2017 Trail of Tears Conference & Symposium - Page 1 8:00am-12:30pm Registration at Choctaw Casino Hotel across from Registration in the Lobby LOB 9:00am-12:15pm TOTA Board of Directors Meeting SPC 12:30pm-1:45pm Opening Luncheon CS 12:35pm Opening Welcome - Jack D. Baker, National TOTA President CS Introduction of Dignitaries - Bethany Henry Rosenbaum, AR Chapter President CS Welcome to the Choctaw Nation Address - Principal Chief Gary Batton CS Door prizes with Paul Austin CS 2:00pm - 3:00pm Keynote: Dr. Daniel F. Littlefield, Jr. - Where Do We Go From Here? CS (See Bio, Page 4) 3:15pm-4:15pm Concurrent Sessions 1 (See Concurrent Session Details) 4:30pm-5:30pm Concurrent Sessions 2 (See Concurrent Session Details) 6:30pm Reception at Gilley’s, Hosted by Choctaw Nation GIL

9:00am-10:00am Youth Presentations - Remember the Removal Riders, Choctaw Bike Riders CS Door Prize Drawing - Paul Austin and the Bike Riders CS 10:15am Board Buses for Borderlands Field Trip to Cane Hill LOB 11:30am-12:00pm Welcome and Introduction to Cane Hill - Bobby R. Braly OL 12:00pm-1:00pm Box lunches at Cane Hill College (Lunches created by Briar Rose) OL 12:45pm-1:30pm Choctaw Storyteller - Nicholas Charleston / Choctaw Removal Song - Ryan Spring OL (performance during lunch) 1:30pm-2:00pm Cherokees and Cane Hill - Troy Wayne Poteete, TOTA Executive Director OL 2:15pm-3:00pm Tour Cane Hill (See Details, Page #6) OL 3:15pm Bus leaves for Prarie Grove Battlefield OL 3:30pm-5:00pm Prairie Grove Activities (See Details, Page#6) OL 5:15pm Board buses for the hotel OL 7:00pm TOTA Phoenix Society Fundraiser OL *Dinner on your own 8:00pm Guitar passing, poetry recital, group directed talent showcase GIL Master of Ceremonies: Paul Austin

8:30am-9:15am National Park Service Report - Aaron Mahr, Superintendent National Trails Inter- CS mountain Region, and Staff 9:15am-9:45am Chapter Report Highlights - Chapter Presidents CS Moderated by AR Chapter President Bethany Rosenbaum 9:45am-10:00am Door Prize Drawing - Paul Austin CS 2017 Trail of Tears Conference & Symposium - Page 2 WEDNESDAY SESSIONS (continued) 10:00am-10:20am Screening of “Introduction to Ft. Smith Historic Site” film- Loren McLane CS 10:30am-11:30am Featured: Stacy Leeds - Supreme Court Decisions and Congressional Policies CS Which Gave Rise To The Circumstances Necessitating Judge Parker’s Court (See Bio, Page 4) 11:35am-12:00pm *Private vehicle transportation encouraged CS Shuttles available to Judge Parker’s Court / Frisco Building , 100 Garrison Ave. 12:00pm Final Lunch - Cherokee Traditional Hog Fry - Sponsored by Cherokee Nation Busi- OL nesses on the Grounds of Frisco Station, 100 Garrison Ave., adjoining Ft. Smith National Historic Site Grounds 12:15pm Remarks - Cherokee Nation Secretary of State Chuck Hoskin, Jr. OL 12:30pm Background of the Marshall Museum - Jim Dunn, Executive Director of the US Mar- OL shall Museum Collection of conference evaluations OL 12:45pm Grand Door Prize Drawing OL 1:00pm-4:45pm Concurrent Sessions 3 (See Concurrent Session Details)

CONCURRENT #1 (MON) 3:15pm-4:15pm Ft. Smith Borderland History - Loren McLane SPC Cherokee Old Settlers in AR - Dr. George Sabo GIL The Last Choctaw Removal of 1903- Ryan Spring & Deanna Byrd CS CONCURRENT #2 (MON) 4:30pm-5:30pm Frontier Capitalism: Early Arkansas Banking and Indian Removal, 1819-1860 - CS Cody Berry Tiana’s Journey: In Wake of Removal “A documented story of harassment and loss be- GIL fore during and after the infamous removal to Oklahoma” - Marjorie Johnson Lowe Seminole Removal - Ted Underwood SPC CONCURRENT #3 (WED) Afternoon Activities 1:00pm Cherokee marble game demonstration - Cherokee Marble Society OL 2:00pm Stickball Exhibition - Choctaw Nation Cultural Department OL Indoor Lectures - Frisco Building 1:00pm-2:00pm AR Politics and the 3 Creek factions in removal - Carolyn Kent OL 2:15pm-3:15pm Bradley County Reservations - Debbie Moore OL On The Grounds 1:00pm-3:15pm Booths and Demonstrations by Cherokee Nat’l Treasures & Choctaw Cultural Dept. OL Pottery Demonstrations - Jane Osti OL Bow Maker Demonstrations - Richard Fields OL Tours 3:30pm Guided Tours of Museum and Grounds (Groups of 50) OL Tours begin at front of Museum and at the Commissary 4:45pm Tours converge at Trail of Tears Overlook for viewing the Five Tribes OL Waysides and remarks by John McClarty

2017 Trail of Tears Conference & Symposium - Page 3 Dr. Daniel F. Littlefield Jr. / Director, Sequoyah National Research Center KEYNOTE SPEAKER - Dr. Littlefield grew up in rural eastern Oklahoma attending school with Cher- okees. He earned a Masters from the Where Do We Go From Here? University of Arkansas. and a Doctorate from Oklahoma State. He has published Monday, October 16th extensively including several books about 2:00pm - 3:00pm Africans among the Five Civilized Tribes. Center Stage With his friend James Parins he compiled the two volume Encyclopedia of Amer- For more information on lecture ican Indian Removal. Dr. Littlefield is please visit page 5. renowned among tribal people not only for his extensive research and writing but also for his engaging lecture style. He is cur- Scan QR code for videos with Dr. Littlefield rently the Director of Univeristiy of Arkansas at Little Rock’s Sequoyah National Research Center. Scan QR code to visit the Sequoyah National Research Center

