Thoughts from Polly's Granddaughter: Cherokee History

Showing posts with label Cherokee History. Show all posts

Sunday, March 22, 2015

Trail of Tears Historic Site - Waynesville, Missouri

Thursday, May 29, 2014

Enter to win "A Demand of Blood: The Cherokee War of 1776" by Nadia Dean

I'm running a contest thanks to the generosity of Nadia Dean and the publishing company, Valley River Press, who donated this awesome prize, a copy of "A Demand of Blood: The Cherokee War of 1776" by Nadia Dean.

The contest starts tonight at midnight and runs through June 12, 2014.
Only people in the continental US are eligible.
Prize will be shipped by USPS. No PO Boxes.
The winner will be chosen at random by Rafflecopter.
Winner will be contacted through the email address given for the contest entry and will have 48 hours to respond with shipping information or they forfeit the prize and another winner will be chosen via Rafflecopter.

Thanks to everyone who participates and good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Those are my thoughts for today.
Thanks for reading.

Tuesday, January 7, 2014

Nadia Dean - "A Demand of Blood:The Cherokee War of 1776"

If you are going to read one book about the Cherokees and their role in the American Revolution, "A Demand of Blood : The Cherokee War of 1776" by Nadia Dean should be it. Well researched and beautifully written, this is the first book I've read that gives a detailed account of all the major players in the War of 1776; the colonists, the British, the British loyalists, and the Cherokees. While there are many other books about the Revolution, few include the Cherokees and none paint such an impressively detailed picture of the Cherokee Nation and its citizens in this time period.

While the book is not without error, it is still the best I have found covering the Cherokee resistance within the framework of the American Revolution. Thoroughly researched, the book contains 65 pages of end-notes; ten appendices; and many illustrations. Anyone with an interest in history should find this an educational and enjoyable read, while those with an interest in Cherokee history or research will find it an invaluable resource.

Those are my thoughts for today.
Thanks for reading.

Thursday, May 23, 2013

175 Years Ago, the Round Up Began

Late May, 1838, the U.S. Army, under the command of General Scott, started the round up of the citizens of the historical Cherokee Nation. The Cherokees were then taken to stockades and held for removal to west of the Mississippi River. This is the sad chapter of history now remembered as the Trail of Tears.

The Rev. Daniel S. Butrick recorded his observations of the round up and the removal in his journal. I think his entry from Brainerd. May 26, 1838. [Saturday] explains the brutality and horror the Cherokee people experienced during the round up.

"The daily words in the United Brethern textbook were, "I am thine. Save me." (p.s. 119:9) This day a number of Georgia citizens near New Echota took sixteen Cherokees and drove them to the fort and then requested permission of General Scott to take them out and whip them, though in this they were not gratified. This was done probably to remind General Scott that no farther delay would be made with regard to collecting the Indians. The soldiers at the various posts now commenced that work which will doubtless long eclipse the glory of the United States. General Scott gave orders that no improper language should be used towards the Indians, and that in case any of them attempted to escape by flight, no gun should be discharged at them. But these orders were, in general obeyed or not, according to the disposition of the under officers, and soldiers.

In Georgia were supposed to be about 8,000 Cherokees. These, in general were taken just as they were found by the soldiers, without permission to stop either for friends or property.

As the soldiers advanced towards a [unreadable] house, two little children fled in fright to the woods. The woman pleaded for permission to seek them, or wait till they came in, giving positive assurances that she would then follow on, and join the company. But all entreaties were vain; and it was not till a day or two after that she would get permission for one of her friends to go back after the lost children.

A man deaf and dumb, being surprised at the approach of the armed men, attempted to make his escape, and because he did not hear and obey the command of his pursuers, was shot dead on the spot.

One man it is said, had shot a deer, and was taking it home to meet the joyful salutations of his family, when at once he was surprised & taken prisoner to a fort.

Women absent from their families on visits, or for other purposes, were seized, and men far from their wives and children, were not allowed to return, and also children being forced from home, were dragged off among strangers. Cattle, horses, hogs, household furniture, clothing, and money not with them when taken were left. And it is said that the white inhabitants around, stood with open arms to seize whatever property they could put their hands on.* Some few who had friends to speak for them, were assisted afterwards in getting some part of their lost goods.

