The Attitude of the Cherokees (News article 1897)

THE ATTITUDE OF THE CHEROKEES
Opposition to Dawes Commission Causes Critical Situation.

Vinita, I..T., Nov. 16.--The attitude of the Cherokees with reference to treating with the Dawes commission, is becoming extremely, interesting. The more intelligent Cherokees are afraid of the outcome and are not in favor of leaving the settlement of their affairs to congress entirely, as seems to be the probability, since it is definitely understood that no agreement can be reached
with the Dawes commission.

The Cherokees feel bitter toward the Dawes commission on account of some claims filed against them and which were about to be recognized by the commission. The claim of the Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railroad company for a grant of every alternate section of land for ten miles on each side of the road, through the entire length of the Cherokee country, was regarded as especially dangerous.

Then came the claim of the adopted Delaware Indians for 160 acres each. The Dawes commission favored the claim and the full-blood Cherokees held a caucus and resolved never to treat on any terms. In the Cherokee election the full-bloods chose more than three-fourths of the members of the legislature, and as a consequence they have become more determined than ever to hold out against the overtures of the government.

(Source - Daily Iowa Capital; Des Moines, Iowa; November 16, 1897; p. 3.) Tweet

The Dawes Roll is Not the Only Proof

Often times, people will claim they are Cherokee, but they can never prove it because their ancestors are not on the Dawes Roll. They claim their ancestors hid from the Dawes Commission and refused to be enrolled. Or, they claim their family escaped the Trail of Tears and hid out or passed as white. To some, these stories may seem logical or realistic, but to those knowledgeable in Cherokee history, those stories seem absurd. There is so much documentation on the Cherokee people throughout history, it would be nearly impossible for one not to have been recorded as Cherokee on some document or roll. Recently, my friend, David Cornsilk, responded on a message board to a person (CR) who seems to think the Dawes Roll is the only document containing any information about Cherokee ancestry and also believes (his words, not mine) "those who ... ... followed the Dawes commission around like a dog hoping to get some land have descendants who get to claim to be Cherokee."

To this, David responded with, "There were many full bloods, some of my ancestors included, who refused to enroll on the Dawes Roll. They followed Redbird Smith's orders and avoided enrollment; at least until their neighbors testified for them. I think the point that CR is trying to make, which is only partially correct, is that some Cherokees did not get on the Dawes Roll. This we know is factual. However, just because something happened in the past does not mean it happened to his ancestors.

There are many tragedies and triumphs of the Cherokee people. The names of our ancestors do not just appear on the Dawes Roll. They appear on the 1896, 1894, 1890, 1880, 1876, 1851 (3 rolls in that year alone), 1835 and 1817 rolls. There are a number of other documents created inbetween that list the names of Cherokees living at those times. There are documents from the early 1800s including missionary records that mention the names of Cherokees whose descendants are among those enrolled in subsequent years. My ancestors are nobody special. Just your average Cherokees. Yet their names appear on EVERY roll and in every document. My blood kin through collateral lineages are listed throughout the Cherokee records. That is how it is for real Cherokees.

On the other hand, the fakes, not naming any names, find absolutely no ancestors or kin of any kind among our people no matter what record we look at or how far back in time we go. The bottom line here is proof. And whether CR or anyone else dislikes the Dawes Roll because their ancestors names do not appear there is not important. That Roll, despite whatever flaws it may have is OUR history, our record, the names of OUR ancestors appear there. And the same can be said for every Cherokee record that predates it. Those records belong to us because the Cherokee tribe of Indians belongs to us and none other.

Fakes and wannabes claim their ancestors were hiding from the Dawes Commission, then I ask where are the names of your ancestors in any record that would have alerted the Dawes Commission to search for them? They claim their ancestors remained east of the Mississippi after the Trail of Tears. Yet my ancestor Collins McDonald, his in-laws (who were Cherokees), his Cherokee wife and his Cherokee children actually did remain in Georgia. They appear in numerous records, not passing themselves as whites, although they could have. They were living as Cherokees and their names appear in the 1848 and 1851 Rolls of Eastern Cherokees, just the same as all the other Cherokees who remained. Yet the fakers and wannabes have no ancestors on those rolls. Why? Because their ancestors were not Cherokees!

Before the Trail of Tears a roll was made that lists 16,000 Cherokees who were destined to be removed. Again, my ancestors names are there, the fakers who claim their ancestors jumped off the Trail of Tears are nowhere to be found. In the early 1800s missionaries came among our people to educate our ancestors and convert them to Christianity. They made copious notes in journals of the children they taught and the families they met. My ancestors are mentioned throughout those journals. My ancestors are listed as students in the mission schools in Georgia in 1820. Are the fakers and wannabes listed? No, their ancestors cannot be found there.

Logic does not reign supreme in the mind of the wannabe. They twist our history and torture the names of our ancestors to fit their own family scenarios. They invent parents for Cherokees long since dead who cannot protest this bastardization of their family names. The fakes call out names such as Moytoy the first through the fifth, Great Eagle, Tamedoe, Cornblossom and other blasphemous corruptions of our ancestral heritage to make themselves appear to be Cherokees, and all of this without so much as a shred of evidence to connect themselves to a Cherokee, let alone a Cherokee to the fabricated names they force upon us.

If any part of our heritage belongs to the fakers and wannabes it is the heritage of theft that has left the Cherokee Indian landless and poverty stricken. Ethnic Identity Theft is the ultimate form of genocide. The white people and their descendants who invaded and colonized our homeland in the Southeast are no longer happy with just owning the land we once called home. Now they must rise up and steal our name."