Stacy Leeds / Deen - University of Arkansas, School of Law StacyFeatured Leeds became SPEAKERdean and professor - of law at the University of Arkansas School of Law in 2011 and has received many honors for her teaching, scholarship and administrative vision throughout her academic career. She has a strong record of public service and is currently a member of the board of directors for Arvest Bank in Fayetteville and the American Indian Grad- uate Center. Previous appointments have included boards for corporations and academic in- stitutions, as a member and officer on national commissions and as a justice on the Cherokee Nation Supreme Court. She received a Master of Laws from the University of Wisconsin, Juris Doctor from the University of Tulsa, Master of Business Administration from the University of Tennessee and Bachelor of Arts from Washington University in St. Louis. Leeds, a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, is the only American Indian woman to have served as law school dean in the United States. Supreme Court Decisions And Congressional Policies Which Gave Rise To The Circumstances Necessitating Judge Parker’s Court Wednesday, Oct. 18th 10:30pm - 11:30pm Center Stage

Entertainment Bios Master of Ceremonies Nicholas Tecumseh Charleston Gaby Nagel Paul Austin Choctaw Storyteller Cherokee Flutist Paul Austin became Exec- Nicholas Tecumseh Fourteen (14) year old utive Director of the AR Humanities Council in Charleston works for Gaby Nagel, a citizen 2008. He came to the Hu- the Chata School of Lan- of the Eastern Band of manities Council from guage at the Choctaw Cherokee Indians and his previous position as Nation of Oklahoma; for resident of Farming- Executive Director of the the Jena Band of Choc- ton, AR made history as American Indian Center of Arkansas. taw Indians of Jena Lou- the first female and the During his tenure at the Indian Center, isian; and for Yale University Native youngest person to ever win the Mu- Austin also served as Executive Direc- American Cultural Center in New Ha- sical Echo’s flute festival competition tor of the Trail of Tears Association. ven, Connecticut. He is a fluent, self- in Ft. Walton Beach, FL. Gaby began Austin is known for adding spice and taught speaker of Choctaw as a second playing at age 10 and won several humor to conferences and meetings with tales of his hometown, Emboden, language with six years teaching expe- Washington County Fair competitions in Eastern AR. Lately he has teamed rience. Nicholas teaches a face-to-face as well as winning awards in the Ar- up with Southern Fried food blogger, community class in Hugo, OK. He also kansas State 4-H competitions. She Rex Nelson, Head of Corporate Com- teaches students via the internet in has recorded a CD of self composed munications for Simmons Bank, for a utilizing a distance-learning medium. songs called “Native Dreams” which weekly radio show called Chewing the His passion is teaching the Chahta will be on sale during her several per- Fat with Rex & Paul which features langue in order to save the voice of his formances at the 22 Annual Trail of talk about Arkansas food, festivals, and people from extinction. Tears Conference and Symposium. folks. Scan QR code to listen and Nicholas and Gaby will be performing during the “Tour Cane Hill” field trip. subscribe to the “Chewing To read more about the field trips please turn to pages 6 and 10. the Fat” Podcast. 2017 Trail of Tears Conference & Symposium - Page 4 Option 2 ily history of Choctaw people today.” Cherokee Old Settlers in Arkansas MONDAY Dr. George Sabo (Bio, page 8) Gilley’s Concurrent sessions October 16th Turbulent events in Cherokee home- 4:30pm - 5:30pm 8:00am-12:30pm lands during the late 18th and early Option 1 Registration at 19th centuries prompted several Frontier Capitalism: Early Arkan- Choctaw Casino Hotel Cherokee groups to migrate from sas Banking and Indian Removal, across from the southern Appalachian region to 1819-1860 Registration in the Lobby lands west of the Mississippi River. Cody Berry (Bio, page 8) The first of those groups established Center Stage 9:00am-12:15pm new communities along the St. Many white Americans profited TOTA Board of Directors Meeting Francis River in Arkansas Territory. from Indians forcibly removed pur- Seven Ponies Conference Room When an 1817 treaty with the Unit- suant to the Indian Removal Act of ed States government established a 1830. Arkansas was granted state- 12:30pm-1:45pm reserve in northcentral Arkansas hood in 1836 and that same year its Opening Luncheon on lands extending north of the Ar- General Assembly passed legislation All Events Center Stage kansas River and south of the White that established the Arkansas State River, many communities relocated Bank and the Real Estate Bank of Opening Welcome there with several prominent settle- Arkansas. Between 1836 and 1843, Jack D. Baker, National TOTA Pres. ments established along the Arkan- these banks were run by men who sas River near modern Russellville. utilized their positions at the bank, Introduction of Dignitaries Until their removal to Indian Terri- and as agents for the