Gardner Green Series: The Birth of a Fake Tribe

Unraveling the birth of the original fake Cherokee tribe in Missouri is complicated. There are several groups that claim to be the original, but the documents filed with the state, the available group histories, and interviews with people involved at the time make it clear which group was the first and which groups splintered from it.

There are at least three non-profit groups registered with the Missouri Secretary of State's office who claim to be Cherokee tribes who descend from "the Green Band" or Benjamin Green, purported son of the Gardner Green found on the 1835 Census of the Cherokee Nation. These groups are:

• The Northern Cherokee Nation of the Old Louisiana Territory (Columbia, MO)
• The Northern Cherokee Nation (Clinton, MO/Cuba, MO)
• The Sac River/White River Bands of the Chickamauga Cherokee Nation, Inc. (Thornfield, MO)

The most active at this time appears to be the Northern Cherokee Nation (aka NCN), a non-profit out of Clinton, Missouri. The group claims to be the original "tribe" and says, on its website, that the Northern Cherokee Nation of the Old Louisiana Territory split from them.

Screen shot from website - Click to enlarge

Documents found on the Missouri Secretary of State's website indicate this is not true. The first group to register with the state as a non-profit was the Northern Cherokee Nation of the Old Louisiana Territory (hereafter OLT) in 1982 under the name of the Northern Cherokee Tribe of Indians. (click to enlarge)

The fact the OLT group is the original is also supported by both the history of the group, We Are Not Yet Conquered: The History of the Northern Cherokee Nation of the Old Louisiana Territory by Beverly Baker Northup, and by J.C. Thompson, a founder of the OLT group and key player in developing it into the entity it is today.

The Northern Cherokee Nation from Clinton, Missouri did not become a state non-profit until 1991 and that only happened after conflict and turmoil in the original group. Much of what the NCN claims is their history occurred years before they were an autonomous group. Because the NCN sprang from the original group, it is impossible to write the authentic history of it without first addressing the history of the group from which it splintered.

The key events in the early history of the OLT are numerous. In an effort to explore these events in condensed form, it seems best to present a timeline of them first and explore each topic (recognition, grants, gaming, etc...) individually in later posts.

A timeline of key events in the OLT history follows:

1982 -

• Beverly Baker Northup and her sister, Margaret Foley, became involved with the OLT after finding a letter at the Missouri Historical Society written by J.C. Thompson about the "Northern Cherokee Tribe."
• J.C. Thompson sent a letter to Margaret Foley that listed the group leaders, including himself as Director of Tribal Affairs. Others listed were Dave Quentin, Virgil Simons, Lucy Kaufman, Cliff Harris, Jr., Marlene Corwin, Jess W. Cutting, Calvin Green, Everett J. Harris, and Betty Simmons.
• Thompson said the leadership had taken a vote and it was 10 votes yes, 2 not voting, to have the permanent tribal office in Columbia, Missouri.
• The group registered as a non-profit through the state of Missouri as the Northern Cherokee Tribe of Indians.
• J.C. Thompson was the registered agent for the group.

1983 -

• An application for an Administration of Native Americans (hereafter ANA) grant was filed. Amount requested was approximately $86,100 in salaries, with the largest salary going to J.C. Thompson for $26,000. The grant was denied.
• The group considered an attempt to get the "Green Settlement." There were disagreements over the "money" and no attempt was made.
• In order to raise money and at the suggestion of J.C. Thompson, the group formed a new non-profit, Northern Cherokee Indian Community Association. "Non-tribal" members were allowed to join for a fee. Baker Northup agreed with the idea, but some in the group did not. Inner conflicts began.
• J.C. Thompson, Margaret Foley, and Beverly Baker Northup met with State Senator Roger Wilson about obtaining state recognition.
• The group received a proclamation from Missouri Governor Christopher Bond.
• Baker Northup became registered agent for the "tribe."
• J.C. Thompson said he would step down from his position as Director of Tribal Affairs unless the group got some money. He did eventually resign his position that year, but remained active in the group.
• Chet Ellis of the Indian Center in Kansas City, Missouri opposed the group and repeatedly stated there was no such thing as a Northern Cherokee Tribe.

