This is unacceptable.
It is time outsiders realize they cannot bend and twist and shape us into the image of themselves. We have repeatedly overcome attempts of forced assimilation. We have repeatedly rebuilt our lives after everything has been taken away. Maybe we are not where we want to be yet, but we will get there. Until then, please refrain from making judgments about Native Americans. If you don't know our history, then you don't know anything about us. Please don't pretend you do.
Those are my thoughts for today.
Thank you for reading.
CC
The Granddaughter
copyright 2009, Polly's Granddaughter - TCB
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Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Tombstone Tuesday - In Cherokee - Alsie Sanders
Cherokee baby - Alsie Sanders
This stone is in the Cherokee font. About 70-75 years ago, Looney Henson translated the stone to his niece. He told her the stone said "Alsie Sanders, daughter of Joe and Maudie Sanders." Alsie was a baby when she died. The stone is very small -- only about 12 - 18 inches tall.
Those are my thoughts for today.
Thank you for reading.
CC
The Granddaughter
copyright 2009, Polly's Granddaughter - TCB
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Monday, October 19, 2009
Can you tell by looking?
"I have a picture of my great great grandma and you can tell she is Cherokee by looking at her. She has long black hair and high cheek bones." I have heard this more than once and I bet you have too. Often times, people who have family stories of Cherokee blood use the "you can tell by looking" line when all the documentation says their ancestors were white. Like I have said before, I have seen full blood Cherokees, mixed blood Cherokees and whites my whole life. I can't tell by looking who does and who does not have Cherokee Indian blood and I don't think most other people can either. So, today, I have set up a quiz called "Find the Cherokee Indians". All you have to do is look at the picture of the person and then decide whether you think they have Cherokee Indian blood or not.
How do you think you did?
There are 10 pictures of people who were listed as Cherokee by Blood on the Final Dawes Roll. Those people are found in pictures B, F, R, S, T, V, Y, Z, AA, and FF.
There are 13 pictures of people who descend from someone listed as Cherokee by Blood on the Final Dawes Roll. Those people are found in pictures C, H, I, J, K, M, N, O, P, Q, U, BB, and CC.
There is one picture of a person who died before the Final Dawes Roll, but her descendants are found on the Dawes Roll as Cherokee by Blood. That person is found in picture D.
The people mentioned in the three groups above are the only people in the pictures who have Cherokee Indian blood.
The people in pictures A, DD and EE are white. The people in pictures G and L are Creek. Those in pictures E, W, and X are Yankton Sioux.
Hopefully, this little quiz helped show you CANNOT tell one's heritage or nationality by looking at them. And you sure can't tell that your ancestor was Cherokee from a picture! If you want to find your true family heritage, it is best to put the family stories aside as well as the pictures. Dig into historical documents such as census records, tribal rolls and immigration papers to determine the race or nationality of your ancestors. That will be a lot more accurate than a guess based on what you think your ancestor looks like from a picture.
Those are my thoughts for the day.
Thank you for reading.
CC
The Granddaughter
How do you think you did?
There are 10 pictures of people who were listed as Cherokee by Blood on the Final Dawes Roll. Those people are found in pictures B, F, R, S, T, V, Y, Z, AA, and FF.
There are 13 pictures of people who descend from someone listed as Cherokee by Blood on the Final Dawes Roll. Those people are found in pictures C, H, I, J, K, M, N, O, P, Q, U, BB, and CC.
There is one picture of a person who died before the Final Dawes Roll, but her descendants are found on the Dawes Roll as Cherokee by Blood. That person is found in picture D.
The people mentioned in the three groups above are the only people in the pictures who have Cherokee Indian blood.
The people in pictures A, DD and EE are white. The people in pictures G and L are Creek. Those in pictures E, W, and X are Yankton Sioux.
Hopefully, this little quiz helped show you CANNOT tell one's heritage or nationality by looking at them. And you sure can't tell that your ancestor was Cherokee from a picture! If you want to find your true family heritage, it is best to put the family stories aside as well as the pictures. Dig into historical documents such as census records, tribal rolls and immigration papers to determine the race or nationality of your ancestors. That will be a lot more accurate than a guess based on what you think your ancestor looks like from a picture.
Those are my thoughts for the day.
Thank you for reading.
CC
The Granddaughter
copyright 2009, Polly's Granddaughter - TCB
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Sunday, October 18, 2009
The Enduring Legacy of Columbus
Recently, on a forum I frequent, I posted a link to the article, The Myth of "America". I thought it would allow a civil debate about the controversial federal holiday, Columbus Day. Unfortunately, some people couldn't stay focused on the topic of whether we should have a holiday honoring Columbus. Instead, they tried to change the topic and say all mistreatment of Indians happened hundreds of years ago and that we, Indians, were just wanting a pity party. My friend posted the following response. He points out the things that have happened to Indians in recent years. Things that are often overlooked or forgotten by people today.
***
This is not a pity party or a contest to say we suffered more than you. This is about acknowledging what happened in the past and what is still happening today. Whenever we speak of the Indian past, too many people stick their fingers in their ears and refuse to hear it.
Did Indians fight each other and have slavery? Certainly, just as Europeans had been fighting each other and enslaving each other for centuries. Nobody is debating that Indians lived in an ideal or perfect world, that is a stereotype. However, though Indians participated in these things, they were not violent savages as is often portrayed, just as Europeans were not. Some tribes practiced slavery, but many didn't. Also, the conditions of that slavery are much different from the slavery performed in what became the U.S. Indian slavery was often temporary, and the condition of slavery was not inherited. Also, warfare was conducted on a much smaller scale, partly due to the lack of the killing technology that old world peoples possessed (guns, cannons, etc.), but the desire for such widespread warfare was not present.