Office of Indian Bethany Henry Rosenbaum, AR tory in 1828, the Arkansas Old Set- Affairs, to engage in various forms of Chapter Pres. tler Cherokees maintained a well-or- fraud at the expense of Indian tribes ganized community that featured being removed through Arkansas. Welcome to the Choctaw Nation a successful agricultural economy, Members of both political parties Address profitable commerce, and well-de- were implicated, none were convict- Principal Chief Gary Batton veloped educational, political, and ed. Berry’s presentation is based on (Bio, page 8-9) religious institutions. This presen- his Master’s Thesis which discusses tation summarizes the accomplish- the peculiar relationship between Door prizes ments and experiences of early 18th Arkansas banking, its statehood, with Paul Austin, (Bio, page 4) century Old Settler Cherokees in and the removal and subsistence of Arkansas, and discussed their en- various tribes afterwards in Indian 2:00pm-3:00pm during impacts on Arkansas history. Territory. Keynote: Where Do We Go From Here? Option 3 Option 2 Dr. Daniel F. Littlefield, Jr. The Last Choctaw Removal of 1903 Tiana’s Journey: (Bio, page 4) Ryan Spring & Deanna Byrd In Wake of Removal Center Stage (Bios, page 8 & 9) “A documented story of harassment In this presentation Dr. Littlefield Center Stage and loss before, during and after the will speak to TOTA researchers Following the Indian Removal Act, infamous removal to Oklahoma” about what has been done and what Choctaw Chiefs were forced to sign Marjorie Johnson Lowe (Bio, page 9) needs to be done regarding inter- the Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek Gilley’s preting the Trail of Tears. Major in 1830. This treaty not only ceded Ordinary Cherokees demonstrat- points will be the need to include the last remaining Choctaw home- ed uncommon courage when faced the other tribes in interpretation, lands in Mississippi, but also led to with the extraordinary challenges the need for writing the stories of re- the removal of over 20,000 Choctaw to their way of life presented by the moval, the need for more historical people to Indian Territory through forced removal. Lowe’s third great background of removal in interpre- a series of orchestrated removals grandmother, Tiana Foster Rogers, tation, with special emphasis on the from 1830 to 1849. The last feder- was one among many who dealt need to include people of African al removal was organized in 1903, with those challenges and managed descent in interpretations. with the intent on removing more to preserve the Cherokee Nation. Choctaws people to Indian Terri- Her presentation illustrates how her tory in time for the closure of the ancestor met those challenges in a Dawes Rolls. In anticipation to this manner which contributed directly Concurrent sessions in 1902, land speculators were ea- to the survival, recovery and pros- ger to exploit Choctaw families in perous status the Cherokee Nation 3:15pm - 4:15pm order to take a portion of allotted enjoys today. Option 1 lands. Over the past three years the Ft. Smith Borderland History Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma His- Option 3 Loren McLane (Bio, page 9) toric Preservation Department has Seminole Removal Seven Ponies Conference Room worked to research and document Ted Underwood (Bio, page 9) This presentation focuses on the his- these stories of the final removal Seven Ponies Conference Room tory of Fort Smith as it relates to the with the hope of honoring our an- This presentation will cover federal Indian Territory just across the river. cestors and to contribute to the fam- Indian policy during the removal 2017 Trail of Tears Conference & Symposium - Page 5 period and the government’s efforts Cane Hill College 3)Self-Guided tour of Museum to force the native tribes out of their Upstairs Auditorium exhibits homelands in the Southeast to lands (Viewing room available downstairs) west of the Mississippi specifically Performance during lunch *Snacks arranged by AR Chapter the tribes that came to be known as available in the air-conditioned the Seminoles. The Trail of Tears for 1:30pm-2:00pm Latta Barn - provided by CV’s Family the Seminoles is a unique story that Cherokees and Cane Hill Grocery Stores, Little Debbie, McKee Bakery will show the reluctance of the tribes Troy Wayne Poteete to move and the resistance to the In- Cane Hill College Auditorium 5:15pm dian removal policy of the federal A Talk about Cane Hill connections Board buses for the hotel government. It will trace the trail to the Cherokee Seminaries and Narration by Masseurs of tears removal and why the Semi- Cherokees who attended Cane Hill Wing and Helbling Continued noles did not sign a peace treaty and how they were brought to what is 2:15pm-3:00pm 7:00pm now Oklahoma as prisoners of war. Tour Cane Hill TOTA Phoenix Society Split into three groups Fundraiser Groups 1 & 2: Alternate between 6:30pm Tour of the Grounds and Tour of the Reception Museum Dinner on your own Hosted by Choctaw Nation Group 3: (Those with mobility issues Gilley’s or who have toured before) Remain 8:00pm Choctaw Music and Food provided stationary at the College building. Guitar passing, poetry recital, by the Choctaw Nation group directed