1984 -

• The group reached out to Missouri State Representative Chris Kelly for a legislative act to give them state recognition.
• The group received a Missouri House Proclamation of Recognition signed by Speaker of the House, Bob F. Griffin.
• Baker Northup was "elected" chief.

1985 -

• The group attempted to get legislative state recognition again. Representative Chris Kelly and Senator Roger Wilson assisted.
• The act passed the House but died in the Senate Committee.
• The act was attached to another bill to try to get it through the legislature.
• The bill passed in both the House and the Senate.
• The Cherokee Nation opposed the state recognition of the group.
• The bill was vetoed by Missouri Governor John Ashcroft who said he believed only the federal government had the authority to recognize Indian tribes.
• The group changed the name of their non-profit, Northern Cherokee Indian Community Association, to Tsa-la-gi Wa-sha-she.
• The group received an ANA grant of $25,000.
• Sandy Clark, Beverly Baker Northup and her daughter, Sherry, started research for federal recognition, paying themselves from the ANA grant funds.
• The group sent a Letter of Intent to the BIA in 1985, though the letter is now credited to the Northern Cherokee Nation in Clinton despite the fact they did not yet exist.
• Internal conflict started over the ANA funds. J.C. Thompson and others felt they should have a share.
• Chet Ellis opposed the group receiving any grant or money intended for tribes or Indians.

1986 -

• They applied for another ANA grant. They were denied.

1987 -

• They were denied for a Missouri Surplus equipment grant.
• They were awarded another ANA grant. They received $30,000.
• J.C. Thompson started a "culture group" called the Chickamauga Community Organization and wanted to attach it to Tsa-la-gi Wa-sha-she. The Sac River area people were the most interested in it but later that interest waned due to political issues.

1988 -

• The group gave up on state recognition in Missouri and attempted to gain it in Arkansas. Their attempts were unsuccessful.

1989 -

• Carl Griggs applied for enrollment and wrote a letter to the OLT explaining he'd like to open bingo parlors under their non-profit status and promised to give 12% of earnings to the group.
• Baker Northup and others rejected the idea.
• Past conflicts started to escalate.

1990 -

• There was lots of turmoil and conflict in the OLT.
• J.C. Thompson suggested Baker Northup issue a state of emergency, suspend the constitution, and name him Administrator. He said then she and the other leaders could resign and go quietly, leaving him as the new chief.
• Baker Northup refused.
• Baker Northup and Elva Beltz, sister of Carl Griggs, became candidates for chief.
• A letter was sent out to group members saying Elva Beltz would pursue the Green and Alexander Brown settlements if "elected."
• Elva Beltz was "elected" chief. Dan Coones was "elected" Deputy Chief.
• Baker Northup did not acknowledge the "election" results.
• The Beltz/Griggs faction and the Coones/Thompson faction had a falling out.
• Beltz was recalled. Coones believed he should be chief.
• Baker Northup again refused to relinquish power.

1991 -

• February - Elva Beltz usurped Baker Northup as registered agent for Tsa-la-gi Wa-sha-she.
• May - Baker Northup regained her position as registered agent for Tsa-la-gi Wa-sha-she.
• June - The Beltz/Griggs faction started calling themselves the Northern Cherokee Nation and registered with the state of Missouri as a non-profit. Their registered agent was Elva Beltz.
• October - The Coones/Thompson faction started calling themselves the Sac River and White River Bands of Chickamauga Cherokee Indian Nation of Arkansas and Missouri and registered with the state of Missouri as a non-profit. Their registered agent was Florence Hill. (They are now known as the Sac River/White River Bands of the Chickamauga Cherokee Nation, Inc.)