This in two or three days about 8,000 people, many of whom were in good circumstances, and some rich, were rendered homeless, houseless and penniless, and exposed to all the ills of captivity.

In driving them a platoon of soldiers walked before and behind, and a file of soldiers on each side, armed with all the common appalling instruments of death; while the soldiers, it is said would often use the same language as if driving hogs, and goad them forward with their bayonets.

One man, on being pricked thus, and seeing his children thus goaded on, picked up a stone and struck a soldier; but for this he was handcuffed, and on arriving at the fort, was punished and on starting again was whipped a hundred lashes.

Those taken to the fort at New Echota, were confined day and night in the open air, with but little clothing to cover them, when lying on the naked ground."

Cherokees did not have to go on the Trail of Tears.** They had the option to relinquish their citizenship in the Cherokee Nation and become citizens of the United States if they wanted. They could stay in the east if they did so. The ancestors for those in the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians had done so***, and were allowed to stay in the east.

The reason our ancestors, the ancestors of authentic Cherokees, were rounded up like cattle and hogs; held in stockades like animals; given food unfit for human consumption; and marched across the country in terrible conditions, is because they refused to relinquish their citizenship in the Cherokee Nation. They were tribal people and they stayed with their nation of people, no matter what. They are the reason the Cherokee Nation exists today. Never forget the sacrifice our ancestors made so that we could call ourselves Cherokee. Never, never forget.

Those are my thoughts for today.
Thanks for reading.

Butrick journal entry from "The Journal of Rev. Daniel S. Butrick"; May 19, 1838 - April 1, 1839; Cherokee Removal; Monograph One; The Trail of Tears Association, Oklahoma Chapter.

*Edited by me from "they could they put their hands on" for readability.

**Article 12, Treaty of New Echota

***The Oconaluftee Cherokees claimed the 1835 treaty did not apply to them because they had left the Cherokee Nation under the Treaty of 1819 and had become citizens of the state of North Carolina and of the United States.

Thursday, November 29, 2012

The 1896 Applications

Soon I will be writing about a family who mistakenly based their claim to Cherokee ancestry on testimony from an 1896 application. The researchers in this family probably had no ill intent when they did it, but unfortunately, they didn't know enough about the documents they were using to make an informed conclusion about the information within the application.

The 1896 applications were not made by citizens of the Cherokee Nation. They were made by people who were not recognized as citizens of the Cherokee Nation. This is an important thing to know. Too many people find out that their ancestor made one of these applications and then assume the ancestor was Cherokee. This isn't true.

Those 1896 applications were wrought with fraud and falsified testimony. The people filing the applications did not file them because they were proud of their so called "Cherokee heritage" but instead, because they wanted to get some free land.

More about these applications and those who made the applications is found in the words of the late Jerri Chasteen, who was, in the 1980's and 1990's, considered qualified as an expert witness on Cherokee history and Cherokee tribal citizenship rights by the Oklahoma Court of Appeals and the United States Supreme Court.

"The fraud and perjury involved in these applications wrote a new chapter of shame for the non-Indians who could not stand to have anything that they could not steal from the Indians- their last remaining land! Be aware that at this same time, there were hundreds of thousands acres of public land available to these people under the Homestead Act- BUT that wasn't the "forbidden fruit" that the Indian lands had become to them. I am happy to report that all of the 1896 applications (- including the ones submitted from CHINA) were rejected."

and

"This "1896 roll" was outlawed because of the massive amounts of perjured testimony that was being purchased and submitted, and all of the attempted fraud that was being committed by the applicants..... If their efforts were not so despicable in purpose, these applications would be quite comical and very entertaining to anyone who knows anything about Cherokee history, traditions or laws."

As you can see, those applications are not a good indication of Cherokee ancestry, but instead, the opposite. If a person filed a 1896 application, chances are, they were not Cherokee.

Stay tuned as we explore the 1896 application of one man and how that family's researchers' misunderstanding of what that application actually meant has led many, many people to make some pretty glaring mistakes in their family tree.

