The origin and development of the Redbird Smith movement Item Type text; Thesis-Reproduction (electronic) Authors Thomas, Robert K. Publisher The University of Arizona. Rights Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author. Download date 11/10/2021 10:28:29 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10150/319138 THE ORIGIN AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE REDBIRD SMITH MOVEMENT by Robert K. Thomas A Thesis submitted to the faculty of the Department of Anthropology in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS in the Graduate College, University of Arizona 1953 Approved: E777/ 7 / This thesis has been submitted in partial fulfillment of re­ quirements for an advanced degree at the University of Arizona and is deposited in the Library to be made available to borrowers under rules of the Library. Brief quotations from this thesis are allowable without special permission, provided that accurate acknowledgment of source is made. Requests for permission for extended quotation from or reproduction of this manuscript in whole or in part may be granted by the head of the major department or the dean of the Graduate College when in their judgment the proposed use of the material is in the interests of scholarship. In all other instances, however, permission must be obtained from the author. SIGNED: AGKHOMLEDG-MEITS The amthor wishes■to express gratitude t© the following peoples Br«, E. H. Spiee'r# who gave the original impetus and incentive for the field work to he done and afterwards spent many hours consolidating incipient ideas about the problem and putting forth new ideas and suggestions and giving the neeessary eneouragement to the writing of this thesis<> Also, my thanks to ray two main informants, John and, especially^ George Smiths who, as old men should have been allowed to relax peacefully, but nevertheless gave freely of their time and hospitality* X would also like to thank the many Gherokees who gave me such excellent ©©operations and especially Chief Stokes Smith who offered me his help many times* I would also like to thank the many graduate students at the University of Arizona who discussed the problems with me and gave me many new ideas* TABLE OF. COETEHTS Page IETRODU UTIOE o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o Xo Chapter lo CULTURE HISTORY OF THE CHEROKEE , . o * . 10 II o FULL-BLOQI) LIFE II THE 18908 s . , o ■. « o » 71 Ille THE REDBIRD SMITH MOVEMENT = <, = = = » o e = = o 111 IVo ANALYSIS OF THE REDBIRD SMITH MOVEMENT AND COMPARISON WITH THE GHOST DANCE »'» .... = 201}. BIBLIOGRAPHY oooooooooooooooooooVeo217 ILLUSTRATIONS THE WAMPUM BELTS 00000000000000000000 121a CHEROKEE NATION a = . » . » ,00 . 163a DIAGRAM OF STOMP GROUND . = = 0= 000000000=0 l8la 111 " IITROBUCTIOl'T This thesis was originally planned to include a detailed study of a natlvistie movement, about 1900, among the full- blooded Oklahoma Cherokee* The field work was started on the assumption that this movement was a Messianle ©me led by Red- bird Smith which .©neojapassed approximately a six-year period» The problem was formulated as' the determination of spe­ cific events during this short period, but after the beginning of field work, it was found that the Redbird Smith movement was far more complex than had been supposed* Because of lack ©f any basic field work in the area, and because of unreliable information given by an informant in previous years, this oversimplified conception had been formulated* Even initial work in the field showed the beginning of the movement to have been not a Messianic uprising at a par­ ticular time, but the culmination of a long series of events* Also, the development of the movement itself was found to cover not just a six, but at least a twenty-year period of culture history* Furthermore, the author had been under the impression that the movement, which called for the reconstruction of earlier Sheroke© culture, was accomplished by old Cherokees. who had lived in the earlier period» However, this was not so* 1 The reconstruction was much more complex than this--as will be shown below= In view of these facts, the approach to the problem was altered. It was felt,.,.as field work progressed, that it would be possible to slant the work toward an explanation of the social conditions that gave rise to the movement and the motivating forces of the people, concerned in the movement,, $he thesis, therefore, is focussed on such analysis and to that extent goes beyond a descriptive chronological account, Much time was given, nevertheless, to the actual details and chronological sequence of this period, Also, I felt that, in the reconstruction of this time period, reference to spe­ cific events could be carried only so far, I felt that I would, in