talent showcase 1) Begin at Cane Hill Museum Master of Ceremonies, Curator Lawrence McElroy will serve Paul Austin (Bio, page 4) TuesDAY as station guide. Gilley’s 2) Begin at front of College October9:00am- 10:00am 17th Building Youth Presentations Grounds Tour led by Bobby R. Braly, WednesDAY Remember the Removal Riders, Executive Director, Historic Cane Hil Choctaw Bike Riders Sorghum Press, Restored Methodist October 18th Center Stage Manse, explanation of structures, General Session apple industry, shunning of RR, etc. All Events Center Stage Door Prize Drawing Paul Austin and the Bike Riders 3)Remain in the College Facility 8:30am-9:15am Flute Songs by Gaby Nagel (Bio, National Park Service Report page 4) Aaron Mahr, Superintendent Cane Hill field Trip A short story from Choctaw National Trails Inter-mountain 10:15pm - 6:45pm storyteller Nicholas Charleston (Bio, Region, and Staff page 4) 10:15am 9:15am-9:45am Board Buses for Borderlands Discussion of the Drennen-Scott Field Trip to Cane Hill Tour House by Tom Wing (Bio, page 10) Chapter Report Highlights Narrators: Chapter Presidents Bus (1) Tom Wing (Bio page 10) 3:15pm Moderated by AR Chapter President Bus (2) Dusty Helbling (Bio page 10) Bus leaves Bethany Rosenbaum Buses will stop at Evansville for for Prarie Grove Battlefield Written reports will be made narrators to change buses available to those in attendance. 3:30pm-5:00pm Prairie Grove Activities 9:45am-10:00am 11:30am-12:00pm Door Prize Drawing Welcome Split into three groups Paul Austin and Introduction to Cane Hill 1) Tour of John Latta House Bobby R. Braly, Executive Director 10:00am-10:20am of Historic Cane Hill Dusty Helbling, (Bio, page 10), station guide Screening of “Introduction to Ft. Cane Hill College Auditorium Smith Historical Site” film 12:00pm-1:00pm 2) Tour of Grounds Loren McLane (Bio, page 9) Box lunches at Cane Hill College Mark Christ, (Bio page 9), Center Stage Lunches created by Briar Rose, in with Alan Thompson (Bio, page 8) Presentation of orientation film Farmington, AR Mark Christ and Alan Thompson shown at the Ft. Smith National will take participants to Prairie Historic Site Visitors Center Grove Battlefield State Park’s western 12:45pm-1:30pm 10:30am-11:30am Choctaw Storyteller overlook and provide an overview Nicholas Charleston (Bio, page 4) of the battle with an emphasis of the Featured: Choctaw Removal Song actions of Native American troops. Supreme Court Decisions And Ryan Spring (Bio, page 9) Congressional Policies 2017 Trail of Tears Conference & Symposium - Page 6 Which Gave Rise To The skill and strategy played by adults By the time the friendly Creeks began Circumstances Necessitating on a five-hole outdoor course. Until to remove not only did the factions Judge Parker’s Court the early part of the 20th century, begin to present concerns for the Stacy Leeds players used marbles chipped from tribal cohesion that might prevail in (Bio, Page 4) stone, smoothed into round marbles Indian Territory but what would also Center Stage about the size of billiard balls. Today, be the part of Arkansas Territory. there are still some traditional These concerns would involve the 11:35am-12:00pm marble makers, but many players governors of Arkansas Territory Judge Parker’s Court now use billiard balls for play. The as unwilling participants. The Frisco Building, 100 Garrison Ave. contemporary rules for Marbles promises made to the friendly Creek Private vehicle transportation state that “players may use any ball leaders before they left Alabama, the encouraged - Shuttles available legal for use in billiards as their reaction of the Arkansas governor marble. This means numbered balls to some of these promises will 12:00pm 1-15, red snooker balls, specialty be explored in this presentation. Final Lunch billiard balls, cue balls, oversized Cherokee Traditional Hog Fry cue balls and 8-balls.” The game is 2:15pm-3:15pm On the Grounds of Frisco Station, played on a field approximately 100 Bradley County Reservations 100 Garrison Ave., adjoining Ft. feet long and containing five holes Debbie Moore (Bio, page 8) Smith National Historic Site Grounds about two inches in diameter, 10 to Prior to the forced removal the Sponsored by Cherokee Nation 12 yards apart forming an L-shape. U.S. Government evaluated all the Businesses Any number may participate as Cherokee homesteads in what is now long as each team has an equal known as Bradley, Polk, Hamilton, 12:15pm number of players. While the game Monroe, Meigs and Marion Counties Remarks is historically played by adult men, in Tennessee. Moore, a lifelong Cherokee Nation Secretary of State children may play on their own teams Tennessee resident, has combined Chuck Hoskin, Jr. (Bio, page 8) against another children’s team. her knowledge of landforms and waterways with her love of Native 12:30pm 2:00pm American history to identify some Background of the Stickball Exhibition of these Cherokee homesteads Marshall Museum Choctaw Nation Cultural Dept. and villages. This presentation will Jim Dunn, Executive Director of the Featuring Tushka Homa utilize the 1836 Cherokee Property U.S. Marshall Museum Stickball Team evaluations and show locations of these villages and homes. Collection of conference