Crazy Snake Rebellion facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Crazy Snake Rebellion
Part of the American Indian Wars
Crazy Snake rebels in 1909.
Date March 1909 Location Oklahoma Result United States victory
Belligerents
United States Creek Nation	Creek rebels
Commanders and leaders
Charles N. Haskell	Chitto Harjo
Casualties and losses
2 killed	1 killed 1 wounded 42 captured

The Crazy Snake Rebellion, also known as the Smoked Meat Rebellion, was a series of events in 1909. It was sometimes seen as a small war between the Creek people and American settlers in Oklahoma. This conflict should not be confused with a similar event in 1901. The 1909 rebellion involved only two small fights. The first fight was between a group of African Americans and a local police group. This group was trying to arrest someone for allegedly stealing smoked meat.

Who Was Crazy Snake?

Chitto Harjo, circa 1900.

"Crazy Snake" was the English translation of Chitto Harjo's name. Chitto Harjo was an important leader among the Creek people. He was a strong opponent of a government plan called "allotment."

What Was Allotment?

In 1893, the U.S. Congress created the Dawes Commission. This group wanted to divide the shared lands of the Creek, Choctaw, Chickasaw, and Cherokee tribes. These lands were traditionally owned by the whole tribe. Allotment meant breaking up these lands into smaller pieces for individual people.

In 1895, Congress allowed surveys of the land. In 1896, they passed a law to create tribal lists and divide the land. The Creek government tried to get the best deal they could. But in 1898, the Creek people voted against allotment. Because of this, Congress passed the Curtis Act of 1898. This law ended the governments of the Creek and other tribes.

The Creek Government Under Harjo

In 1900, Chitto Harjo was chosen as the main chief of the Creek people. This happened at a meeting near Henryetta, Oklahoma. His followers believed that the way the U.S. government was introducing allotment broke the 1867 Creek Constitution.

The group that chose Harjo also picked a second chief. They set up a two-part lawmaking body and a court. The U.S. government did not recognize the Creek Nation at this time. So, they did not see Harjo's election as legal.

The Lighthorse Police

Harjo's followers created a police group called the Lighthorse. This group tried to enforce their own laws. Some people claimed the Lighthorse punished men for accepting allotment. However, other writers disagree with these claims.

The Lighthorse's actions against allotment caused trouble. The U.S. 8th Cavalry was called in. Several of Harjo's followers were arrested.

The Start of the Conflict

In 1907, Oklahoma passed new laws that limited where many African Americans could live. Because of these laws, many African Americans faced restrictions. Some of these people were "Creek freedmen." These were descendants of enslaved people who had been held by the Creek.

A group of African Americans gathered at Harjo's traditional meeting grounds. By July 1908, many African Americans, including Creek freedmen, were at Old Hickory. This was where Harjo and his group ran their Creek government.

The Smoked Meat Incident

In March 1909, the Creek traditionalists had their yearly meeting. During this time, someone claimed that one of their group or their African American allies had stolen meat. It was said to be from a local white farmer.

A sheriff's deputy was sent to make an arrest. But the African Americans turned him away. They believed the local county did not have power there. They also felt that an African American or Creek person would not get a fair trial. They worried about unfair treatment.

The sheriff's deputy then gathered a group of armed citizens, called a posse. This posse came to enforce the arrest for the stolen smoked meat. In the fight that followed, one African American man was killed. Forty-two other African Americans were arrested.

The Second Skirmish

A second fight happened on March 27. A posse from McIntosh County, Oklahoma tried to arrest Chitto Harjo. He was hiding in his cabin near Hickory Ground with a few other men.

As the posse approached at sunset, one of Harjo's guards shot from a window. Two of the posse members were killed. The posse shot back, and Harjo was hit in the leg. Eventually, the Creek men escaped in the dark.

The deaths of the two posse members caused a lot of anger in nearby towns. A larger posse returned to the cabin. They found only a woman there. The posse fired into the cabin and then burned it down. The woman ran into the woods.

After this second fight, groups of people went around searching for Harjo. They also damaged farms belonging to Harjo's followers. Oklahoma Governor Charles N. Haskell called out the state's military force, the Oklahoma National Guard. About 200 soldiers occupied Hickory Ground and quickly brought order back.

Chitto Harjo was never captured. He likely died in April 1911. He may have died in Choctaw territory or in Mexico.