The Indian's ability for peace has also been ignored. The Iroquois nations used to fight with each other constantly. Leaders such as Deganawidah helped form the Great League of Peace, which held for centuries. In the Great Peace of 1840, Comanche, Cheyenne, Arapahoe, Kiowa, and many other peoples formed a lasting peace on the Great Plains. Many Indian tribes allied themselves with Europeans. The Delaware allied with the Americans during the Revolutionary War, after the war, the Delaware were removed from their lands. Some Indians fought with each other but they were not the bloodthirsty savages often portrayed.
Another problem is that the legacy of Columbus is still with us today. So many want to argue that the foul treatment of Indians was in some ancient past, but that is just not true. Many of us are directly effected today.
Indian boarding schools operated at least into the 1960s, where people were literally beaten and belittled for practicing their culture or speaking their native language.
Until the American Indian Religious Freedom Act of 1978, many Indian peoples barred by law from practicing many of their religious ceremonies.
Until the Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978, Indian children could be removed from their homes basically at will. Before then, 25-35% of all Indian children were removed from their homes by forced and put into foster homes, where they lost contact with their families and lost their culture.
Until the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act of 1990, Anthropologists and Archaeologists could literally dig up the graves of our family members under the guise of science. I'm not talking about remains that were hundreds of years old. Even people who died in the 20th century were dug up and their remains desecrated for science.
Poverty, unemployment and health problems continue to plague Indian people. Even before the current economic crisis, some reservations had up to 85% unemployment. For residents of the Pine Ridge Reservation today, the life expectancy is less than 50.
This is not the ancient past, the legacy of Columbus is still alive and well today within our lifetimes. What I mentioned above is just the tip of the iceberg of what Indians have dealt with just within the 20th century.
This is not about a pity party. Indians want to and are helping themselves. However, when people try to pretend these things are not happening, it just makes our job harder. If people would understand the enduring legacy of Columbus, that would help us in our struggle.
***
In my opinion, my friend "hit a grand slam" with that post. In a few clear, concise words, he summed up many of the issues American Indians have had to deal with in these times. Hopefully those words will help educate others about the plight of us today. We can't change what happened in the past, but by learning the truth our history, we can make the future better for us all.
Those are my thoughts for the day.
Thank you for listening.
CC
The Granddaughter
(***Posted with the permission of Jimmy.)
***
This is not a pity party or a contest to say we suffered more than you. This is about acknowledging what happened in the past and what is still happening today. Whenever we speak of the Indian past, too many people stick their fingers in their ears and refuse to hear it.
Did Indians fight each other and have slavery? Certainly, just as Europeans had been fighting each other and enslaving each other for centuries. Nobody is debating that Indians lived in an ideal or perfect world, that is a stereotype. However, though Indians participated in these things, they were not violent savages as is often portrayed, just as Europeans were not. Some tribes practiced slavery, but many didn't. Also, the conditions of that slavery are much different from the slavery performed in what became the U.S. Indian slavery was often temporary, and the condition of slavery was not inherited. Also, warfare was conducted on a much smaller scale, partly due to the lack of the killing technology that old world peoples possessed (guns, cannons, etc.), but the desire for such widespread warfare was not present.
The Indian's ability for peace has also been ignored. The Iroquois nations used to fight with each other constantly. Leaders such as Deganawidah helped form the Great League of Peace, which held for centuries. In the Great Peace of 1840, Comanche, Cheyenne, Arapahoe, Kiowa, and many other peoples formed a lasting peace on the Great Plains. Many Indian tribes allied themselves with Europeans. The Delaware allied with the Americans during the Revolutionary War, after the war, the Delaware were removed from their lands. Some Indians fought with each other but they were not the bloodthirsty savages often portrayed.
Another problem is that the legacy of Columbus is still with us today. So many want to argue that the foul treatment of Indians was in some ancient past, but that is just not true. Many of us are directly effected today.
Indian boarding schools operated at least into the 1960s, where people were literally beaten and belittled for practicing their culture or speaking their native language.
Until the American Indian Religious Freedom Act of 1978, many Indian peoples barred by law from practicing many of their religious ceremonies.
Until the Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978, Indian children could be removed from their homes basically at will. Before then, 25-35% of all Indian children were removed from their homes by forced and put into foster homes, where they lost contact with their families and lost their culture.
Until the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act of 1990, Anthropologists and Archaeologists could literally dig up the graves of our family members under the guise of science. I'm not talking about remains that were hundreds of years old. Even people who died in the 20th century were dug up and their remains desecrated for science.
Poverty, unemployment and health problems continue to plague Indian people. Even before the current economic crisis, some reservations had up to 85% unemployment. For residents of the Pine Ridge Reservation today, the life expectancy is less than 50.
This is not the ancient past, the legacy of Columbus is still alive and well today within our lifetimes. What I mentioned above is just the tip of the iceberg of what Indians have dealt with just within the 20th century.
This is not about a pity party. Indians want to and are helping themselves. However, when people try to pretend these things are not happening, it just makes our job harder. If people would understand the enduring legacy of Columbus, that would help us in our struggle.