Those are my thoughts for today.
Thanks for reading.

Sunday, September 30, 2012

Why I Do This

One of the most common questions asked of me during this Elizabeth Warren fiasco is why I do this. Some think the hoard of wannabes is so big we will never be able to stop it. Others have seen the attacks made against me on Twitter and Facebook and wonder why I would continue when I have to deal such abuse. And some think it just isn’t that important. They want to know what it is that drives me to keep going, even when they think it would sometimes be easier to give up.

The reason I do this is because the memory of our ancestors and the historical Cherokee Nation is important to me. Our ancestors dealt with intruders since the time non-Indians arrived and started living here. Time and time again, they ceded portions of their land until they only retained what is now known as the old Cherokee Nation East – parts of Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama and North Carolina. And even then, during the two year period before the deadline, citizens of Georgia went into the Cherokee Nation and dispossessed the Cherokees of their homes and property. After that came the forced removal, the Trail of Tears, where Cherokees lost almost all their personal property, their beloved homeland, and sometimes their family members.

After the removal, our ancestors rebuild their nation in a new, untamed land. And intruders soon followed. The number of intruders, or people illegally squatting on Indian land, exploded during the two decades before statehood. By 1890, there were 128,000 non-Indians living in Indian Territory compared to about 50,000 Indians. By 1907, ninety percent of the population was intruders. Our ancestors were virtually overrun by these intruders who were, for the most part, white. These people saw the Indian Territory as the land of milk and honey. They knew the Indians were getting individual allotments of land and they, once again, saw it as an opportunity to get the land from the Indians.

We are truly a defeated nation who has lost just about everything we had to those who conquered us. But, despite all this loss, we have managed to retain something valuable – our identity. We are Cherokee and we come from strong and resilient people who time and time again overcame obstacles. No matter what they had to endure, they overcame it and carried on. Because of their repeated triumph over tragedy, they managed to hold onto and pass down our birthright – the right to call ourselves Cherokee.

Unfortunately now, people are trying to take that one thing we have left – our identity. This is what Elizabeth Warren has done. She usurped our identity. She took something that did not belong to her and she used it. If nothing else, we know she was counted as a Native American for diversity purposes, so either she or the schools she worked for benefited from her stolen Cherokee identity. She is no different than those people in Georgia who dispossessed our ancestors of their homes or the intruders in Indian Territory who squatted on our land. They did what they wanted without a concern for the Cherokee people and they took or used what was ours for their own personal benefit.

Elizabeth Warren isn’t the only one trying to take our identity. While there are only three federally recognized Cherokee tribes, there are over 200 groups trying to pass themselves off as Cherokee tribes. There are many, many more individuals who pass themselves off as Cherokees and some of these people have undoubtedly used the false claims for benefit like Warren has.

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.

Those are my thoughts for today.
Thanks for reading.

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Stop Trying to Rewrite Our History

*Part 5 in response to the Boston Globe article from September 15, 2012.

Too many people, like those used for "testimony" that Elizabeth Warren might have Indian blood, believe the myths floating around on the internet. They disregard the truth about Cherokee history, assuming there were no records or that we don't know our own history. We know our history and we had lots of records. And believe it or not, we Cherokees were intelligent and educated (actually at a higher percentage than the dominant white society) and we participated in the making of our records and rolls. Remember? We had a written language. We took a case to the Supreme Court and won. Our ancestors were not push overs and they insisted on having as much involvement as possible in determining who was or was not allowed on the rolls of our nation.

The people quoted in the article by the Boston Globe were not exactly correct in the stories they told or the reasons they gave for why their families were not found on the Dawes Roll.

That was not the only roll of the Cherokee people. If their families were truly Cherokee, then they would find their family on the older rolls. Below are two previous posts on this topic. I feel they are important because people need to know the truth and they need to stop attempting to rewrite our history just so they can make their non-Indian family fit in it.

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.

