Texas Cherokees
Encyclopedia
Tsalagiyi Nvdagi is the Cherokee Language
term for Texas Cherokees. Prior to the Trail of Tears
, some bands of Cherokee
s fled west to avoid white encroachment.
area of the Louisiana Territory
, founded a village along the Red River. That same year, an inter-tribal delegation, including Cherokees, petitioned the Spanish officials at Nacogdoches for permission to settle there, which was granted. Cherokee immigration into Texas increased between 1812 and 1819. The Republic of Texas
, following Sam Houston
's recommendations, established a reservation for Cherokees, but the negotiated Treaty of 1836 was never formally ratified.
The Bowl
, a former Chickamauga
chief, led many Cherokee families into Texas in 1820. They settled near present-day Dallas
but were forced by local tribes to move south into what is now Rusk County, Texas
. By 1822, an estimated 800 Cherokees lived in Texas.
When Texas passed from Spanish to Mexican
governance, Cherokees petitioned the new Mexican authorities for formal land grants but were denied. In 1830, an estimated 800 Cherokees lived in three to seven settlements in Texas. When the Texas Revolution
came, Cherokees tried to remain neutral.
While Sam Houston, previously married into the Cherokee tribe, sought an alliance with Cherokees while he served as President of Texas, his successor, Mirabeau Lamar forcibly removed the Cherokees from their Texas lands in the Cherokee War of 1839. Almost 600 hundred Cherokees, mostly women and children, led by Chief Bowl, fought the Texans, were defeated and the Bowl was killed in the battle. Most of the remaining Texas Cherokees were driven north into Indian Territory
. Houston once again was elected President of Texas and negotiated peace treaties with the remaining Texas Cherokees in 1843 and 1844.
During the American Civil War
, many Cherokees fled the fighting in Indian Territory by moving south to Texas.
From the 1840s on, the original Cherokee Nation
sought compensation for the lands they lost in Texas. William Penn Adair
was a staunch advocate for the claims of Texas Cherokees.
.
The Texas Cherokees and Associate Bands (TCAB) have a longstanding relationship to the current Cherokee Nation. Prior to 1975, they were considered a part of the Cherokee Nation, as reflected in briefs filed before the Indian Claims Commission. At one time W.W. Keeler served not only as Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation
, but at the same time held the position as Chairman of the TCAB Executive Committee.
Following the adoption of the Cherokee constitution in 1976, TCAB descendants whose ancestors had remained a part of the physical Mount Tabor Community in Rusk County, Texas
were excluded from citizenship. Their ancestors did not appear on the Final Rolls of the Five Civilized Tribes, registered under the Dawes Commission. However, most if not all TCAB descendants did have an ancestor listed on the Guion Miller or Old Settler rolls.
While most Mount Tabor residents returned to the Cherokee Nation following the death of John Ross
in 1866, today there is a sizable group that is well documented but outside that body. It is not actively seeking a status clarification. They do have treaty rights going back to the Treaty of Bird’s Fort
. From the end of the Civil War until 1975, they were associated with the Cherokee Nation. The TCAB formed as a political organization in 1871 led by William Penn Adair
and Clement Neely Vann. Descendants of the Texas Cherokees and the Mount Tabor Community joined together to try to gain redress from treaty violations, stemming from the Treaty of Bowles Village in 1836. Today, most Mount Tabor descendants are in fact members of the Cherokee Nation. Only approximately 800 are not enrolled members of a Cherokee tribe. Many of them still reside in Rusk and Smith counties of east Texas.
Each Texas Cherokee organization claims only they are legitimate and others fraudulent. For instance, The Sovereign Cherokee Nation Tejas (SCNT), led by William M. Fry Jr. a.k.a. Chief Bear-who-walks-softly accused Tsalagiyi Nvdagi chief Chief D. L. "Pappy" Hicks of being a con artist, yet, the SCNT has been indicted for fraudulence on several fronts.
Still, many Texas Cherokee today are not part of any organization, and the number of Texas Cherokee individuals is difficult to trace since many hid in the deep Piney Woods as Black Dutch
or Black Irish
to escape prejudice,death, and persecution. A few moved back into Arkansas territory as well. In many ways their situation is analogous to that of Melungeons.
Cherokee language
Cherokee is an Iroquoian language spoken by the Cherokee people which uses a unique syllabary writing system. It is the only Southern Iroquoian language that remains spoken. Cherokee is a polysynthetic language.-North American etymology:...
term for Texas Cherokees. Prior to the Trail of Tears
Trail of Tears
The Trail of Tears is a name given to the forced relocation and movement of Native American nations from southeastern parts of the United States following the Indian Removal Act of 1830...
, some bands of Cherokee
Cherokee
The Cherokee are a Native American people historically settled in the Southeastern United States . Linguistically, they are part of the Iroquoian language family...
s fled west to avoid white encroachment.
History
In 1807 an early band of Cherokees, most likely migrating south from the ArkansawArkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
area of the Louisiana Territory
Louisiana Territory
The Territory of Louisiana or Louisiana Territory was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 4, 1805 until June 4, 1812, when it was renamed to Missouri Territory...