***
In my opinion, my friend "hit a grand slam" with that post. In a few clear, concise words, he summed up many of the issues American Indians have had to deal with in these times. Hopefully those words will help educate others about the plight of us today. We can't change what happened in the past, but by learning the truth our history, we can make the future better for us all.
Those are my thoughts for the day.
Thank you for listening.
CC
The Granddaughter
(***Posted with the permission of Jimmy.)
copyright 2009, Polly's Granddaughter - TCB
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Saturday, October 17, 2009
Poverty in the Cherokee Nation
"I'm trying to figure out who my Cherokee ancestor on the roll was so I can get my benefits." Go read any Cherokee genealogy message board and you will find it spattered with such comments. It seems people have the wrong impression about the lives of Cherokees today. I guess they are under the impression that Cherokees are all living high on the hog due to casino revenues. Well, this is not true. Many of the Cherokee people who live in the 14 county area of the historical Cherokee Nation live far below the poverty level. They live without basic necessities, such as dialysis and eye glasses. Many of our elders live in conditions similar to those found in third world countries. I could go on and on, but the following video says it better than I could ever explain in words.
So, in closing, I would just like to say, to everyone who thinks there are "benefits" for having your "Indian card", the benefit is being able to register with a federally recognized tribe and in being able to call yourself Cherokee. There is no greater benefit than that in my mind.
And, to those Cherokees who are only registered because they "want benefits", I hope you understand when I borrow some words from the late United States president, John F. Kennedy, "ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country." "United, there is little we cannot do in a host of cooperative ventures. Divided, there is little we can do—for we dare not meet a powerful challenge at odds and split asunder."
It is time we stand together against the tyranny that leaves our most vulnerable Cherokees in desperate need. We, together, can make a difference. Your card gives you the responsibility to stand up against what is wrong and fight for what is right. And, isn't having a voice and a vote some of the finest benefits we could ever hope to have?
Those are my thoughts for the day.
Thank you for reading.
CC
The Granddaughter
So, in closing, I would just like to say, to everyone who thinks there are "benefits" for having your "Indian card", the benefit is being able to register with a federally recognized tribe and in being able to call yourself Cherokee. There is no greater benefit than that in my mind.
And, to those Cherokees who are only registered because they "want benefits", I hope you understand when I borrow some words from the late United States president, John F. Kennedy, "ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country." "United, there is little we cannot do in a host of cooperative ventures. Divided, there is little we can do—for we dare not meet a powerful challenge at odds and split asunder."
It is time we stand together against the tyranny that leaves our most vulnerable Cherokees in desperate need. We, together, can make a difference. Your card gives you the responsibility to stand up against what is wrong and fight for what is right. And, isn't having a voice and a vote some of the finest benefits we could ever hope to have?
Those are my thoughts for the day.
Thank you for reading.
CC
The Granddaughter
copyright 2009, Polly's Granddaughter - TCB
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Tuesday, October 13, 2009
In Honor of My Grandpa's Birthday
This post is my little way of remembering my grandpa, Aaron Carey, and trying to honor his wishes that we never forget about the horrors of war or the sacrifices our soldiers have made for us. Please click on his name and read his biography on the memorial page for him on Find A Grave.
We will never forget the sacrifices you or the other soldiers have made for our freedom. Thank you, grandpa.
Those are my thoughts for the day.
Thank you for reading.
CC
The Granddaughter
copyright 2009, Polly's Granddaughter - TCB
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Friday, October 9, 2009
My Cherokee Ancestor Passed for White
My ancestor was Cherokee, but they passed for white so they are always recorded as white in the records
. This is a statement often made by people trying to prove their family story of Cherokee ancestry. Often times, these people claim the Cherokee ancestor was "a full blood" passing for white. When I hear these claims, I wonder if the person making the claim has ever seen a real full blood, because if they had, they would realize how absurd their claim is. I have seen full bloods, mixed bloods and whites my whole life. I have never seen a full blood who could pass himself off as a white person and be believed. I have also seen quite a few mixed bloods who could never pass for white.
Many of these stories are also based on an ancestor who lived in the Sou
th. Knowing the racial divisiveness of the South through- out history should wave a red flag about these stories. It would not matter what a person wanted to try to pass themselves off as, it would matter how they were seen and accepted in the community. It is very unlikely that the whites of that time would accept anyone, Indian or African American, as white. It is also unlikely that a census enumerator would record a person of color as white. If your ancestor is repeatedly recorded as white on the US census, they very likely were white.
It is important for us, as researchers, to base our genealogy on facts, not hearsay. Though family stories a
re interesting and heartwarming, they are not always based in truth. If your family has one of these stories about a Cherokee ancestor who passed for white, it is best to set the story aside and simply follow the standard and accepted methods of genealogy which means you work from yourself backwards basing your findings on documentation and facts. It is important to do your own research and not depend on what others find or post on the internet.
Always be skeptical about information from people who have a strong desire to prove their Cherokee ancestry rather than their ancestry, whatever it might be. Often times, these people suggest their hard to research ancestor was "the Indian". These are
the people who argue against facts and historical documentation. They are people who refuse to accept a family story is just that......... a story........no matter what evidence you provide to show otherwise. Cherokee genealogy message boards and mailing lists are filled with these people. If you take advise from someone on such a board, I would recommend you make sure the person you are taking advice from has knowledge and experience in Cherokee genealogy.
Those are my thoughts for today.
Thank you for listening.