Original post: http://www.pollysgranddaughter.com/2009/12/dawes-roll-is-not-only-proof.html#ixzz26qCVwKsR

and

A Cherokee can't be found because a Cherokee isn't there

Yesterday, I received an email from Farah Stockman, of the Boston Globe, thanking me for my efforts to document the ancestry of Elizabeth Warren. Through her email, I could tell she had already formed an opinion and what I said didn't matter, so I wondered why she even bothered to contact me with questions. But I answered her email truthfully and factually. And, just as I suspected, she didn't consider one thing I told her.

Her article came out and she asserted many things that are commonly told as truth in the non-Cherokee world, but when studied, are shown to only be based in lore. (Are we starting to see a pattern here? Lots of lore, huh?) Did Cherokees refuse to enroll? Yes. Were they enrolled anyway? Yes. Does Farah bother to tell her readers this? No. Does she bother to tell her readers that those who opposed allotment were the Nighthawks, often full bloods, always traditional? No. Does she tell her readers that some Cherokees who tried to avoid allotment were arrested and forced to enroll? No. What she does is apparently try to lead her readers into believing there were people everywhere who refused to enroll so today their descendants are cut out of being able to claim their ancestry. This is not true.There are Cherokee descendants who are not eligible to register with any of the three federally recognized tribes. Some because their blood quantum is too low to meet the minimum required amount and others because they don't have an ancestor on the Dawes Roll but they still have ancestors found on other historical Cherokee rolls. We know this. No one disputes this. But Elizabeth Warren is not one of these people.

Though Farah writes, "Ironclad claims of Native American ancestry are often based on the so-called Dawes Rolls", this is not true. The "Dawes Roll" is the final roll of citizens of the Five Civilized Tribes; the Cherokee, Choctaw, Creek, Chickasaw and Seminole. Most Indian Nations do not use the Dawes Roll as their basis for enrollment or registration. I know it might be hard for some people to believe, but there are a lot of other Indian Nations or tribes in the United States. Everyone is not Cherokee. And Farah's statement isn't even true for Cherokee ancestry because the Eastern Band uses the Baker Roll as their base for enrollment. But, Farah doesn't tell her readers that. She makes it seem that because Warren's ancestors were not on this roll, one roll, the Dawes Roll, they might have lost their chance to ever prove their purported Cherokee ancestry.

Why didn't Farah point out the many other rolls of the Cherokee people like the Emigration Roll, Henderson Roll, the Drennen Roll, the Old Settler Roll (two of them), the Guion Miller Roll, the Chapman Roll, the Siler Roll, the Lipe Roll, the censuses of 1869, 1880, 1890 and 1896? Or the muster rolls of Cherokee soldiers from the War of 1812 and the Civil War? Or the Moravian and the Brainerd Mission records? Or the muster rolls from the removal? Or the ration lists from before and after the removal? Or the claims the Cherokees filed against the US in the 1840s? Why didn't she point out Elizabeth Warren's ancestors are found on none of those rolls or in any of these records either?

You would think Farah would ask someone who actually knows about Cherokee genealogy and records if she really wanted to get to the bottom of this controversy, wouldn't you? Well she didn't. There are numerous people she could have talked to like Jack Baker, Gene Norris, or Jeff Bishop if she wanted to learn about Cherokee history and genealogy. Instead, she found someone to quote who wrote a book about Wetumka, the town where Warren grew up. While she adds his statements as factual, she never offers any information about his experience in the world of genealogy or Cherokee history. She tells us he says, "It is very difficult to determine who is and who isn’t an Indian," but she doesn't tell us that just because something may be difficult for him doesn't mean it is difficult for everyone. And, this man Farah bases so much of her argument on? A man who doesn't even know the name of his great grandmother. Now tell me, how much genealogy has this man done?

After reading Farah's article for the Boston Globe, all I could do was shake my head and think, "Now everyone thinks they are an expert on Cherokee history and genealogy." It's almost laughable to watch this hot mess of Cherokee ancestry desperation. First, there was a frantic search to find a Cherokee and when that turned up nothing, now there is a carpet bombing of excuses why a Cherokee can't be found. Get a grip people! How hard is it to admit a Cherokee can't be found because there isn't one there? Good grief!