evaluations to flollow Concurrent on grounds 12:45pm Grand Door Prize Drawing 12:00pm - 4:45pm Booths and Demonstrations by Cherokee National Treasures & Choctaw Cultural Department Concurrent Activities Concurrent Lectures On the Grounds Pottery Demonstrations Frisco Building Jane Osti 1:00pm Cherokee Marble Game 1:00pm-2:00pm Bow Maker Demonstrations (demonstration) AR Politics and the 3 Creek Richard Fields Cherokee Marble Society factions in removal The game of Marbles, or di ga da Carolyn Kent (Bio, page 8) yo s di, dates back to approximately When removal started the Muscogee tours 800 A.D. It is a complex game of nation’s political structure existed in CHEROKEE MARBLE PLAYERS SOCIETY three factions; the McIntosh Creeks, 3:30pm the hostile Creeks and the friendly Guided Tours Creeks. The McIntosh faction came of Museum and Grounds Players: before 1830 by their own decision (Groups of 50) Jerrod Davis and were pretty well settled with Tours begin at front of Museum Steve Kozicki their own tribal government. In and at the Commissary Terry Mounce 1835 when other members of the Richard Fields tribe began to be removed under 4:45pm Dennis Sixkiller. the U. S. government directions. Tours converge Jonathan Kingfisher Major decisions had to be made at Trail of Tears Overlook Cameron Kingfisher about government as the groups for viewing the Five Tribes arrived. The hostile creeks were next Waysides and remarks Cherokee National Community to arrive. Their removal started out by John McClarty Leadership Award Winner! by force from the U. S. Government. 2017 Trail of Tears Conference & Symposium - Page 7 Arkansas, and a nursing degree from respectful repatriation and reburial of speaker bios Kansas City General Hospital. She has Choctaw ancestors in these collections. Alan Thompson researched and written several site re- Deanna is also a Registered Profession- After studying history at the Univer- ports on Trail of Tears sites in Arkansas al Archaeologist. She conducts cultural sity of Arkansas, Thompson joined and is currently the Research Coordi- resource surveys and tribal monitor- the staff of Prairie Grove Battlefield nator of the Arkansas chapter of TOTA. ing for the Choctaw Nation of Okla- State Park where he has been the mu- homa’s tribal archaeology program to seum registrar for 20 years. Thomp- Chuck Hoskins Jr. ensure historically significant sites, son serves on the boards of Heritage Chuck Hoskins Jr., has sacred sites, and burials are protected. Trail Partners, Historic Cane Hill, served as Cherokee Na- and is chairman of the Northwest tion’s Secretary of State Debbie Moore since 2013. As Secre- Debbie Stephenson Arkansas Civil War Heritage Trail. Moore is a native of Brad- He is editor of “Frank and outspo- tary of State, Hoskins Jr. acts as a liaison to ley County, Tennessee. ken in my disposition: The War- She has worked in the time Letters of Confederate Gen- federal, state and oth- er tribal governments to protect the Bradley County School eral Dandridge McRae” published system for over 38 years. in Arkansas Historical Quarterly. interests of the Cherokee Nation. He served as a member of the Chero- Moore has completed When not engaged in research, extensive local historical research in- Thompson enjoys traveling, camping, kee Nation Tribal Council from 2007- 2013. Hoskins served as a Delegate to cluding Confederate and Cherokee road cycling and otherwise spend- history. In 2014, her book Confederate ing time with his wife and daughters. the 1999 Cherokee Nation Constitu- tion Convention, and was Chairman of Voices received a national award from Anita Finger-Smith the Vinita Indian Territory Coalition. the United Daughters of the Confeder- Anita Finger-Smith, a He was employed by the National La- acy for the preservation of Confederate genealogical and his- bor Relations Board as an agent and history. She and her husband, Ron, torical researcher for supervised the agency’s operations in have completed five local history docu- more than 20 years, Oklahoma. Hoskins is a member of the mentaries and for nine years they have specializes in the re- Cherokee Nation and National Native hosted a local history radio show, Old cords of the Eastern American Bar Associations. His educa- Town Cleveland on WOOP fm 99.9. Cherokee. She is the tion includes Vinita High School, 1993; Moore is president of the Tennessee president and CEO of Cherokee Ge- University of Oklahoma, BA, 1997; Trail of Tears Association. Her most nealogy Services, licensed by the East- University of Oklahoma, J.D., 2000. recent publication is The 1836 Cher- ern Band of Cherokee Indians. Anita okee Nation Property Evaluations. is a member of the Association of Pro- Cody Berry Cody Berry earned his Dr. George Sabo fessional Genealogists, Genealogical Dr. George Sabo III, a Speakers Guild and is the genealogists BA in History at UA-Lit- tle Rock in 2013 and professor of anthropol- to the North Carolina Commission of ogy and environmental Indian Affairs. Among her organiza- his MA in Public His- tory there in 2016. Af- dynamics at the Uni- tional commitments, she serves on the versity of Arkansas, board of directors of the Trail of Tears ter working as an intern and then a volunteer at Fayetteville, became