Keetoowah Nighthawk Society facts for kids

The Council of the Keetoowah Nighthawk Society, 1916.

The Keetoowah Nighthawk Society was a group of Cherokee people formed around 1900. Their main goal was to keep alive the old ways and traditions of their tribe. They wanted to preserve their culture, religion, and way of life. This society was led by Redbird Smith, who was a respected Cherokee leader.

The Nighthawks formed in the area that later became Oklahoma. This was a time when the United States government was trying to change how Native American tribes lived. Laws like the Dawes Act were breaking up tribal governments and shared lands. The government wanted to divide tribal lands into small pieces for individual families. This was called allotment. Many Cherokee leaders were finding it hard to resist these changes. The Nighthawks stood strong against these new rules.

The Keetoowah Nighthawk Society grew quickly, with about 5,500 members. But they could not stop the government's plans. In 1900, the government made an agreement with some Cherokee leaders about land division. Even though the Nighthawks disagreed, the government still listed them as tribal members and gave them land allotments without their permission. In 1902, Redbird Smith was even arrested and forced to accept land.

President Theodore Roosevelt's Oklahoma statehood proclamation, November 16, 1907.

The Nighthawks refused to accept these forced changes. When Oklahoma became a state in 1907, many traditional Cherokee people, who believed that changing their culture was a big danger, moved to the hills near Blackgum Mountain. There, they worked hard to keep their ancient Cherokee culture alive. They even found a sacred wampum belt that held their history. In 1908, they chose Redbird Smith as their chief for life. However, the movement slowly became smaller, and Redbird Smith passed away in 1918.

Even after Redbird Smith's death, the Keetoowah Nighthawk Society, along with the original Original Keetoowah Society, remained an important spiritual group for the Cherokee people in the early 1900s.

What Does "Keetoowah" Mean?

The word "Keetoowah" comes from the name of an ancient Cherokee town called Kituwa. This town was in the eastern homeland of the Cherokee people. It is believed that all Cherokee people came from this area. Evidence suggests that different groups from the Great Lakes and Ozark Plateau regions joined together here about 3,000 years ago.

Cherokee legends say that when the town of Keetoowah grew too big, groups of people moved to new areas. They created new Cherokee communities and mound cities. The people from the original city called themselves "the Keetoowah People." You can still see the ancient site of the Mother City of Keetoowah in Western North Carolina. It was a "Mound" city, and its central earthwork mound is still there. Building mounds was a common practice for many ancient cultures in the Mississippi Basin.

Some traditional Cherokee people call themselves Ah-ni-ki-tu-wa-gi. This means "a gathering or putting together of the Ki-tu'-wa people." The word Ki-tu-wa itself means "the mother city" or "the spiritual center" in an old Cherokee language. This idea of honoring the mother city was like honoring Selu, the Cherokee Corn Mother. She is a very important figure in the ancient Green Corn Ceremony.

During the Green Corn Ceremony, one special dance is called ye-lu-le, which means "to the center." Dancers shout ye-lu-le and move towards the fire in the middle of the dance circle. This dance shows how the sacred fire, given to the Keetoowah people by the Creator, spread to all Cherokee communities. In the past, people would carry coals from the central fire in Keetoowah to light new fires in their own towns.

The Society's History

Keetoowah Nighthawk Society leaders Redbird Smith and Bluford Sixkiller teaching children Cherokee traditions.

In the 1890s, the Cherokee Nation faced big changes from the Dawes Commission. This group wanted to force Native American tribes in Oklahoma to adopt new ways of life. They aimed to break up tribal governments by making people own land individually instead of sharing it as a community. This process caused a lot of problems for Cherokee culture and society. The government even chose tribal chiefs who had to carry out these new programs.

To further change Native American cultures, the government created Indian boarding schools. Cherokee children were sent away from their families to these schools. They were not allowed to speak their own languages or practice their religions. Because of this, much of the Cherokee culture was lost over time.

Who Was Redbird Smith?

Photograph of Redbird Smith.

To fight against these cultural losses, Redbird Smith and other Cherokee leaders formed the Keetoowah Nighthawk Society. This was a secret group where they could practice their traditional ceremonies and gatherings. Their goal was to keep alive the old Cherokee culture, ceremonies, and beliefs.

Redbird Smith was a very important leader in the Nighthawk Society. He helped bring back traditional spiritual practices among the Cherokee people. He was born on July 19, 1850, in Arkansas. His father was a strong supporter of ancient Cherokee customs. Redbird's mother came from an important Cherokee family. From a young age, Redbird was dedicated to serving the Cherokee people. He later became the chairman of the council.

In 1889, the Redbird Movement began. This movement led to the creation of the Keetoowah Nighthawk Society. It was a new and more active version of the Keetoowah Society. They held meetings at special ceremonial places called gatiyo, or stomp grounds. Leaders brought back sacred Cherokee wampum belts to the Keetoowah. Even though the Nighthawks could not stop the government from dividing their shared lands, they strongly opposed it.

In 1908, Redbird Smith was chosen as the chief of the Keetoowah Nighthawk Society. He was the great-grandfather of a later Cherokee Nation Principal Chief, Chadwick "Corntassel" Smith. Redbird Smith once said that he believed the Creator had a great plan for the Cherokee people. He felt they needed to work together and share their gifts with the world. He believed that hard work and good training were important for his people. He also said that pride in their ancestors was a great reason to leave something valuable for future generations.

Redbird Smith's main goal was to bring back everything that had been lost from the Keetoowah traditions. He and some of his followers were even put in jail for resisting the land division and tribal member registration. Redbird Smith died in 1918.

The Keetoowah Nighthawks Today

The Keetoowah Nighthawk Society has been brought back by the Cherokee people in Oklahoma. In Redbird Smith's time, there were more than 20 Cherokee Stomp Grounds. Today, the seven ceremonial dance grounds in Oklahoma belong to either the Keetoowah tradition or the Four Mothers Society.

The society is not connected to any single Cherokee Nation or Tribe. Members of the original society are part of many different Cherokee communities in Oklahoma. Some modern groups that follow the Keetoowah culture have also included Christian and new age beliefs in their practices.

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