CC
The Granddaughter
Tweet
. This is a statement often made by people trying to prove their family story of Cherokee ancestry. Often times, these people claim the Cherokee ancestor was "a full blood" passing for white. When I hear these claims, I wonder if the person making the claim has ever seen a real full blood, because if they had, they would realize how absurd their claim is. I have seen full bloods, mixed bloods and whites my whole life. I have never seen a full blood who could pass himself off as a white person and be believed. I have also seen quite a few mixed bloods who could never pass for white.Many of these stories are also based on an ancestor who lived in the Sou
th. Knowing the racial divisiveness of the South through- out history should wave a red flag about these stories. It would not matter what a person wanted to try to pass themselves off as, it would matter how they were seen and accepted in the community. It is very unlikely that the whites of that time would accept anyone, Indian or African American, as white. It is also unlikely that a census enumerator would record a person of color as white. If your ancestor is repeatedly recorded as white on the US census, they very likely were white.It is important for us, as researchers, to base our genealogy on facts, not hearsay. Though family stories a
re interesting and heartwarming, they are not always based in truth. If your family has one of these stories about a Cherokee ancestor who passed for white, it is best to set the story aside and simply follow the standard and accepted methods of genealogy which means you work from yourself backwards basing your findings on documentation and facts. It is important to do your own research and not depend on what others find or post on the internet.Always be skeptical about information from people who have a strong desire to prove their Cherokee ancestry rather than their ancestry, whatever it might be. Often times, these people suggest their hard to research ancestor was "the Indian". These are
the people who argue against facts and historical documentation. They are people who refuse to accept a family story is just that......... a story........no matter what evidence you provide to show otherwise. Cherokee genealogy message boards and mailing lists are filled with these people. If you take advise from someone on such a board, I would recommend you make sure the person you are taking advice from has knowledge and experience in Cherokee genealogy.Those are my thoughts for today.
Thank you for listening.
CC
The Granddaughter
copyright 2009, Polly's Granddaughter - TCB
*Note - All the photos in this post are of known and documented full blood Cherokee Indians.Tweet
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Vote for your favorite blogs!
Family Tree Magazine has opened its polls for voting in search of the 40 Best Genealogy Blogs.
Thoughts from Polly's Granddaughter was nominated in the Heritage category!
Thanks to everyone who nominated us. We feel very honored to be recognized. There are a lot of great genealogy blogs nominated in ten different categories. If you find the information on this blog helpful, your vote would be appreciated when you stop by and vote for your other favorite genealogy blogs. You can vote more than once.
Once again, thank you!
CC Tweet
Thoughts from Polly's Granddaughter was nominated in the Heritage category!
Thanks to everyone who nominated us. We feel very honored to be recognized. There are a lot of great genealogy blogs nominated in ten different categories. If you find the information on this blog helpful, your vote would be appreciated when you stop by and vote for your other favorite genealogy blogs. You can vote more than once.
Once again, thank you!
CC Tweet
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Cherokee Genealogy - Part 3
There are lots of places to find more information about your Cherokee ancestors. I have already posted information about the Dawes and Miller roll applications, but I wanted to share some other sources I have used to find additional information on my family.
If you know you are Cherokee and have ancestors listed on the Dawes Roll, you should find those ancestors listed on the 1900 US Census as living in Cherokee Nation, Indian Territory. This is the first US Census that included the Cherokee Nation. If you don't know if your family is listed on the Dawes Roll, then you should pay particular attention to where your family was living on the 1900 US Census. If they were not living in Cherokee Nation, then they most likely are not going to be found on the Dawes Roll. Since the Dawes Roll listed those who were citizens of the Cherokee Nation, only those living in the nation legally are included on it. Any Cherokee who might have left the nation prior to the Dawes Roll will not be listed. Any intruder who was not a legal citizen will not be listed on it. If anyone needs a look up on the 1900 US Census, I have a link in my sidebar where you can post a query and get a FREE look up.
Two of my personal favorite sites to search for information on my Cherokee ancestors are The Doris Duke Collection and The Indian-Pioneer Papers which are which are part of the University of Oklahoma Western History Collections. I usually just enter the surname of the family I am researching and it pulls up several interviews. Of course, they are not always about my ancestors, but sometimes they are. I found an interview by a traveling preacher who said my great great grandfather was the "best Indian friend he ever had". I also found an interview that told about a man that had a falling out with one of my ancestors. The man went to kill him and my ancestor killed him instead! Though none of that information really helps complete the data in my family tree, it did give me insight into the life and times of my family.
Some of my most helpful information has come from Cherokee elders who lived in the same areas of my family. I don't "interview" them, per se, but just visit with them about my family. I do take notes, and sometimes have a list of questions I want to ask them, but not always. Usually once we get the conversation started, the information just starts flowing. I always knew my great grandma's mother died young, but had no idea why she died. While talking to an elder one day, she made a comment about how sad it was my great grandma never knew her mother who had died in childbirth. That was when I finally solved the mystery of my great great grandmother's death! About eighteen months after my great grandma was born, her mother died in childbirth with the next child. If I had not talked with this Cherokee elder, I might have never solved that mystery.
Some other places I have found a little information on my family are The History of the Cherokee Indians by Emmet Starr and articles from The Cherokee Advocate. If you get lucky, you might find something about an ancestor in Gideon's Indian Territory Biographies (not a full list). Sometimes you can even find a tidbit of info in the Chronicles of Oklahoma. All of these sources are free or fairly low cost (the cost of a phone call to an elder or the cost of copies of an article) and worth checking. So, have fun searching and let me know if you have a question or need help.