di- Association and treasurer of TOTA’s rector of the Arkansas North Carolina chapter. When not the Sequoyah National Research Cen- ter with Dr. Littlefield, Cody wrote his Archeological Survey on July 1, 2013. attending to research, she serves as Sabo has served as the AAS research co-owner of Bearmeat’s Indian Den, an thesis Early Arkansas Banking and Indian Removal, 1819-1860. Cody station archeologist at the University of authentic Native American art gallery Arkansas, Fayetteville, since 1979. He located in Cherokee, North Carolina. has written for the online Encyclope- dia of Arkansas History and Culture has written, co-authored and edited 12 Carolyn Kent and for the Saline Courier newspaper books and monographs and contribut- Carolyn Kent has been conducting his- in Saline County, Arkansas. Cody is ed to the award-winning University of torical research and writing for about now working with Mrs. Francine Bray Arkansas Press volume, “Arkansas: A 40 years. She has written two book- (Choctaw) and Dr. Littlefield on an Narrative History,” which recently re- lets on the history of the city of Jack- anthology of poems and stories writ- leased its second edition.Sabo earned sonville, Arkansas and has written ten by Mrs. Bray’s great-uncle Ben his B.S., M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in an- several entries for the Encyclopedia Davis Locke of Antlers, Oklahoma. thropology from Michigan State Uni- of Arkansas and Arkansas Historical versity. Before joining the survey, he Quarterlies. Her article “Samson Gray Deanna Byrd worked as an assistant archeologist for and the Bayou Meto Settlement” won Deanna Byrd works for the Michigan Department of State and the Hampton Roy Award from the her tribe, the Choctaw as an instructor at Michigan State Uni- Pulaski County Historical Society and Nation of Oklahoma, versity and the University of Windsor. the “best article published in a local within their Historic historical journal” from the Arkan- Preservation Depart- Choctaw Chief Gary Batton sas Historical Association. Carolyn ment as their NAGPRA Choctaw Chief Gary Bat- holds a Bachelor of Science degree Liaison. Deanna’s pri- ton began working with in psychology from the University of mary role is to actively search collec- the Choctaw Nation at Arkansas at Little Rock, a Masters of tions within the United States and work the young age of 20 while Science degree in counseling psychol- with the Choctaw Nation NAGPRA concurrently attending ogy from the University of Central Coordinator, Dr. Ian Thompson, for the Southeastern Oklahoma 2017 Trail of Tears Conference & Symposium - Page 8 State University. He grad- uated in 1989 with a bachelor’s degree on the Board of Trustees of the Cher- utive Director. He is currently with the in Business Management and stepped okee National Historical Society; the Seminole Nation Museum, serving as into the role of Deputy Director of the Oklahoma Chapter of the National Trail Host in Wewoka, Oklahoma. He estab- Choctaw Nation Housing Authority. In of Tears Association ; and the Cherokee lished the Historic Preservation Office 1997 he was selected as Executive Di- Voters League of Southeast Texas. Lowe for the nation and served as coordi- rector of Health and in 2007 he was ap- served on the Cherokee Nation Regis- nator and representative of the Native pointed Assistant Chief of the Choctaw tration Committee; was awarded the American Grave Protection and Repa- Nation. In April of 2014 Gary became Gadugi Award for Community Leader- triation Act and Historic Preservation the 47th Chief of the Choctaw Nation ship in 2003; and the Cherokee Elder’s Act. He also organized and coordinated of Oklahoma and his mission remains Award in 2014. She is a professional the Repatriation in 1998 of the “Semi- focused on creating a better future for genealogist, specializing in researching nole Warrior” from the Peabody Muse- the Choctaw people. Chief Batton also the five tribes removed from the South- um in Cambridge, MA. currently serves on several Boards in- eastern U.S. to Indian Territory in the cluding: the Children’s Hospital Foun- 1820’s; a lecturer; and the author of dation Board of Advocates, the South- two books, one of which won the TX eastern Oklahoma State University State Genealogical Society’s 1st place Board, the Texoma Medical Center’s writing award for reference works. Board of Directors, First United Bank Board and Oklahoma Hall of Fame Mark Christ Board. Recognitions include: Oklaho- Mark Christ is the ma’s most admired CEO’s, Outstand- Community Outreach ing Alumni at Southeastern Oklaho- Director at Arkansas ma State University and an Oklahoma Historic Preservation Program, serves as Troy Wayne Poteete Creativity Ambassador. He resides in Executive Director, National TOTA Clayton Ok with wife Angie. They have Chairman of the Board, two children and two grandchildren. Arkansas Humanities Council; and is the author of the book Civil War Arkansas 1863: The Battle for a State. Mark has also served as a mem- Bobby R. Braly ber of Arkansas Civil War Sesquicen- Bobby is the executive tennial Commission and Board mem- director of Historic Cane ber of Arkansas Historical Association. Hill, a non-profit 501(c) His education includes (3) organization dedicat- a BA in Journalism and ed to the historic preser- Liberal Studies through vation of Cane Hill and University of Arkansas the surrounding commu- John McClarty and MLS from the Uni- nities. Braly is a native Arkansan and AR Chapter Past President versity of Oklahoma. grew up in Lincoln where he graduated high school. He received his bachelors Loren McLane Ryan Spring degree from Arkansas Tech Universi- Loren McLane is a Ft. Ryan Spring is a tribal ty and then attended graduate school Smith native. Currently member of the Choc- for a masters degree at the University he is as a Fort Smith Na- taw Nation of Oklaho- of Arkansas in the Anthropology De- tional Historic Site Park ma, his family is orig- partment. He moved to Knoxville, TN Ranger and also serves inally from the Hugo for the Ph.D. program at the University as the site’s collateral duty Oklahoma area. He was of Tennessee, where he is ABD. He re- Historian. His primary hired by the Choctaw turned to Arkansas 2013 to direct pres- job duties include conducting prima- Nation of Oklahoma Historic Preser- ervation work in the community he ry research and providing information vation Department in 2011. Ryan is grew up in. More information can be to the public and staff to better un- currently the Director and GIS/GPS found on their website at www.historic- derstand the region’s cultural heritage. Specialist where he works to assist the canehill.org or on social media. McLane holds a B.Z. in History from the Choctaw community in protecting Univ. of AR Ft. Smith; an M.A. in His- and preserving Choctaw sacred and Lawrence McElroy tory with an Urban and Environmental historic sites as well to assist the com- Lawrence McElroy serves emphasis from the Univ. of Missouri, St. munity in its efforts to revitalize Choc- as Curator at the Historic Louis; and an M.A. in Museum Planning taw traditional culture. Ryan plays for Cane Hill Museurm. He & Management Certification - from the Choctaw Nation’s Tushka Homma holds an M.A. from The the University of Missouri - St. Louis Stickball Team and lives in Calera Okla- Johns Hopkins University, has earned homa with his beautiful wife Kathia. a bachelor's degree in painting through Marjorie Johnson Lowe Memphis College of Art and has stud- Marjorie Johnson Lowe, Ted Underwood ied at American Institute of Middle a citizen of the Cherokee Underwood retired Eastern Studies. He is also the Cura- Nation, was born and from Seminole Nation’s tor/Developer of American Museum raised on her Father’s Business & Corporate Revival and has served as Director of Cherokee Allotment Regulatory Commis- Echocardiography for Arkansas Heart in Washington Coun- sion in 2015 after serv- Hospital Clinic and is the Owner of ty, Oklahoma. A retired ing 28 years as the Exec- Cardiografx Consulting. teacher from Katy, Texas, she has served 2017 Trail of Tears Conference & Symposium - Page 9 Wednesday,Post-Conference October 18th Events Pre-Confer- 7:00pm The Starrs were accused of stealing enceSunday, OctoberEvents 15th Trial of Sam and Belle Starr horses. Pulp fiction writers and news- Judge Parkers Court Room paper men made Belle a legend in 2:00pm-2:45pm Reservations required (Limited to first her own time Wayside Exhibit Dedication 60) Carolyn Kent (Bio, page#) Jury to be chosen from audience This approximately two hour presen- Battle of Webbers Falls Park Night Court, a regular offering of the tation is an abridged version of the Webbers Falls, OK Museum original and will be reenacted with *This is a special performance mid- Cherokee citizens playing the part of 3:00pm-3:30pm week exclusively for our Conference Cherokee witnesses, which includ- Dedication Reception: Showtime ed Sam Starr’s father, the notorious Volunteers and staff from the Fort Uncle Tom Starr. at the Falls Theater Smith National Historic Site are (Webbers Falls Museum open next presenting a recreation of the trial of The program will be presented in door during reception) the Bandit Queen Belle Starr and her Judge Parker’s court room. Jurors are Cherokee husband Sam Starr; the fa- chosen from the audience. 3:30pm-4:30pm mous Hanging Judge Isaac C. Parker seating limited-pre registration Lecture: Genesis of the Eastern Band presiding. required. of Indians Anita Finger Smith (Bio, pg#) Showtime at the Falls Theater, Webbers Falls, OK The lecture will cover five circumstances during the early 19th Century contributing to the nucleus of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. Most people still believe the only reason the Cherokee are in North Carolina today is because they hid out in the mountains. Although this was true for a few, the majority are there for other reasons MeetDusty Your Helbling Tour Bus NarratorsTom Wing 4:30pm-5:00pm Tour to Cane Hill (Bus Narrator) Tour to Cane Hill (Bus Narrator) Open House Tour of John Latta (Station Guide) Discussion of Drennon House Webbers Falls Historical Society Helbling holds dual Tom Wing, director (Museum located next to Theater) citizenship in the of the UAFS Dren- USA and Switzer- nen-Scott House in land, where the Hel- Van Buren, Ar. Tom bling’s have lived Wing is currently em- since 900 A.D. He ployed by the Univer- Conference was born in 1934 in sity of