As stated above, the history is complicated, but basically that is how one "tribe" claiming descent from Gardner Green on the 1835 Cherokee Nation census multiplied into three "tribes" claiming descent from him. Until 1991, they shared a history and everything happened under the name of the original group that is now known as the Northern Cherokee Nation of the Old Louisiana Territory.

Please remember, the heirs of the Gardner Green on the 1835 are known and NONE of these people actually descend from him.

This story is far from over, so please continue to follow the story of Young Wolf, son of Mouse; his legacy; and why it all matters.
 
Those are my thoughts for today.
Thanks for reading.

copyright 2018, Polly's Granddaughter - TCB

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A Final Rejection and the Emergence of a Fake Tribe

In the last post, False Heirs: The Gardner Green Estate, the claim to a fortune made by the Green family of Boone County, Missouri was discussed. This Green family claimed they were the descendants of a Cherokee man named Gardner Green and that the United States was holding a fortune of his to be paid out to them if they could prove their claim. Instead of probating the claim, as anyone who was claiming heirship to a fortune would, the Green family filed Eastern Cherokee applications, the applications required for those who made claim to a share of the money the U.S. Court of Claims awarded the Cherokees (or their heirs) who remained in the eastern homelands until after the Treaty of New Echota. Those Cherokees were considered parties to that treaty and therefore entitled to a share of the funds. No single Cherokee was entitled to all the money and no single Cherokee family was entitled to it all despite the story repeatedly told by the Green family.

The Green family filed 241 Eastern Cherokee applications for 552 claims (children were paid a share if approved but were listed on their parents' applications.) ALL were rejected.

The Eastern Cherokee applications filed that claimed descent from "Gardner Green" are below. The two final claimants appear to have no connection to the Green family from Missouri. That indicates people were finding a name on the 1835 Cherokee Roll and claiming on it whether they were truly related to that person or not. After all, if the claims on Gardner Green were authentic claims, the family lineages should have matched. They didn't.

Remember, ALL the applications filed by the Green family were rejected. Guion Miller, the commissioner appointed by the United States to oversee the roll and payments, wrote an extensive report on why the applications were rejected. First, the testimony given by numerous claimants conflicted with testimony given by other claimants. Second, the Greens claimed Gardner Green, their ancestor, was very old. He would have had great grandchildren born before the Treaty of New Echota and none of his purported children, grandchildren, or great grandchildren had ever lived in the Cherokee domain. Third, Guion Miller did not believe the Gardner Green claimed by the Green family was the same Gardner Green found on the 1835 based on the family description, though he admitted it was only supposition that he believed the male listed as under 18 was the child of Gardner Green.

The full report of Guion Miller is below:

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Though Guion Miller had limited resources at the time he made his decision on the family's claim, today we have numerous documents available and can confirm this family was correctly rejected. The man listed as Gardner Green on the 1835 was Young Wolf, son of Mouse. He could not have been the progenitor of the Green family from Boone County, Missouri.

After multiple rejections, by both the Cherokee Nation officials and the agents of the U.S. government, the false claim by the Green family should have come to an end. Unfortunately, it didn't.

Today, approximately 110 years after being rejected by Guion Miller, the Green family descendants still claim to be Cherokee. They, along with others, created a fraudulent tribe that has splintered into additional fraudulent tribes. While the idea of fake tribes may sound funny, it isn't. Recently, one of the Green family "tribes" has caused a tremendous amount of harm. 

They have threatened to destroy Rocky Miller, a Missouri state legislator and citizen of the Cherokee Nation, for sponsoring a law to protect the consumers of Missouri from being tricked into purchasing fake Indian art. They have launched an online smear campaign against the Missouri Archaeological Society, Inc. for cancelling the speaking engagement of one of their members when the Society learned that person was not legitimately Cherokee. They have used their fake tribal cards to apply for and receive government contracts intended for minorities. Most recently, their group members threatened an Eastern Band Cherokee when he asked to speak at their event to explain that what was being presented as Cherokee culture was, in fact, not authentic Cherokee culture.