Those are my thoughts for the day.
Thank you for listening.
CC
The Granddaughter
If you know you are Cherokee and have ancestors listed on the Dawes Roll, you should find those ancestors listed on the 1900 US Census as living in Cherokee Nation, Indian Territory. This is the first US Census that included the Cherokee Nation. If you don't know if your family is listed on the Dawes Roll, then you should pay particular attention to where your family was living on the 1900 US Census. If they were not living in Cherokee Nation, then they most likely are not going to be found on the Dawes Roll. Since the Dawes Roll listed those who were citizens of the Cherokee Nation, only those living in the nation legally are included on it. Any Cherokee who might have left the nation prior to the Dawes Roll will not be listed. Any intruder who was not a legal citizen will not be listed on it. If anyone needs a look up on the 1900 US Census, I have a link in my sidebar where you can post a query and get a FREE look up.
Two of my personal favorite sites to search for information on my Cherokee ancestors are The Doris Duke Collection and The Indian-Pioneer Papers which are which are part of the University of Oklahoma Western History Collections. I usually just enter the surname of the family I am researching and it pulls up several interviews. Of course, they are not always about my ancestors, but sometimes they are. I found an interview by a traveling preacher who said my great great grandfather was the "best Indian friend he ever had". I also found an interview that told about a man that had a falling out with one of my ancestors. The man went to kill him and my ancestor killed him instead! Though none of that information really helps complete the data in my family tree, it did give me insight into the life and times of my family.
Some of my most helpful information has come from Cherokee elders who lived in the same areas of my family. I don't "interview" them, per se, but just visit with them about my family. I do take notes, and sometimes have a list of questions I want to ask them, but not always. Usually once we get the conversation started, the information just starts flowing. I always knew my great grandma's mother died young, but had no idea why she died. While talking to an elder one day, she made a comment about how sad it was my great grandma never knew her mother who had died in childbirth. That was when I finally solved the mystery of my great great grandmother's death! About eighteen months after my great grandma was born, her mother died in childbirth with the next child. If I had not talked with this Cherokee elder, I might have never solved that mystery.
Some other places I have found a little information on my family are The History of the Cherokee Indians by Emmet Starr and articles from The Cherokee Advocate. If you get lucky, you might find something about an ancestor in Gideon's Indian Territory Biographies (not a full list). Sometimes you can even find a tidbit of info in the Chronicles of Oklahoma. All of these sources are free or fairly low cost (the cost of a phone call to an elder or the cost of copies of an article) and worth checking. So, have fun searching and let me know if you have a question or need help.
Those are my thoughts for the day.
Thank you for listening.
CC
The Granddaughter
copyright 2009, Polly's Granddaughter - TCB
Tweet
Monday, October 5, 2009
Cherokees Take a Stand Against Frauds
Cherokees are taking a stand against fraudulent artists, performers, musicians, etc...
ONE VOICE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE !!!
You can help!
- Document all the frauds you find and notify the Cherokee Nation
- Write the Cherokee Federal delegation in Oklahoma and the Arizona Senators
- BCC the Washington, DC office
- Write Chief Chad Smith
Contact information:
Cherokee Elected Officials
(in the first box, select elected officials and in the second box, select the person you wish to contact)
Oklahoma's Federal Delegation
Washington DC office - cnwo@cherokee.org
Arizona Senators -
Jon Kyl
John McCain
If you think this does not affect you, think again. When someone impersonates you, it does affect you. It is time to stand up against those people who fraudulently represent themselves as Cherokee (and/or Native American) artists, musicians, performers, etc...
Those are my thoughts for today.
Thank you for listening.
CC
The Granddaughter
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Memorial of the Cherokee Nation - Feb. 22, 1838
Note-This is a MUST read for all Cherokees.
****************************************
The following is the
Memorial of the CHEROKEE NATION.
To The Honorable the Senate and House
of Representatives of the United States.
in Congress assembled, most humbly
and most respectfully showeth :
That whereas, we, the undersigned, citizens of the Cherokee Nation, have always regarded the instrument purporting to be a Treaty, made in December, 1835, at New Echota. by the Rev. John F. Schermerhorn. and certain unauthorized individual Cherokees. to be a violation of the fundamental principles of justice, and on which your great empire is founded, an outrage on the primary rules of national intercourse as well as the known laws and usages of the Cherokee nation, and therefore to be destitute of any binding force on us :
And whereas, at a General Council of the Nation, held at Red Clay, in September, 1836, our sentiments were set forth and our solemn protest entered against it:
And whereas, at a subsequent General Council of the Nation, held at Red Clay, in August, 1837. a communication from the President of the United States, on the subject of said instrument, was delivered in full Council, by Col. John Mason. Special Agent of the U. States :
And whereas, after mature deliberation on the said communication, the resolutions of the preceding Conncil in reference to that compact, were re-affirmed, together with the memorial which accompanied the same:
And whereas, we entertained the belief that, through the medium of the Special Agent's report, the President would become correctly informed of the state of the matter, and of the real sentiments of the Cherokee people.
"We. therefore, cherished the confident hope, that he would deem it right to abrogate that fraudulent instrument, and at once, enter into arrangements with us for the adjustment of all difficulties.
