University of New Mexico UNM Digital Repository History ETDs Electronic Theses and Dissertations 8-19-2011 A Journey to Freedom: The Life of Richard Oakes, 1942-1972 Kent Blansett Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/hist_etds Part of the History Commons Recommended Citation Blansett, Kent. "A Journey to Freedom: The Life of Richard Oakes, 1942-1972." (2011). https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/hist_etds/ 10 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Electronic Theses and Dissertations at UNM Digital Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in History ETDs by an authorized administrator of UNM Digital Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. i ii © 2011, Kent Blansett iii DEDICATION For my daughter, Kelie Nokisi Blansett. May you forever follow your heart, no matter what obstacles are placed before you. Be strong, honorable, and kind. Always remember—I love you and I am extremely proud to be your dad. iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS From a very young age and throughout my adulthood my Grandmother, Ethel Rank, captivated all of my attention with her wonderful gift for storytelling. Every day she strove to transport all of her grandchildren on fantastic intellectual journeys. Oral histories about her life were filled to the brim with adventure and life, from vaudeville shows to hobo, to surviving the Great Depression and World War II. She conveyed in her own narrative a rich mastery for the power and emotion of storytelling. Beyond her many stories my Grandmother was a remarkable woman, a matriarch who held her family together with minimal resources through some of the toughest of times. It is an understatement to refer to her as simply an amazing woman or role model. It was her strong will, guidance, and belief in my abilities that encouraged me to believe that I could accomplish anything in life. Of all of her greatest gifts the most significant was the ability to dream. My other grandmother, Zula ―Arlene‖ Bailey, was a gifted quilter who sewed her stories into brilliant star patterns, bear paws, fans, and complex geometrical designs. The hours of patience she placed with every thread and every cut, allowed me to gain a gradual appreciation for her as a sculptor of cloth—a true folk artist. I continue to cherish the laughter, smiles, and humble ways of my grandmothers. I wish to first thank my family for their unwavering support of me during my years in graduate school. Like my grandmothers, laughter was a remedy for my grandfathers as well. My Grandfather, Wright Rank, was a compassionate yet stern man, who taught the art of patience, relaxation, and ingenuity while on those long fishing trips. v While I never met my dad‘s father, Millard Blansett, I was told that he was a rather quiet man who made his living both growing and picking cotton in the Mississippi Delta. Despite coming of age during Jim Crow my father, Jewel Blansett, persevered in the midst of overwhelming obstacles he experienced as a young American Indian man. In ways which I will never fully know or understand, he developed a unique outlook on life during his years living in the southern Ozarks. He always made sure that his sons knew our heritage as Cherokee descendents. My mother, Connie Rank, grew up in Sedalia, a well-known Missouri town labeled as the birthplace for ragtime and Scott Joplin, located somewhere between cattle cars, juke joints, and state fairs. My mother dreamed of becoming a writer, and she, like her own mother, was inspired by the power of story. My parents understood the value of a college education, for in their own lifetimes it was one dream that was not obtainable. From a very young age they pushed their children to strive for success in all of our educational pursuits. I wish to thank both of them for the many valuable life lesions and survival skills they imparted on me, and for all that they continue to do for me. I wish to acknowledge my original dissertation committee for all of their help in guiding this project to its completion. Thank you for your edits, thoughts, letters of recommendation, patience, and advice. I am especially indebted to my advisor, Dr. Margaret Connell-Szasz. Her books on Indian education and cultural brokers were some of the first works to open my mind to new and exciting complexities and theoretical ideas surrounding Native history. Professor Connell-Szasz‘s lectures provided depth and grounding for my study of history and she quickly became a valued mentor. Dr. Ferenc Morton Szasz was like my second dad. His biography course was the first vi opportunity that allowed me to research and write about Richard Oakes. Professor Szasz‘s lectures were masterful and complete with episodes of high storytelling. I hope to impart his writing and gift for teaching to my own students one day. Dr. Szasz, you will always be missed. Although I took a brief break between my M.A. and