another month Of interviewing, reach a point of diminishing returns with my informants. After doing the basic field work, a need was felt for some sketch of Cherokee culture history before the time in question, in order to establish exactly how the Cherokee reached the point where such an almost complete cultural revival could take place. Therefore, the first part of this monograph is devoted to an outline of the culture history up to the time of the movement and, in order to determine what conditions gave rise to such a revival, a reconstruction of life in the Cherokee Nation in the 1890‘s. The outline of Cherokee culture history for purpose of this study has been kept brief, empha­ sizing only the points which bear on later events. The time actually spent in the field, working on the problem was from early July until the last of October 1951° Contact with the Cherokee of the area were established in previous years, and trips had been made to Oklahoma in the summers of 19%9 and 195® in regard to the problem. The month ©f June 01951 1 spent working on a problem net related to my thesis around Stilweil and Lyons Switch, Oklahoma. During this period, I felt that I needed a more basic under­ standing of Cherokee culture in Oklahoma than 1 had at that. point. I felt that I had fallen into the old anthropological stereotype of classing Indians into conservative and progres­ sive groups, for example, putting the Baptist Cherokee into the progressive group, and the pagan Cherokees into the con­ servative group. After a month of research in Oklahoma in June in this restricted area, I felt I needed a month of seeing as much of Cherokee culture in operation in as many parts of the Cherokee area as possible. Z went to as many Indian dances, church meetings, and other community activities as I could. Even after I began intensive interviewing, I tried to continue this practice. In fact, the area around Jay, Oklahoma, which was one of the focal points of the movement, was the only area of major fullblood concentration which 1 felt I did not cover suffi­ ciently. After this month of getting acquainted, I started inten­ sive interviewing. During the month of August, I interviewed intensively one of ray two main informants# John R» Smiths of Tale%mahs Oklahoma, At this time» I lived at Stilwell® ©kla= home, and drove twenty miles to Talequah. I usually spent a morning or an afternoon interviewing him, 1 did not live at his homse beeamse, being a personal friends he would have wanted to '*keep me for nothings® and I did not feel like im­ posing on his hospitality, This month of interviewing was not to© frmitfnls as I was just becoming acquainted -with the Hedbird Smith movement and did not know how to guide the interviewso Also, John Smith is a very cautious man and will answer questions only after long periods of thought and will not elaborate very much. The months of. September and October> however, were spent with ray other main informant, Eeorge R, Smith of ©ore, Okla­ homa, I lived at his house during this time, and this period provided the most fruitful material. The interviewing during all this period was done in English without the aid of an interpreter. Throughout the last six weeks of that field time, my understanding of Chero­ kee had progressed to the point where I felt that I was get­ ting the exact meaning from a conversation. During this time, I gathered much material from speeches at the ceremonial grounds and from conversations of my informants with their families and friends. The pagan or Eighthawks were involved in a factional dispute, and much discussion of Cherokee tradition, behavior 1 and values was going on. Bae interview® wiish ray two main informants were more in the form of guided interviewso It was necessary to ask John Smith more direct questions» But with all other people, the material was gathered in the form of conversations» In the presence of ray two main informants, I usually took notes. But, otherwise, the notes were written up after the questioning period. It is difficult to take extensive notes and still participate in Cherokee culture and family life. My two main informants were John B, Smith and George R, Smith, John Smith is seventy-six years old and resides at falequab, Oklahoma, with his two sons, one of whom is married with several children, John Smith speaks excellent English and was interpreter for the Council of the Cherokee Ration and for his father, Redbird Smith, Because he was interpreter for his father as a young man, he was intimately concerned with the Redbird Smith movement, In later years, he beearase prominent in the hierarchy of the lighthawk Cherokee, In the 930*8, because of a theological disagreement, he quit the Eighthawk organisation and later became converted to the Peyote religion.