With these views, we then appointed a delegation to represent us before the government of the United States, and vested with them full powers to make final arrangements of all matters in controversy; and we were animated with prospect of a speedy termination of our distresses; but the cup of hope is dashed from our lips; our prospects are dark with horror, and our hearts are filled with bitterness---Agonized with these emotions; language fails; our tongues falter as we approach the bar of your august assemblies, before who we again beg leave humbly to present our grievances.
With the full details of our troubles, we forbear to trespass on your indulgence. They are extensively known, and our delegation now at Washington, will be found ready to furnish any information which may be needed.
We therefore respectfully present the following, which will show the appalling circumstances in which we are placed by the operation of that perfidious compact.
A communication has recently issued from the U. States' Agency, addressed to the Chiefs, Head Men and People of the Cherokee Nation, in which we are told that "the Executive has formally declined" all intercourse or correspondence with Mr. Ross in relation to the treaty, "and" that "an end has been put to all negotiation upon the subject"—"that it is the unalterable determination of the President to execute the treaty"—"the time cannot possibly be prolonged"—-another day. beyond the time named, cannot and will not, be allowed you."—The writer says. "we will not attempt to describe the evils that may fall upon you, if you are still obstinate, and refuse to conform to the requirements of the treaty"---"we will not paint the horrors that may ensue in such an event."
It will be readily conceived that declarations like these, emanating from such a source—our country already filled with troops—cannot fail so fill our minds with consternation and surprize. What have we done to merit such severe treatment? What is our crime ? Have we invaded any one's rights? Have we violated any article of our numerous Treaties? Have we in any manner acted in bad faith?---We are not even charged with any such thing. But we are accused of "laboring under a dangerous error." and of being "duped and deluded by those in whom we have placed implicit confidence."---"Your pretended friends." say they "have proved themselves to be your worst enemies." But what is our "dangerous error?" What is our "delusion?" Is it a delusion to be sensible of the wrongs we suffer? Is it a "dangerous error" to believe that the great nation, whose representatives we now approach, will never knowingly sanction a transaction originated in treachery and to be executed by violence and oppression? It cannot be.--- Is it a "delusion" to assert that the makers of that ill omened compact were destitute of authority ?
This fact we are prepared to prove by incontestible evidence. Indeed, it is virtually admitted by the parties themselves. and the very fact that an armed force should be put in requisition to defend their persons, and to compel our submission, argues, not obscurely, a defect of confidence in the validity of the compact. Is it obstinacy to refuse our assent to an act which is a flagrant violation of the first principles of free government, and which sets foot on the neck of our liberties, and our dearest rights? Are we to be thus frowned into silence, for attempting to utter our complaints in the ear of our lawful and covenanted protector? Is it a crime to confide in our chiefs—the men of our choice—whom we have tried and found faithful? We would humbly ask, in whom should we confide ? Surely not in those who have, in the face of our solemn injunctions, and in opposition to the reiterated expression of our sentiments conspired the ruin of our country—usurped the powers of the nation—framed the spurious compact—and by artifice and fraud, palmed it on the authorities of the U. States and procured for it the recognition of those high functionaries.
And now, in the presense of your august assemblies, and in the presense of the Supreme Judge of the Universe, most solemly and most humbly do we ask—are we, for these causes, to be subjected to the indescribable evils which are designed to be inflicted on us? Is our country to be made the scene of the "horrors" which the Commissioners "will not paint?" For adhering: to the principles on which your great empire is founded, and which have advanced it to its present elevation and glory, are we to be despoiled of all we hold dear on earth? Are we to be hunted through the mountains like wild beasts, and our women, our children, our aged, our sick, to be dragged from their homes, like culprits, and packed on board loathsome boats for transportation to a sickly clime?
Already are we thronged with armed men ; forts, camps, and military posts of every grade, already occupy our whole country. With us. it is a season of alarm and apprehension. We acknowledge the power of the U. States. We acknowledge our own feebleness. Our only fortress is, the justice of our cause.—Our only appeal, on earth, is to your tribunal. To you. then, we look. Before your honorable bodies—in view of the appalling circumstances with which we are surrounded—relying on the righteousness of our cause, and the justice and magnanimity of the tribunal to which we appeal—we do solemnly and earnestly protest against that spurious instrument: and we do hereby, also, respectfully re-affirm, as a part of this our memorial, the resolutions and accompanying memorials of the two last General Councils of the Nation, held at Red Clay. Our minds remain unaltered. We never can assent to that compact; nor can we believe that the U. States are bound in honor or in justice, to execute on us its degrading and ruinous provisions.
It's true, we are feeble people; and as regards to physical power, we are in the hands of the United States; but we have not forfeited our rights; and if we fail to transmit to our sons, the freedom we have derived from our fathers, it must not be by an act of suicide; it must not be by our own consent.
With trembling; solicitude and anxiety, we most humbly and most respectfully ask, will you hear us? Will you extend to us your powerful protection? Will you shield us from the "HORRORS" of the threatened storm? Will you sustain the hopes we have rested on the public faith, the honor, the justice of your mighty empire? We commit our cause to your favor and protection:
And your memorialists, as in duty bound, will ever pray.
Cherokee Nation; Feb. 22, 1838.
Signed by fifteen thousand six hundred and sixty five of the Cherokee people, as will appear by referring to the original submitted to the Senate by the Cherokee Delegation.
(Source - The Adams Sentinel; Gettysburg, Penn; April 9, 1838; p.4)
Transcription by Polly's Granddaughter
*****************************************
My heart breaks and my eyes fill with tears every time I read that.
Those are my thoughts for today.
Thank you for reading.