Original post: http://www.pollysgranddaughter.com/2012/06/cherokee-cant-be-found-because-cherokee.html#ixzz26qD4Ojt8

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

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

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Cherokee History - September 11, 1838

*Source - Courier; London, Middlesex, United Kingdom; September 11, 1838; p.1.

Monday, May 28, 2012

Remembering Cherokees Who Have Served - 2012a

Corporal Hiawatha Tuggle

1921 - 1943

Son of Hugh and Elizabeth Fisher Tuggle.

Chilocco Indian School Class of 1940

180 Infantry Oklahoma

Killed in Action - WWII

Aaron Carey, my grandpa

1922 - 2002

Son of Dick and Nancy Fisher Carey.

Pvt - US Army - WWII

612th Tank Battalion

Prisoner of War

Bronze Star Medal

Mike Carey

1921 - 1971

Son of Dick and Nancy Fisher Carey.

Pvt - US Army - WWII

John Fisher Carey

1934 - 1978

Son of Dick and Nancy Fisher Carey.

US Marine Corps - Korea

Johnson Fisher Sr.

1844 - 1885

Son of Fisher Hatchet/Chopper and unknown wife.

3rd Regiment - Indian Home Guard

US Civil War - Union

David Tadpole, Jr.

1839 - 1900

Son of David Tadpole, Sr. and Elizabeth Downing.

3rd Regiment - Indian Home Guard

US Civil War - Union

Johnnie Martin Blanket

1941 - 2007

Son of Bill and Carrie Pumpkin Blanket.

Graduate Chilocco Indian School

Sgt - US Marine Corps - Vietnam

Purple Heart

George Pumpkin

1839 - Unknown

Son of Pumpkinpile.

3rd Regiment - Indian Home Guard

US Civil War - Union

Rev. Charley Carey

1919 - 2008
Son of Silas and Annie Cochran Carey.
WWII

Swimmer Rabbit

1921 - 1990

Son of William and Ella Swimmer Rabbit (Sullateskee)

PFC - US Army - WWII

PFC Mose Carey

1922 - 1945
Son of Mr. and Mrs. Dude Carey
DOW - US Army - WWII
Enlisted into service November 14, 1942.
Wounded by artillery fire on April 14, 1945, on Hill 903,
in the battle against the Germans at Torre Iussi, Italy.

Robert L. Carroll

1926 - 2003
Son of Robert E. and Flossie Pitts Carroll
Pvt - US Army - WWII

Richard S. Snell

Son of Rachel and Alexander Snell.
US Army - WWII

Bert Johnson Jr.

US Army

Levi Gritts Sr.

1923 - 2001
Son of Charles and Ollie Terrapin Gritts
US Navy - WWII - Korea

Jesse Swimmer

US Army - WWII

Thomas Snell

Son of Richard Sherman Snell and Alline Snell Bushyhead
US Navy - Korea

Charles W. Flint Jr.

Son of Pauline G. Kelly
US Army - WWII
65th Infantry Field Artillery

Donald Ray Carey

1930 - 1993
Son of Dick and Nancy Fisher Carey.
US Army - Korea

Bert Homer Johnson

Cpl - US Marine Corps

PFC Joe Tuggle

1922 - 1942
Son of Hugh and Elizabeth Fisher Tuggle.
PFC - US Army - WWII
120 Medical Regt Co B

Buddy Dean Vance

1938 - 1984
US Marine Corps - Korea

Dull Ho Downing

Unknown - 1863
Died in Service

3rd Regiment - Indian Home Guard

US Civil War - Union

Lewis Hawkins

Son of Tuwodi and Waleh
1st Cherokee Mounted Rifle Company I
US Civil War

Mike Carey

Abt 1841 - 1901
Son of Dick and Kate Carey.
3rd Regiment - Indian Home Guard

US Civil War - Union

Lewis Tabb

1st Cherokee Mounted Rifle Company K
US Civil War

Fisher Hatchet/Chopper

Died in Service
Indian Home Guard
US Civil War - Union

Askwater Ummerteskee

Son of Yonahquah and Polly
Indian Home Guard
US Civil War - Union

Eli Tadpole

Son of David Tadpole Sr. and Elizabeth Downing.
Died in Service
2nd Indian Home Guard
US Civil War - Union