Arkansas-Fort Vendors the home built by Smith and serves as Talbot Museum and Liabrary Gen. Benjarmin L. E. Bonneville in Assistant Professor of History and Direc- 1865. His father was a PGA golf pro and tor of the Drennen-Scott Historic Site. Dusty developed an interest in the golf He holds bachelor degrees in anthropol- Cherokee National Historical history which led a monthly column ogy and secondary education from the Society for Golf Publication and a history for University of Arkansas, a masters in his- Global Golf paper. He rode in Rodeo’s tory from the University of Oklahoma, Storyteller Bob Perry from 1948- 1958 and afterwards served and is currently a Ph D. student at Steven on the staff of The Rodeo Cowboys -As F. Austin State University in Texas. Wing sociation. As a member of The Rodeo spent 10 years as a high school history Oklahoma Chapter Historical Society he was involved in teacher before becoming an interpretive selection of inductee’s for The Cowboy park ranger and historian for the Na- Author Marjorie Lowe Hall of Fame. In recent years Dusty tional Park Service. He currently serves has been an active Trail of Tears re- on the board of the Western Arkansas Giant Door Media searcher and often provides presen- Mountain Frontier Tourism Association tations about the Removal Routes and has served two terms as trustee of Author Debbie Moore through northwest AR. the AR Historical Society.

Artist Ron Mitchel See Page #6 for Tour Details 2017 Trail of Tears Conference & Symposium - Page 10 In Memoriam Dr. Duane King 5/18/47 - 9/17/17 Dr. Duane H. King was born in 1947 in Bris- tol, Tennessee. Growing up in that area of northeast Tennessee that was a former home of the Cherokee people, he became enam- ored with the Cherokees and their history at an early age. This led to a lifetime of work of researching and writing about their history. King received his undergraduate degree from the University of Tennessee and his mas- ter’s and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Georgia. His dissertation was entitled, “A Grammar and Dictionary of the Cherokee Language,” while his master’s thesis was, “An Analysis of Aboriginal Ceramics from Eigh- teenth Century Cherokee Sites in Tennessee.” He taught at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville and Chattanooga, Cleveland State College and Northeastern State University, and he held the first endowed chair in Cher- okee studies at Western Carolina University. He was the director of the Museum of the Cherokee Indian from 1975-1982 and found- ed the Journal of Cherokee Studies while there in 1976. King served as executive director of the Cherokee National Historical Society, Inc. from 1982-87. He served as assistant di- rector of the Smithsonian Institution’s Na- tional Museum of the American Indian for the George Gustav Heye Center in New York City for five years and then became the exec- utive director of the Southwest Museum of the Autry National Center in Los Angeles. In 2008, he became executive director of the Gil- crease Museum. During this time, he also served as Tulsa University’s vice president of museum affairs and helped lead the transition of museum management from the City of Tulsa to TU. King had been serving as director of the Helmerich Center of American Research at the Gilcrease Museum since 2014 and oversaw the center’s construction. King authored more than 120 publications on various aspects of museum studies and native American culture and history with most of them concerning the Cherokees. He edited The Cherokee Indian Nation: A Troubled History. He wrote Cherokee in the West for the Smithsonian Institution’s Handbook of North American Indians, Volume 14. His most recent publications include the Memoirs of Lt. Henry Timberlake: the Story of a Soldier, Adventurer and Emissary to the Cherokee 1756-1765 and made contributions for 10 books published by or in collaboration with Gilcrease Museum. After Congress established the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail in1987, Dr. King was on the planning team as the Mapping and Historic Site Consultant. When the Advisory Committee was established, Duane was appointed by the Secretary of the Interior in 1991 and was named Chairman. He served as chair until the life of the council was extend- ed and Bobbie Heffington became the chair. Duane remained a member until the council ended. He, along with Jere Krakow of the National Park Service, laid out the initial driving route of the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail. He was instrumental as a member of the Advisory Committee in establishing the Trail of Tears Association in 1993. He served on their Board until recent years and continued to be a supporter of the Association. He worked closely with Congress Zach Wamp to extend the National Trail with that legislation being passed in 2008. He was recently named the Association’s first Board Member Emeritus in recognition of his long service and many contributions. The Trail of Tears Association owes Duane King a great debt of gratitude for all of his work which will endure for generations to come. 2017 Trail of Tears Conference & Symposium - Page 11 2017 Trail of Tears Conference & Symposium - Page 12