This farce must end!

It will end.

My next few posts will show the emergence of a fake tribe, through documents and other sources, while also sharing the accurate history of this fake tribe, the non-profit group that calls itself the "Northern Cherokee Nation", headquartered in Clinton, Missouri.  You don't want to miss this. Please stay tuned for more on this story, the legacy of Young Wolf, and what we can learn from it all.


Those are my thoughts for today.
Thanks for reading.

*Please click on images to enlarge.

*Video clip used with permission. Credit: Chris Penick

Previous posts in this series:

Part 1 - Young Wolf, son of Mouse

Part 2 - Identity Fraud: Ghosting Gardner Green 

Part 3 - False Heirs: The Gardner Green Estate

copyright 2018, Polly's Granddaughter - TCB

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When the Past Meets the Present - Part 3

Standing Witnesses and Unethical Lawyers

John R. Gourd (sometimes called Rattlinggourd) and Doog/Dug/Doug/Duge Webber made affidavits in the citizenship case of Chief Baker's maternal ancestors. 

These men were standing witnesses, or professional witnesses, meaning they would, for a fee, testify to anything a person wanted. The reputation of standing witnesses was bad and reputable Cherokees testified to that fact. 

C.W. Starr, the ex-chairman of the Senate Committee on Citizenship for the Cherokee Nation, swore that he knew the reputation of J.R. Gourd and Doog Webber (among others) and it was bad and the men were known as Standing Witnesses in citizenship cases and Starr would not believe them under oath.

Later, in a disputed Dawes enrollment case (D1207), John R. Gourd explained how the standing witness scam worked in his experience.  

• Gourd didn't know anything about the people or the family, other than he might have seen them in the past.
• William F. Rasmus would tell Gourd the people were Cherokee and then would write what he wanted on the affidavit without John R. Gourd knowing what was stated.
• Rasmus would put Gourd's name on the testimony.
• Gourd would be paid $5 and promised more if the case was approved.

While the above testimony by Gourd was not given in the RM Walker case, it still applies because it shows the unethical practices of William F. Rasmus. William Boyd, Chief Baker's maternal great grandpa, tried to fraudulently obtain Cherokee citizenship. Who were the lawyers handling William Boyd's case? The above mentioned William F. Rasmus and his partner, M.O. Ghormley.

Rasmus and Ghormley submitted 12 applications and 13 pages of evidence in the RM Walker case. Notice above, in the paid testimonies given by Gourd and Webber, M.O. Ghormley* was the notary public who signed that the testimonies were sworn before him. Rasmus* was the lawyer Gourd testified about, the one who wrote down whatever he wanted, while Gourd went on his way.

Was John R. Gourd a victim in this? Was he taken advantage of by unscrupulous lawyers? Maybe, but that isn't the point. The point is there are a lot of fraudulent affidavits in those old rejected citizenship applications. Whether Gourd or any of the others were taken advantage of doesn't matter. What matters is the standing witnesses accepted payment and allowed their names to be put on many fraudulent affidavits that are now cited by novice researchers as proof of Cherokee ancestry. 

Additionally, this shows that non-Indians were willing to bribe witnesses in their attempt to gain citizenship into the Cherokee Nation. Chief Baker's maternal ancestors were among the people who tried to do that. Sadly, despite the fact his maternal ancestors were not Cherokee; despite the fact his maternal ancestors used lawyers who were willing to perpetuate fraud; despite the fact his maternal ancestors used standing witnesses, Chief Baker and his family still claim they are Cherokee through his maternal line.** Because of those continued claims despite all the evidence to the contrary, it is not a stretch to believe Chief Baker's fabricated maternal Cherokee ancestry has a strong influence over the decisions he makes for the Cherokee Nation today. Any Cherokee who cares about our sovereignty should be concerned.

Stay tuned for the next installment in the series, When the Past Meets the Present - Motivation: Is a good deed really a good deed? 