Saturday, April 14, 2012

Oaks Indian Mission - 1930s

Read more about it at the following link - Oaks Indian Mission History

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Destroying the Field - The Ramifications

Have I given you enough time to think about what the ramifications might be due to the mistake in the Van/Vann family genealogy? I am often asked why I think it is my job to research the ancestry of others who claim to be Cherokee? People who ask me this type of question usually say it is none of my business and the research of others isn't hurting anyone so I should just stay out of it. I think the fallout of this Van/Vann family mistake will make it pretty clear why the things I find in my research are important and how such mistakes CAN hurt the Cherokee people. This is a pretty big "OOPS!" and if I had to think of one word that would describe what this mistake affects, it would be integrity. This mistake affects the integrity of someone who proclaims to be a Cherokee genealogist; someone who claims to be a writer about things Cherokee; and even the integrity of the First Families of the Cherokee Nation. Some people dropped the ball on this one and it is a shame. If one is truly a Cherokee genealogist and if one truly writes about things Cherokee and if one is careful about who they approve for the First Families of the Cherokee Nation, then they should have caught this genealogical error, but none of the three did.

I have already shown why the Cherokee John Vann claimed by several families cannot possibly be their ancestor. There is no need to rehash that, but if you missed the post, I encourage you to go back and read it. To make a long story short, the Cherokee John Vann was dead and could not have possibly fathered the children he is given credit for today. The evidence and documentation are provided.

Now, for the fallout, and how mistakes in Cherokee genealogy, such as this one, can be damaging and harmful to the Cherokee people. There is a man who claims to offer affordable services in Cherokee genealogy. The problem is, his own genealogy is incorrect. His ancestor, John Van/n, was NOT the Cherokee John Vann he claims through. Like I have already shown, it is impossible. But this man has given talks on Cherokee history and genealogy and done "Cherokee" genealogy for others while apparently not being able to do his own genealogy correctly. Scary thing, folks. Something like this not only damages the integrity of the person claiming to be someone they are not, but also the genealogical community. It is important that those who claim to do genealogy feel a responsibility to search for the truth and leave no stone unturned. It didn't happen in this case and therefore, every other piece of genealogical work done by this man is now suspect. This mistake damaged his integrity.

This man apparently shares his family story (a myth) with anyone who will listen and, for some reason, people just accept what he claims, no questions asked. His family story made it into the book, "An Oral History of Tahlequah and the Cherokee Nation" by Deborah L. Duvall. On page 34, there is the "family story" titled, "John Vann, the Runaway." If you read the story and read my posts about the real Cherokee John Vann, you will see the story cannot be true, but it got printed in the book anyway. Sharing old legends or lore in a book is one thing, but sharing genealogical information and representing it as true when it is incorrect is another. Once something of a genealogical nature gets printed in a book, people will read it and assume it is true, whether it is or not. Scary thing, folks. Something like this not only hurts the Cherokee genealogical community, but also damages the integrity of the person who willy nilly included it in their book. It is important that those who include family genealogies in their published works feel a responsibility to their readers to provide accurate and truthful information. It didn't happen in this case and therefore, every other piece of published work done by this author is now suspect. This mistake damaged her integrity.

As if those two things aren't bad enough, this goes even further. The man who claims to be (but was not) the descendant of the Cherokee John Vann, son of John Shepard Vann and Elizabeth Pack Fields, was accepted into the First Families of the Cherokee Nation based on his "genealogical research." Scary thing, folks. Something like this not only hurts the Cherokee genealogical community, but also damages the integrity of the Cherokee National Historical Society, the First Families of the Cherokee Nation and the Cherokee Heritage Center. It is extremely important that those who claim to be the repository for the Cherokee National Archives and who say they assist Oklahoma Cherokee descendents to reconnect with their lineage get these things right! It didn't happen in this case and therefore, every other person approved for the First Families of the Cherokee Nation is now suspect. This mistake damaged the integrity of the group. This is extremely unfortunate.