CC
The Granddaughter
Tweet
****************************************
The following is the
Memorial of the CHEROKEE NATION.
To The Honorable the Senate and House
of Representatives of the United States.
in Congress assembled, most humbly
and most respectfully showeth :
That whereas, we, the undersigned, citizens of the Cherokee Nation, have always regarded the instrument purporting to be a Treaty, made in December, 1835, at New Echota. by the Rev. John F. Schermerhorn. and certain unauthorized individual Cherokees. to be a violation of the fundamental principles of justice, and on which your great empire is founded, an outrage on the primary rules of national intercourse as well as the known laws and usages of the Cherokee nation, and therefore to be destitute of any binding force on us :
And whereas, at a General Council of the Nation, held at Red Clay, in September, 1836, our sentiments were set forth and our solemn protest entered against it:
And whereas, at a subsequent General Council of the Nation, held at Red Clay, in August, 1837. a communication from the President of the United States, on the subject of said instrument, was delivered in full Council, by Col. John Mason. Special Agent of the U. States :
And whereas, after mature deliberation on the said communication, the resolutions of the preceding Conncil in reference to that compact, were re-affirmed, together with the memorial which accompanied the same:
And whereas, we entertained the belief that, through the medium of the Special Agent's report, the President would become correctly informed of the state of the matter, and of the real sentiments of the Cherokee people.
"We. therefore, cherished the confident hope, that he would deem it right to abrogate that fraudulent instrument, and at once, enter into arrangements with us for the adjustment of all difficulties.
With these views, we then appointed a delegation to represent us before the government of the United States, and vested with them full powers to make final arrangements of all matters in controversy; and we were animated with prospect of a speedy termination of our distresses; but the cup of hope is dashed from our lips; our prospects are dark with horror, and our hearts are filled with bitterness---Agonized with these emotions; language fails; our tongues falter as we approach the bar of your august assemblies, before who we again beg leave humbly to present our grievances.
With the full details of our troubles, we forbear to trespass on your indulgence. They are extensively known, and our delegation now at Washington, will be found ready to furnish any information which may be needed.
We therefore respectfully present the following, which will show the appalling circumstances in which we are placed by the operation of that perfidious compact.
A communication has recently issued from the U. States' Agency, addressed to the Chiefs, Head Men and People of the Cherokee Nation, in which we are told that "the Executive has formally declined" all intercourse or correspondence with Mr. Ross in relation to the treaty, "and" that "an end has been put to all negotiation upon the subject"—"that it is the unalterable determination of the President to execute the treaty"—"the time cannot possibly be prolonged"—-another day. beyond the time named, cannot and will not, be allowed you."—The writer says. "we will not attempt to describe the evils that may fall upon you, if you are still obstinate, and refuse to conform to the requirements of the treaty"---"we will not paint the horrors that may ensue in such an event."
It will be readily conceived that declarations like these, emanating from such a source—our country already filled with troops—cannot fail so fill our minds with consternation and surprize. What have we done to merit such severe treatment? What is our crime ? Have we invaded any one's rights? Have we violated any article of our numerous Treaties? Have we in any manner acted in bad faith?---We are not even charged with any such thing. But we are accused of "laboring under a dangerous error." and of being "duped and deluded by those in whom we have placed implicit confidence."---"Your pretended friends." say they "have proved themselves to be your worst enemies." But what is our "dangerous error?" What is our "delusion?" Is it a delusion to be sensible of the wrongs we suffer? Is it a "dangerous error" to believe that the great nation, whose representatives we now approach, will never knowingly sanction a transaction originated in treachery and to be executed by violence and oppression? It cannot be.--- Is it a "delusion" to assert that the makers of that ill omened compact were destitute of authority ?
This fact we are prepared to prove by incontestible evidence. Indeed, it is virtually admitted by the parties themselves. and the very fact that an armed force should be put in requisition to defend their persons, and to compel our submission, argues, not obscurely, a defect of confidence in the validity of the compact. Is it obstinacy to refuse our assent to an act which is a flagrant violation of the first principles of free government, and which sets foot on the neck of our liberties, and our dearest rights? Are we to be thus frowned into silence, for attempting to utter our complaints in the ear of our lawful and covenanted protector? Is it a crime to confide in our chiefs—the men of our choice—whom we have tried and found faithful? We would humbly ask, in whom should we confide ? Surely not in those who have, in the face of our solemn injunctions, and in opposition to the reiterated expression of our sentiments conspired the ruin of our country—usurped the powers of the nation—framed the spurious compact—and by artifice and fraud, palmed it on the authorities of the U. States and procured for it the recognition of those high functionaries.
And now, in the presense of your august assemblies, and in the presense of the Supreme Judge of the Universe, most solemly and most humbly do we ask—are we, for these causes, to be subjected to the indescribable evils which are designed to be inflicted on us? Is our country to be made the scene of the "horrors" which the Commissioners "will not paint?" For adhering: to the principles on which your great empire is founded, and which have advanced it to its present elevation and glory, are we to be despoiled of all we hold dear on earth? Are we to be hunted through the mountains like wild beasts, and our women, our children, our aged, our sick, to be dragged from their homes, like culprits, and packed on board loathsome boats for transportation to a sickly clime?