Those are my thoughts for today.
Thanks for reading.





* M.O. Ghormley was Cherokee by blood. Rasmus was an Intermarried White. Both were listed on the Final Dawes Roll.

** After this series began, at least one member of Chief Baker's family has publicly written that they know they have more Indian blood than they get credit for on their CDIB, but they can't prove it. (Guess that proves my point, doesn't it?)

copyright 2014, Polly's Granddaughter - TCB

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When the Past Meets the Present - Part 1

 

While the above quote applies to humanity as a whole or to nations of people, I believe it also applies to us as individuals. It's why I believe the study of our own personal history is important. We all have family stories, and while that might be fine and good for sitting around the dinner table, if those stories are inaccurate or untrue, and we allow them to become engrained into our very being, they could lead us to make poor decisions based on lies and deception. Over time, that can become problematic and harmful. This harm is magnified if one who has been influenced by false family stories becomes a leader of a nation of people and he allows those false stories to play a role in the decisions he makes for that nation of people.

***

In 1896, a family group of approximately 54 people applied for citizenship in the Cherokee Nation and were rejected. They appealed to the US Northern District Court and were again rejected. That should have been the end of it, but it wasn't. In 1907, they filed Eastern Cherokee applications, attempting to get some of the money due the Cherokees for their land in the east. Once again the family was rejected. Still, this was not the end of it. To this day, though they have not one iota of proof to support their false claim, this family still says they are Cherokee. While we Cherokees are used to this type of claim and tend to roll our eyes when we hear these claims and then go on about our business believing the claim is more annoying than it is harmful, we can't do that this time. 

This time, the false claim is being made by our very own chief, Bill John Baker, and his mother, Isabel Baker. While Baker has Cherokee ancestry on his father's side, he has none on his mother's side but that doesn't stop him from claiming he does, according to sources who wish to remain anonymous. It also doesn't stop his mother from claiming it, as you can see in this comment she made in September, 2012, on Facebook:

In the 1896 claim that was appealed to to the US courts, in the case known as RM Walker v the Cherokee Nation, the ancestors of Isabel Baker claimed descent from a Cherokee man named John Rogers. They were very specific about which John Rogers they claimed.  He was white and well documented. They don't descend through him. 

By the time of the Eastern Cherokee applications, Isabel Baker's family were still very specific about which Cherokee John Rogers they claimed, but this time, it was a different John Rogers. He was a chief and also well documented. They don't descend through him either, but ironically, Cara Cowan Watts, Cherokee Nation council woman, does. (Yes, you read that correctly. Chief Baker's mom's family falsely claimed to descend through Cara Cowan Watts' ancestor!)

The Cherokee people have watched this administration closely and often wondered why our chief refuses to defend our sovereignty in these perilous times when the number of fraudulent groups are growing each day; when the BIA is considering weakening the federal recognition process; and when states consider giving fake tribes state recognition.

Stay tuned as we explore the ancestry of Chief Baker, through his mother's line, and examine whether Isabel Baker's family's false claim of Cherokee ancestry from the past has influenced her son's ability to make good decisions concerning our Nation's sovereignty today.

Those are my thoughts for today.
Thanks for reading.

copyright 2014, Polly's Granddaughter - TCB

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Should You Trust the Testimonies in the 1896 Applications?

Please review the 1896 application of William Green Mhoon by clicking on the following link - 

William Green Mhoon 1896 application

Pay attention to the number of times the name Sally/Sallie Hughes is mentioned and how many times she is mentioned as Cherokee.   

Did you see it? One, and I say ONE, mention of Sally Hughes, which may or may not have been the correct name of Stark Mhoon's mother. Since William Green never knew Stark's mother, he could have easily confused the names Susannah and Sally. He also could have seen the 1835 roll and assumed Sally was his ancestor or he could have intentionally picked that name, knowing it was not his ancestor, but assuming no one could disprove it. Whatever the reason, as shown by the information posted yesterday, it seems William Green Mhoon was probably mistaken on the name of his father's mother.