Now, do you see how one family story not based in truth can get out of hand? These mistakes can lead to some pretty bad things when they get taken to this extent, can't they? This is why I am such a hard nose about Cherokee genealogy and history and why I insist people only claim what they can show through actual documentation. Mistakes in genealogy happen. I understand that. But when three different people/groups make the same mistake, that is no longer a mistake, but instead, irresponsible and/or sloppy work. It took me and one of my fellow researchers two days to obtain all the documentation we needed to disprove this family story.

This isn't funny, folks! We have a member of the Association of Professional Genealogists claiming to be Cherokee and doing Cherokee genealogy when he couldn't even get his own genealogy right! We have an author who says they write about the Cherokee people and their history including falsified and incorrect genealogies of white people in their published works that are supposed to be about Cherokee people. And we have the Cherokee National Historical Society and the First Families of the Cherokee Nation approving people who are NOT from Cherokee families. Those things are harmful to the Cherokee people. All it took was one to tell the myth of Cherokee ancestry; one to perpetuate the myth by publishing it; and another to give some sense of authenticity to the myth by approving it for a group that is thought of as truly Cherokee. Then magically (or irresponsibly, in my humble opinion), a Cherokee genealogy was created for a white family. All three of these people/groups should have found the information to show this was a myth before it ever got this far. It is unfortunate they didn't.

Those are my thoughts for today.
Thanks for reading.

For all of the posts in the Destroying the Field series, click on this LINK.

**Note -
This series came about after I was notified of the "family story" by a concerned reader who questioned it. I would like to thank that reader for bringing this to my attention.

I would also like to thank my research partners who took the time to help gather the documentation needed to show the truth.

Saturday, January 28, 2012

Destroying the Field - Grandpa, Tell Me 'Bout the Good Old Days

Can't you see it now? Children sitting around their daddy or their grandpa asking about the good old days? Oh how we love those old family stories! Of course they endear us to our grandpa, or daddy, or whoever is telling the story to us, but a word of caution.............those stories might not always be based in fact. For one reason or another, grandpa might have wanted to make the story a little more exciting or entertaining to his grandchildren or maybe someone tried to make the story more entertaining to him when he was a child, so he is just repeating what he heard. Maybe when the story was first told, it was true, but somehow, after being retold from generation to generation, more has been added so that it no longer resembles the original story.

Today, I am going to share one such story. I don't know the origination of it. I just know it is now becoming an internet myth, rapidly spreading, and being accepted as true. I imagine it has changed over the years and may not even resemble the original story today. Though I have repeatedly said family stories are unreliable, a lot of people disagree. I assure you, by the end of this series, "Destroying the Field," you will see why this family story is NOT true and you will see the ramifications of so many people accepting it as such without doing their own thorough research.

The name of the Cherokee claimed - John Vann, son of John Shepard Vann and Elizabeth Pack Fields.

The claim - Though there are a few variations, the basic premise of the story is that Elizabeth died during the Civil War and John Shepard Vann then married a white woman who made the younger John do "squaw's work." It is claimed because John had to do women's work, the other children laughed and made fun of him, so at the age of eight, he ran away, never having contact with his family again.

Fast forward to 1879 - The claim is the younger John married a woman named Sarah Matilda Himes or Hines (the spelling varies from tree to tree), produced children in the 1880s and died in 1899 in Texas.

Today, the descendants of Sarah claim to be Cherokee through this line -

James Vann - builder of the famed Vann House in Georgia
Rich Joe Vann - favorite son and inheritor of the Vann House after James' death
John Shepard Vann - active in Cherokee politics and a judge for the Circuit and Supreme Courts
John Vann - son of John Shepard Vann and Elizabeth Pack Fields Coody Vann

There's a lot of rich history in that family. Lots of exciting documentation exists today on several generations of the family because they were affluent and active in Cherokee politics. There is more than enough documentation to show that John Vann, son of John Shepard Vann and Elizabeth Pack Vann, did NOT father any of Sarah Matilda Himes/Hines' children, and that he is NOT he ancestor of those who descend through her. Stay tuned for the next installment in this series, "Destroying the Field - Diggin' Up Bones" where I will show you, through documentation, why this often shared, commonly accepted family story, is not true.

Those are my thoughts for today.
Thanks for reading.

