#h'wx3 6 August 2005 2rkg 2hUje Cherokee Observer continued from page 5 REDBIRD SMITH AND THE Treaty of New Echota NIGHTHAWK KEETOOWAHS The Treaty of New Echota was steady erosion of their ancestral John Ridge, and his nephews Senate not to ratify the treaty up around the capitol grounds. There that something was going to be taken a removal treaty signed in New lands into the hands of white (failure to ratify would thereby was even a circus and an opera troupe away from them. When the first Echota, Georgia by officials of settlers, despite the Cherokee’s invalidate it), but the measure in town for the duration of the telephone line was built from the United States government attempts to organize passed in May of 1836 by one payments. Merchants who had Tahlequah to Muskogee in 1887 one and several members of a themselves (they had an elected vote, thanks in part to President outstanding accounts with the of the stipulations for granting recipients set up tables outside the permission for construction was that faction within the Cherokee tribal government) and their Andrew Jackson’s support. east door of the capitol building no surveying instruments be used. nation on December 29, 1835. treaties with the United States. Ross later drew up a petition where the claimants exited after In the wake of the government of In the treaty, the United States When the elected leader of the asking Congress to void the collecting their money. A number of the government’s allotment program agreed to pay the Cherokee Cherokee, John Ross, refused treaty—a petition he delivered U.S. Deputy Marshals were in town cultural aliention and traditional people $5 million, cover the the U.S. government’s offer of to Congress in the spring of to try to maintain order and factionalism reappeared in the Stand Watie discourage whiskey peddlers. Quite Cherokee Nation. The mixed-bloods costs of relocation, and give money and land in Oklahoma 1838 with more than 15,000 a number of the Cherokees left town were so Americanized most of them them land in Indian Territory in exchange for the land signatures attached. with very little money, but some of could not speak Cherokee. The full- (modern Oklahoma) in previously guaranteed to the them were able to put the windfall to bloods spoke little or no English and exchange for the Cherokee Cherokee, the federal Elias Boudinot and Stand The result there was no way for the two factions good use. reservation land in Georgia and government simply chose to Watie The Dawes Commission arrived in to communicate with each other. The . The federal government Indian Territory in January of 1894, mix-bloods families had become so Alabama. While the treaty was deal with a group of Cherokee sent its designated agents, The petition was disregarded by and the members were oturaged when much like the white frontier families ratified by the United States who were willing to move to General William Carroll and President Martin Van Buren, they discovered that the Indians were that their value systems were no Senate and enforced upon the Oklahoma for the offer price. the Reverend John who soon thereafter directed less than eager to to have their tribal longer Indian. They would probably Cherokee people, it was never “The Ridge Party”, as this Schermerhorn, to draw up a General Winfield Scott to lands titles extinquished and their have had little to say to each other signed by any official tribal governments dissolved. The even if they had spoken the same treaty and convince the Ridges forcibly move those Cherokee Comissioners could not understand language. representative of the Cherokee to sign it. By signing the treaty who had not yet complied with why these Indians were fillfully During this period when the nation, and the Cherokee nation even though they were not the treaty and moved west. refusing to accept personal land fullblodds of the five Civilized Tribes refused to recognize the elected representatives of the Scott’s action is now commonly could feel their Nations slipping out holdings which Washington was so validity of the treaty. tribe, the Ridge Party actually referred to as the generously offering them. The from under them, the Four Mothers Trail of Commission advised Congress to Society was formed at Sulphur violated Cherokee law—a law Tears. simply abolish tribal governments Springs in the Illinois District. Like The Ridge Party that in fact had been proposed forthwith and forget all this the Keetoowahs, the Four Mothers by John Ridge himself several After the Treaty of New Echota negotiating nonsense. Congress, Society was based upon the ancient John Ross, the elected leader Major Ridge years earlier. Once the deal was was enforced, the Cherokee however, told the Commission to Southeastern ceremonial tradition. of the Cherokee, who never approved, the Ridge Party was continue with the negotiations. Constructed primarily from the people were almost entirely approved the Treaty of New paid, and they began their In 1895 the Dawes Commission memories of old Natchez people, the removed west of the Mississippi begun surveying the Cherokee lands. Four Mothers Society had a direct journey west. (a few purchased farmland in faction came to be called, was The Cherokees had learned to have a link with the ancient the area in order to remain near distrust for surveying instruments religions................ led by Major Ridge, his son Objections from the because their use had always meant continuing their ancestral lands). Upon Cherokee arrival in Indian Territory, many of those who had been forcibly It seems the rubber stamp tribal councilmembers sold out the Cherokee people to get elected and have sold out on every important issue that has come After news of the treaty removed took their anger out on before the tribal council. Their actions speaks louder than their words. became public, the elected the Ridge Party—several They are not representing us the Cherokee People, but they are Chief Smith's officials of the Cherokee nation signers of the treaty were killed, rubber stamps. They do whatever he tells them to do. You ask how we know John Ross instantly objected that they had and the Cherokee nation that? Their actions speaks louder than words. Their own voting record on not approved any treaty, and endured 15 years of civil war. every important issue. They have had their chance to do what they promised the Cherokee People . But they have failed us. May have thrown up their that the document was invalid. John Ross and the Cherokee From Wikipedia, the free hands and quite demanding accountability. But that is what they want the Echota By the 1830s, the Cherokee people to do . When we do this . Then our Elderly, children, Elias Boudinot tribal council begged the encyclopedia. and disabled family members who can't fight . Then the Smith administra- Cherokee had withstood a tion has won! ur.