Original Keetoowah Society facts for kids

The Original Keetoowah Society is a group in Oklahoma that works to keep the traditions and teachings of the Keetoowah Nighthawk Society (Cherokee: ᎩᏚᏩ ᎤᎾᏙᏢᎯ) alive. They are a religious organization that helps preserve the culture of the Cherokee people. This group is seen as a main part of a Cherokee movement that started in the mid-1800s. It was led by Redbird Smith.

After the Cherokee people were forced to move to a new area called Indian Territory, many groups connected to the Keetoowah Society worked hard. Their goal was to protect their traditional culture and teachings. The group known today as The Original Keetoowah Society likely grew from an early 1900s group. This group was called the Keetoowah Nighthawk Society, or simply the Nighthawk Keetoowahs. Records show the Keetoowah Movement was active as early as August 15, 1888, after the Cherokee people were moved.

What Does "Keetoowah" Mean?

The name "Keetoowah" has been used for different groups of Cherokee people. Some think it was a name the early Cherokee used for themselves, like a special word for their own people.

James Mooney, a person who studied different cultures, wrote about this in 1902. He noted that the Cherokee called themselves "Ani'-Yun'wiya'". This means "real people" or "principal people." This word usually meant "Indians" as different from other races. But for the Cherokee, it meant members of their own tribe.

Mooney also said that during special events, the Cherokee often called themselves "Ani'-Kitu'hwagi." This means "people of Kitu'hwa." Kitu'hwa was an old settlement on the Tuckasegee River in western North Carolina. It seems this place was the original center of the Cherokee tribe.

John Springston, a member of the Keetoowah Society, also mentioned the name. He was a court clerk from the Saline District before Oklahoma became a state. He said that the Keetoowah name was used even before the Cherokee were moved from their homes. He noted that the old Keetoowah group was already fading away in Georgia by 1835.

Keetoowah Activities in the Late 1800s

After the Cherokee people were moved to Indian Territory, the group known as the Keetoowah band came back together. In the late 1800s, many groups formed. They all said they were connected to the Keetoowah band or society. This was known as the most traditional group among the Cherokee people.

The Cherokee faced pressure from European-American settlers moving onto their lands. Also, the 1887 Dawes Act was being applied to their territory. The Keetoowah and other Cherokee were worried by two court cases. These cases were Cherokee Nation v. Southern Kansas R. R. (1890) and Cherokee Nation v. Journeycake (1894). These cases showed that the Cherokee were losing their power to control their own land.

In 1899, the Keetoowah Society met in Tahlequah. They passed rules that criticized the Cherokee Council and the Dawes Commission. The Dawes Commission was a government group. The Keetoowah opposed federal plans to break up tribal land that was owned by everyone. The plan was to give 160-acre pieces of land to individual Cherokee families. To do this, the Dawes Commission wanted to register all members of the Cherokee nation. The Cherokee had not agreed to this plan. Other tribes in Indian Territory, known as the Five Civilized Tribes, faced the same pressure.

Because of these disagreements, different groups challenged changes to their rules. These changes would have helped the Dawes Commission do its work. Some groups decided to register as tribal members, but only to show their disagreement. In 1901, the Keetoowah met at Big Tucker Springs. They decided to register with the Dawes Commission. This led to a final split among the Keetoowah groups. Redbird Smith left the meeting with eleven of his supporters. They were traditionalists who wanted to actively resist registering. They then formed the Nighthawk Keetoowah.

Several hundred Keetoowah people, including some who left the Keetoowah Society with the Nighthawks in 1901, formed secret, traditional groups. Most of these groups started near Gore, Vian, or Proctor. These groups had been forming within the Keetoowah Society since 1893. They came from different traditional Cherokee groups. Like the Nighthawks, these groups generally refused to accept the work of the Dawes Commission until 1910 or even later.

The Keetoowah wanted to keep their tribal government working. But they officially agreed to the laws that ended the Cherokee Nation's government. These laws also divided up the shared tribal lands among individual families. This ended the tribe's claims to the land. They learned they could not stop the 1893 Act, the Dawes Commission registration, or becoming U.S. citizens. They also could not stop the Curtis Act, which ended tribal courts. They could not stop the Agreement with the Cherokee Nation of April 1, 1900. They also could not stop the 1906 Act, which largely ended the Cherokee government. Finally, they could not stop the president from having to approve all tribal rules about land after it was divided.

Changes in the 1930s and Tribal Reorganization

By the 1930s, John Smith, one of Redbird Smith's sons, had lost much trust among the Keetoowahs. He had supported Chester Polk Cornelius, a man from the Oneida people. Cornelius had involved them in risky money plans. This caused the religious group to split into many different parts.

As a result, the Keetoowah Society set up two different ceremonial grounds. Both were run by members of Redbird Smith's family. These were the grounds of Redbird and Stokes Smith. Other related groups that said they were Keetoowah included the Goingsnake "Seven Clans" fire, the Medicine Springs Fire, and the Four Mothers Nation.

How the Keetoowah Society Changed

Other political groups also appeared among the Keetoowah. In the 1930s, most Keetoowah groups supported a new idea. They wanted to reorganize the Keetoowah Cherokee in all the old clan areas. Their goal was to apply for self-government as a united group. This was under a proposed law called the 1934 Indian Reorganization Act. The United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians officially gained federal recognition as a tribe in 1950.

Another group, the Cherokees by Blood, represented all Cherokee descendants. They tried in 1932 to be part of a court case about Cherokee land claims, but they were not allowed. The Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma gained federal recognition in 1970. This group now has many more members.