Destroying the Field - Some People Dig and Find Gold......(part 1)
Destroying the Field - Diggin' Up Bones (part 3)

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Thriller Thursday - Conclusion to the Groundhog Murder Trial

Source - The Cherokee Advocate; Tahlequah, Oklahoma; September 19, 1884.

So, there we have it. Apparently, Groundhog was convicted of the murder of John Moore and sentenced to death, but then later received a reprieve and was set free.

Is this the same Groundhog who was the stepson of my third great grandfather, Dave Tadpole? I still don't know, but I am continuing to research and will post updates as I learn more.

Sunday, January 15, 2012

Sentimental Sunday - Crane Eater: A Story of Mistaken Identity and the Quest for Truth

Who was Crane Eater and why does his life matter?

Crane Eater was a full blood Cherokee and he was born in the old Cherokee Nation East. He served in the War of 1812 with a Cherokee regiment and did battle with Andrew Jackson against the Creeks. He was active in Cherokee politics and in 1835, he was living on the Coosawattee River in Georgia. He wasn't a rich man. Just a man of humble means living in his small home with 10 others in his full blood family.

Though he, along with nearly 16,000 others, signed a petition to remain in the east, his beloved homeland, he and the others were forced out; rounded up, arrested by the military and taken to the dreaded, horrific stockades where the Cherokees were held for months. He, like the other Cherokees, left on the now infamous Trail of Tears. He traveled through Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, and Missouri before finally reaching the Indian Territory. The weather and cold was nearly unbearable. The detachment he traveled with, just like those ahead of them and behind them, was forced to stop due to the frozen Ohio and Mississippi Rivers. People were suffering all around him. Everyone was sick. Many died.

Finally, in the early spring of 1839, he reached the Indian Territory. He settled on the Caney in Flint District with the surviving members of his family. Later, in 1842, he filed a claim against the United States government for the property he was forced to leave behind in the old nation. He was forced to abandon nearly everything he owned and never had a chance to retrieve it or sell it. Though under less than desirable circumstances, he did rebuild his life.

That life, the life of Crane Eater, matters because he is just one of many Cherokees from the old days whose lives are now being investigated. Sometimes their lives are studied by Cherokees but many times, their lives and history are studied by other people. Often those other people study our ancestors because they believe they, the other people, are Cherokee. Too many times, those other people are wrong.

Today, in the year 2012, one hundred and seventy four years after the Trail of Tears, there are a lot of rumors about Crane Eater that are not true. There is a white family who claims to have come from him. He did not know them and he never knew any of their people, yet they say he was the father of one of them. This is not true. He never knew the man they claim was his son. He was not married to the woman they claim was his wife. I imagine he would not like it that they try to give him children and a wife that were not his. I doubt he could ever understand why they do it. He had his own family. I believe he probably loved his family. This is why the story of his life matters.

Crane Eater was a full blood Cherokee man who had a family. For a white family to claim he was their ancestor and that his children were their ancestor's children is an outrage. By doing this, they are trying to erase the real Crane Eater and his family from history and replace them with James Keith, a white man, and his family. This is unacceptable and it is very disrespectful. Crane Eater deserves better than that. He stayed with his nation, through thick and thin, helping, as an average Cherokee citizen, to build it into what it is today. He never abandoned his nation or his people. He was one of those who signed the petition to try to keep their homeland. He was one those who was forcibly rounded up and removed. And he was one of those who survived to start over. It is important that people know the truth about Crane Eater and his life. If he is to be remembered, then he would want to be remembered for who he really was. To remember him any other way is a shame and dishonor to both him and the Cherokee people.

Those are my thoughts for today.

Thanks for reading.

For the truth about Crane Eater and the never ending saga, please read:

Dissecting a Family Myth - William Loranzo Dow Keith

Dissecting a Family Myth - Keith Family Part 2

When Wannabes Attack (Again)

Let Crane Eater Rest In Peace

From My Inbox

This is How We Do It! (Cherokee Wannabe Genealogy)

She's Dug In, Baby! Let the Battle for Truth In Genealogy Begin

Crane Eater - A Story of Mistaken Identity and the Quest for Truth