Already are we thronged with armed men ; forts, camps, and military posts of every grade, already occupy our whole country. With us. it is a season of alarm and apprehension. We acknowledge the power of the U. States. We acknowledge our own feebleness. Our only fortress is, the justice of our cause.—Our only appeal, on earth, is to your tribunal. To you. then, we look. Before your honorable bodies—in view of the appalling circumstances with which we are surrounded—relying on the righteousness of our cause, and the justice and magnanimity of the tribunal to which we appeal—we do solemnly and earnestly protest against that spurious instrument: and we do hereby, also, respectfully re-affirm, as a part of this our memorial, the resolutions and accompanying memorials of the two last General Councils of the Nation, held at Red Clay. Our minds remain unaltered. We never can assent to that compact; nor can we believe that the U. States are bound in honor or in justice, to execute on us its degrading and ruinous provisions.
It's true, we are feeble people; and as regards to physical power, we are in the hands of the United States; but we have not forfeited our rights; and if we fail to transmit to our sons, the freedom we have derived from our fathers, it must not be by an act of suicide; it must not be by our own consent.
With trembling; solicitude and anxiety, we most humbly and most respectfully ask, will you hear us? Will you extend to us your powerful protection? Will you shield us from the "HORRORS" of the threatened storm? Will you sustain the hopes we have rested on the public faith, the honor, the justice of your mighty empire? We commit our cause to your favor and protection:
And your memorialists, as in duty bound, will ever pray.
Cherokee Nation; Feb. 22, 1838.
Signed by fifteen thousand six hundred and sixty five of the Cherokee people, as will appear by referring to the original submitted to the Senate by the Cherokee Delegation.
(Source - The Adams Sentinel; Gettysburg, Penn; April 9, 1838; p.4)
Transcription by Polly's Granddaughter
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My heart breaks and my eyes fill with tears every time I read that.
Those are my thoughts for today.
Thank you for reading.
CC
The Granddaughter
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Friday, October 2, 2009
Not Enrolling = Not An Option
Often times, people who cannot prove their Cherokee ancestry claim their ancestor refused to enroll. Apparently these people do not understand that such claims are completely false. The real Cherokees were enrolled whether they wanted to participate in allotment or not. Some were arrested and forced to enroll while others were enrolled against their will by those in their own communities.
Since I know someone will come along and dispute what I write, I decided to show what lengths the government would go to in order to get those true heirs to the Cherokee Nation to enroll. The following is a news story that appeared in several newspapers around the country.
Musgogee, Ind. T., March 16--Rather than submit to a hair cut eight full-blood Cherokee Indians, arrested yesterday, charged with being in contempt of the federal court, today enrolled before the Dawes Commission. These Indians are members of the Ketoowah society, composed of an element In the Cherokee nation opposed to enrollment. Last month Judge Raymond, of the United States territorial court, ordered them to present themselves for enrollment under pain of contempt. They disobeyed the order and were arrested and placed In the federal jail here. Last night the government officials pleaded with them to submit,but they declined stoutly. Redbird Smith their leader, making an impassioned speech in defense of their action. Argument had no avail and the order was issued today that each prisoner should have his hair cut. They were lined up to take their turn in the barber chair. When the first Indian had lost his hair the others broke down and signified their willingness to enroll.
That story shows that refusing to enroll was NOT an option. They were going to enroll all Cherokees whether the Cherokees wanted to be enrolled or not. I have been studying and researching Cherokee history and genealogy for a long time. I have never found anyone who is ineligible for registration with the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma to have had an ancestor who should have been listed on the Dawes Roll but was left off of it. So, when someone says their Cherokee ancestor refused to enroll or was a "free Cherokee who answered to no government", it is a pretty sure bet, their ancestor were not entitled to enrollment in the first place.
Those are my thoughts for today.
Thank you for listening.
CC
The Granddaughter
(Source for the news article - The Atlanta Constitution; Atlanta, GA; March 17, 1902; p. 2) Transcription by Polly's Granddaughter.
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Since I know someone will come along and dispute what I write, I decided to show what lengths the government would go to in order to get those true heirs to the Cherokee Nation to enroll. The following is a news story that appeared in several newspapers around the country.
Musgogee, Ind. T., March 16--Rather than submit to a hair cut eight full-blood Cherokee Indians, arrested yesterday, charged with being in contempt of the federal court, today enrolled before the Dawes Commission. These Indians are members of the Ketoowah society, composed of an element In the Cherokee nation opposed to enrollment. Last month Judge Raymond, of the United States territorial court, ordered them to present themselves for enrollment under pain of contempt. They disobeyed the order and were arrested and placed In the federal jail here. Last night the government officials pleaded with them to submit,but they declined stoutly. Redbird Smith their leader, making an impassioned speech in defense of their action. Argument had no avail and the order was issued today that each prisoner should have his hair cut. They were lined up to take their turn in the barber chair. When the first Indian had lost his hair the others broke down and signified their willingness to enroll.
That story shows that refusing to enroll was NOT an option. They were going to enroll all Cherokees whether the Cherokees wanted to be enrolled or not. I have been studying and researching Cherokee history and genealogy for a long time. I have never found anyone who is ineligible for registration with the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma to have had an ancestor who should have been listed on the Dawes Roll but was left off of it. So, when someone says their Cherokee ancestor refused to enroll or was a "free Cherokee who answered to no government", it is a pretty sure bet, their ancestor were not entitled to enrollment in the first place.
Those are my thoughts for today.
Thank you for listening.
CC
The Granddaughter
(Source for the news article - The Atlanta Constitution; Atlanta, GA; March 17, 1902; p. 2) Transcription by Polly's Granddaughter.
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