Ph.D. programs, both Margaret and Ferenc maintained constant communication with me. They always encouraged me to return and finish what I had started. For all of their years of advice, editing, teaching, support, and guidance, I am eternally grateful—Thank you! Dr. Paul Andrew Hutton was a great inspiration for me and I enjoyed working for him at several Western History Association meetings. Dr. Hutton‘s lectures are also powerful and saturated with eloquent narrative and superb storytelling. He earned my respect instantly with his gift for writing and shooting from the hip. Dr. Cathleen Cahill also impressed me with her absolute professionalism in the classroom and at conferences. I am very fortunate to have taken her remarkable seminar on ―Race and Class in the American West.‖ In addition to serving on my dissertation committee, Dr. Cahill spent many hours with me working on my writing, mailing countless recommendation letters, and offering sound advice. Dr. David Farber was one of the first professors to inspire me to write about the history of the 1960s. His writings, stirring lectures, and thought- provoking seminars proved to me that I wanted nothing more than to devote my life to the field of history. Several gifted and extremely talented scholars impacted my course of study at UNM. I am thankful for professors Robert Kern, Sam Truett, Virginia Scharff, Jason Scott Smith, Durwood Ball, Andrew K. Sandoval-Strausz, Mel Yazawa, Charlie Steen, Elizabeth Hutchinson, Judy Bieber, Barbara Reyes, Richard Etulian, Manuel García y vii Griego, Timothy Moy, Linda Hall, Eliza Fergusen, Melissa Bokovoy, and Patricia Risso. I would also like to acknowledge the office administrators—Yolanda Martinez, Helen Ferguson Dana Ellison, and Barbara Wafer—for all of their assistance and patience over the years. Many thanks to Beverly Singer for electing to serve as my UNM-Mellon mentor. Dr. Singer‘s guidance and direction continue to have a major impact on my life. Through the Native American Studies program at UNM I‘ve been grateful to several individuals, including Delia Halona, Glenabah Martinez, J.D. Gates, Cynthia Chavez, Elisa James, Jimmy Shendo, Julia Coates, Loretta Clark, Magoo Shoulderblade, Carmelita Topaha, Paula Feathers, Lawrence Shorty, David Velarde, Randyl Teton, Victoria Graves, Rodger Cultee, and Tony Rodgers. When I worked for NAS my office mate, William S. Yellow Robe, Jr. became my family as he eventually coaxed me into joining Wakiknabe Theater Company. It was through my full participation in Intertribal Theater that I began writing plays and poetry—finding a creative outlet for my non- fiction training. Bill continues to be a close friend and one of the best full-time playwrights in the country. I would also like to acknowledge No one can survive graduate school without a wonderful support group of fellow graduate students to lean on. I have formed lifelong friendships with Alden Bigman, Adam Kane, Lincoln Bramwell, Elaine Nelson, B. Erin Cole, Sarah Grossman, Meg Frisbee, Shawn Wiemann, Jason Strykowski, Sonia Dickey, Colin Snider, Jim Ersfeld, Heather Hawkins, Susan Schuurman, Donna Peterson, Rebecca Vanucci-St George, Jerry Wallace, Brian Luna Lucero, Jacobo Baca, Jim Ersfeld, Edward Jolie, Robin Walden, Ben Reed, Brandon Morgan, Abe Santillanes, Richard Sanchez, Brian Stauffer, Chris Steinke, Gabe Schrager, Bryan Turo, Becky Ellis, Julian Dobson, Maurice Crandall, viii Margarita Ochoa, Eric Tippeconic, Heather Dahl, Jason Stuart, Katie McIntyre, Brandi Townsend, Lucy Grinnell, Leah Sneider, Kyle Van Horn, Matt Babcock, Amy Scott, Javier Marion, Jeff Pearson, Jeff Sanders, Jeff Roche, Tiffany Sippial, Janine Dorsey, Blair Woodward, Bruce Gjeltema, Erik Loomis, Mitch McCrea, Chad Black, David Mullen, and Ramona Caplan. I may not have survived my earliest years at UNM without my lifelong friend and brother, Steven Sexton. We spent many a late night at Denny‘s consuming copious amounts of coffee and solving all the problems of the world with our intense dialogue and meaningful conversations. In addition to Steve, Karlu Smith and Leo Shotridge provided friendship and laughter over many rounds of Golden Tee. Thanks also to Denesha and Steve for all the times you let me crash on your couch on the long drives between New Mexico and Missouri. I enjoy the memories of all the laughter…but next time we will have to remember to keep Elaine away from the poker table. I also value the relationships I‘ve developed with individuals outside of New Mexico, having met so many of them at conferences and symposiums. Kurt Kinbacher, Ned Blackhawk, Akim Reinhardt, Pekka Hämäläinen, Josh Reid, Brian Klopotek, Clarence Lang, Andy Fisher, Andy Kirk, Shannon Smith, Barbara Berglund, Brian Collier, Mike Childers, Leisl Childers, Christian Harrison, Dave Nesheim, Doug Kiel, Michael Duchemin, Jeffery Ostler, Michael Snyder, Dustin Gray, Nathan Sanderson, Matt Deepe, Niigonwedom Sinclair, and Pablo Mitchell.