If you missed it, the one mention of "Sallie Hughes" is on the third page down in the posted application and says this at the bottom of the page, "I knew nothing of my Fathers family except that his Mother was Sallie Hughes and was a cherokee."

 
That is the ONLY mention of a woman named Sally Hughes and the only mention of that Sally being Cherokee, yet despite the fact that no other documentation supports this statement as true, the descendants have accepted it as true. That was a big mistake. Genealogy is based on documentation, not assumption.

Per the History of Benton, Washington, Carroll, Madison, Crawford, Franklin, and Sebastian Counties, Arkansas. Chicago, IL, USA: Goodspeed Publishing, 1889, William Green Mhoon was of German descent and there was no mention at all of any Cherokee ancestry.

 

Notice the date they first moved to Washington County, Arkansas - 1836. 

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Per much of the testimony given in the 1896 application, the Mhoons stopped in Washington County when the Cherokees were being moved. Excerpt from the Lucy Trammel testimony which is similar to many others. "...was a Cherokee Indian and resided with the tribe in the old Eastern reserve and came here with the Cherokees as they were being moved..."

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This is where we can show the testimonies were not based in truth by comparing them to historical fact.

Stark Mhoon's family moved to Washington County, Arkansas shortly after it was opened up to white settlement and when there was an influx of whites to the area. This is land that was taken from the Old Settler Cherokees, thus, those who settled there benefited from Cherokee oppression and why it is an insult that the descendants of those early settlers would now claim to be Cherokee.

From The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture  :

"The county was formed after the Cherokee were removed and the area was deemed safe for white settlement. History records the names of several white pioneer families who settled in what is now Washington County, among them Alexander, McGarrah, and Simpson. The first white families came to Washington County about a year before the Arkansas territorial legislature opened the area to white settlement, thus making trespassers of the new pioneers. These squatters lived on their homesteads, anticipating quick federal intervention to gain the land from the Cherokees, making it possible for permanent white settlement. [emphasis mine.] The land formally became available to white settlement in 1828."

Also worth noting, based on history, Stark Mhoon and family moved to Washington County, Arkansas two years before the forced removal of the Emigrant Cherokees started. Those Cherokees were moved from 1838-39, therefore the Mhoons could not have stopped in Washington County in 1836 when they were being "moved with the Cherokees"! It is clear, they were NOT being moved with the Cherokees when they settled in the area as the testimony given in this 1896 application says.

Why would someone give testimony to something that wasn't true? There could be a lot of reasons. One said they knew the family but knew nothing of their heritage. Most said the same thing:

"came here with the Cherokees when they were being moved..."

Notice people are giving testimony saying they knew a Cherokee woman (Betsey Sutton, not Sally Hughes) who lived in the domain of the Cherokee Nation and said they knew she was listed on the roll? Interesting that these people didn't live in Cherokee domain, isn't it? Exactly how did they know this woman, know she was listed on a roll, and know she moved with the Cherokees? Makes you think something fishy was going on, doesn't it?

Perhaps these people testified to this because it is what the lawyer told them to say. Or perhaps it is because they were just trying to help a friend. Or, perhaps it is because they knew if William Green Mhoon's application was accepted, their application would be as well. Sarah Bledsoe, one person who gave testimony for Mhoon, also made an 1896 application through the same ancestors, so her motives are suspect as having an interest in the Mhoon application being approved. No matter the reason, we can show the testimony given is not true based on known historical facts.

One might ask, is it possible William Green Mhoon filed an 1896 application knowing he wasn't Cherokee? I guess that would fall upon the character of Mhoon and his family. Were they upstanding citizens? Could their word be trusted? 

Stay tuned for more as we look at some documentation that gives us insight into the character of the William Green Mhoon family!

Those are my thoughts for today.
Thanks for reading.

copyright 2012, Polly's Granddaughter - TCB

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