So my fellow genealogists, the next time you hear someone give a reason as to why they cannot prove they are Cherokee, think about the information David shared with us. If a person cannot find one iota of evidence to support their family story, then it is highly unlikely they have any Cherokee ancestry at all. It is just that plain and simple.

Those are my thoughts for today.
Thank you for reading.

CC
The Granddaughter

**A very special thank you to David Cornsilk for allowing me to use his writing.

copyright 2009, Polly's Granddaughter - TCB

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Tombstone Tuesday - My GGG Grandpa, Dave Tadpole

Dave Tadpole was born in approximately 1839; in Cherokee Nation, Indian Territory; the son of Dave and Lizzie (Downing) Tadpole.

Dave signed up to protect Chief John Ross when the Civil War started. After Cherokee Chief John Ross decided to side with the South, Dave left and went back home saying he would not fight against the treaty the Cherokee Nation had with the United States. Later, when given the opportunity, he joined the 3rd Regiment, Indian Home Guard, Kansas Infantry. Toward the end of the war, Dave married Polly Vann, a widow who had lost her husband during the war.

Dave and Polly were the parents of Tiger, Darkie, and Rose. Dave was also the step-father to Polly's two older children, Lizzie and Groundhog. He also helped raise his niece, Jencie, after her father, Eli Tadpole, died in the Civil War.

Toward the end of his life, Dave was unable to work due to injuries suffered during the war and he drew a pension until his death in February, 1900. Tweet

Only 2 Days Left to Vote in My Poll!

If you haven't voted in the poll found in the right side bar, please do so. Only two days left before I tally the results and post them on my blog. Share the poll with your friends and ask them to vote. You do not have to be a Cherokee or a regular reader to vote in it. Thank you to all who have voted so far.

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Merry Christmas!

I just wanted to say Merry Christmas to my followers and friends! Hope you all have a blessed, safe and happy holiday.

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The Granddaughter Tweet

Tombstone Tuesday - My Great Grandpa Carey

Dick Carey was born in Cherokee Nation, Indian Territory in January 1890, the son of Aaron Carey and Polly Boots. At the age of 12, he was listed on the Final Dawes Roll as a fullblood. As a young man, Dick married a Cherokee woman whose name is not known. She and her son both died during childbirth.

In 1916, Dick married a Cherokee girl named Nancy Fisher. They lived on her allotment and had a family of 9 children. They only had one daughter who was named Nellie. Their sons were Mike, Aaron, Winston, Reed, Donald Ray, twins Millard and Willard, and John F..

Dick was a farmer who supplemented the family income by cutting hair for local men. Apparently he must have been pretty good at because many utilized the barber services he offered out of his home.

On New Year's Eve 1937, while walking home from town, Dick was killed by a hit and run driver. He was buried in the Old Fisher Cemetery and then later moved to the present Fisher Cemetery when the original had to be relocated.

The man who found Dick after he was hit did not see the vehicle that struck him. The driver who killed Dick was never found.

**Note: Documentation says Dick was born January 1890 and died December 31, 1937. The dates on the marker are wrong. This is a replacement marker and the dates were estimated for it.

copyright 2009, Polly's Granddaughter - TCB

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The Legacy of Grandma Polly

This is just a simple slide show that includes photos of the family and descendants of Grandma Polly. Her descendants include many college graduates, decorated soldiers, accomplished athletes, and nationally known poets, writers, and artists. We have come a long way since Grandma Polly traveled the Trail of Tears from the old Cherokee Nation to Indian territory over 170 years ago. We are her legacy and I hope she would be proud of us all.



Those are my thoughts for today.
Thank you for reading.

CC
The Granddaughter

copyright 2009, Polly's Granddaughter - TCB

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Thank you

Thank you all for your thoughts, prayers and patience during my hiatus. One of my children was injured and having some complications due to the injury and my time away was spent taking care of them. I appreciate your understanding.

I am happy to report my child is now doing fine and making a full recovery and I will now be able to devote time to my blog again. I have missed you all and look forward to getting back to the grindstone.

Once again, thank you.
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Hiatus Due to Family Emergency

This blog will be on a temporary hiatus through December 14, 2009 due to a family emergency. Hopefully after that, I will be able to devote time to the blog again. If not, I will post an update.

Thank you for your understanding and patience at this time.

Thoughts and prayers are greatly appreciated.
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Tombstone Tuesday - Remembering Uncle John F.

Johnson Fisher Carey, the youngest child of Dick and Nancy (Fisher) Carey, Cherokee Nation citizens, was born September 19, 1934. He attended Valley School and Wyandotte Indian School as a boy. He later enlisted with the U.S. Marine Corps and served in Korea. Johnson was named after his maternal grandfather, Johnson Fisher, but was called John F. by his family. Because he was the baby of the family, he was adored by his siblings. Like his seven brothers, he excelled at music, art and athletics.

John F. was a wanderer after he left the military and one day, he hopped a train on one of his exploits. He never made it to his destination. On September 24, 1978, he was murdered by a group of hobos and thrown from a train in Wyoming. After several months, his body was returned to his brother, Aaron, in Oklahoma. He is buried in an unmarked grave between his brothers, Mike and Donald Ray.

John F. never married and never had children.

copyright 2009, Polly's Granddaughter - TCB

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