, founded a village along the Red River. That same year, an inter-tribal delegation, including Cherokees, petitioned the Spanish officials at Nacogdoches for permission to settle there, which was granted. Cherokee immigration into Texas increased between 1812 and 1819. The Republic of Texas
Republic of Texas
The Republic of Texas was an independent nation in North America, bordering the United States and Mexico, that existed from 1836 to 1846.Formed as a break-away republic from Mexico by the Texas Revolution, the state claimed borders that encompassed an area that included all of the present U.S...
, following Sam Houston
Sam Houston
Samuel Houston, known as Sam Houston , was a 19th-century American statesman, politician, and soldier. He was born in Timber Ridge in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, of Scots-Irish descent. Houston became a key figure in the history of Texas and was elected as the first and third President of...
's recommendations, established a reservation for Cherokees, but the negotiated Treaty of 1836 was never formally ratified.
The Bowl
The Bowl (Cherokee chief)
The Bowl was one of the leaders of the Chickamauga Cherokee under Dragging Canoe who fought against the United States of America during the Chickamauga wars...
, a former Chickamauga
Chickamauga Indian
The Chickamauga or Lower Cherokee, were a band of Cherokee who supported Great Britain at the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War. They were followers of the Cherokee chief Dragging Canoe...
chief, led many Cherokee families into Texas in 1820. They settled near present-day Dallas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
but were forced by local tribes to move south into what is now Rusk County, Texas
Rusk County, Texas
As of the census of 2000, there were 47,372 people, 17,364 households, and 12,727 families residing in the county. The population density was 51 people per square mile . There were 19,867 housing units at an average density of 22 per square mile...
. By 1822, an estimated 800 Cherokees lived in Texas.
When Texas passed from Spanish to Mexican
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
governance, Cherokees petitioned the new Mexican authorities for formal land grants but were denied. In 1830, an estimated 800 Cherokees lived in three to seven settlements in Texas. When the Texas Revolution
Texas Revolution
The Texas Revolution or Texas War of Independence was an armed conflict between Mexico and settlers in the Texas portion of the Mexican state Coahuila y Tejas. The war lasted from October 2, 1835 to April 21, 1836...
came, Cherokees tried to remain neutral.
While Sam Houston, previously married into the Cherokee tribe, sought an alliance with Cherokees while he served as President of Texas, his successor, Mirabeau Lamar forcibly removed the Cherokees from their Texas lands in the Cherokee War of 1839. Almost 600 hundred Cherokees, mostly women and children, led by Chief Bowl, fought the Texans, were defeated and the Bowl was killed in the battle. Most of the remaining Texas Cherokees were driven north into Indian Territory
Indian Territory
The Indian Territory, also known as the Indian Territories and the Indian Country, was land set aside within the United States for the settlement of American Indians...
. Houston once again was elected President of Texas and negotiated peace treaties with the remaining Texas Cherokees in 1843 and 1844.
During the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, many Cherokees fled the fighting in Indian Territory by moving south to Texas.
From the 1840s on, the original Cherokee Nation
Cherokee Nation (19th century)
The Cherokee Nation of the 19th century —an historic entity —was a legal, autonomous, tribal government in North America existing from 1794–1906. Often referred to simply as The Nation by its inhabitants, it should not be confused with what is known today as the "modern" Cherokee Nation...
sought compensation for the lands they lost in Texas. William Penn Adair
William Penn Adair
William Penn Adair was a Cherokee leader and Confederate colonel.-Background:William Penn Adair was born on April 15, 1830 in the old Cherokee Nation in New Echota, Georgia. His parents were George Washington Adair and Martha Adair. He attended Cherokee schools in Indian Territory, studying law....
was a staunch advocate for the claims of Texas Cherokees.
Legal Status
Several groups of self-identified Cherokee descent have organized but are not recognized by the state of Texas or the federal government of the US, though Tsalagiyi Nvdagi is recognized by three states in Mexico and have a longstanding relationship with The Cherokee Nation of Mexico, which is recognized by The Republic of MexicoMexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
.
The Texas Cherokees and Associate Bands (TCAB) have a longstanding relationship to the current Cherokee Nation. Prior to 1975, they were considered a part of the Cherokee Nation, as reflected in briefs filed before the Indian Claims Commission. At one time W.W. Keeler served not only as Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation
Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation
Principal Chief is today the title of the chief executives of the Cherokee Nation, of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, and of the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians, the three federally recognized tribes of Cherokee. In the eighteenth century, when the people were organized by clans and...
, but at the same time held the position as Chairman of the TCAB Executive Committee.
Following the adoption of the Cherokee constitution in 1976, TCAB descendants whose ancestors had remained a part of the physical Mount Tabor Community in Rusk County, Texas
Rusk County, Texas
As of the census of 2000, there were 47,372 people, 17,364 households, and 12,727 families residing in the county. The population density was 51 people per square mile . There were 19,867 housing units at an average density of 22 per square mile...
were excluded from citizenship. Their ancestors did not appear on the Final Rolls of the Five Civilized Tribes, registered under the Dawes Commission. However, most if not all TCAB descendants did have an ancestor listed on the Guion Miller or Old Settler rolls.
While most Mount Tabor residents returned to the Cherokee Nation following the death of John Ross
John Ross (Cherokee chief)
John Ross , also known as Guwisguwi , was Principal Chief of the Cherokee Native American Nation from 1828–1866...
in 1866, today there is a sizable group that is well documented but outside that body. It is not actively seeking a status clarification. They do have treaty rights going back to the Treaty of Bird’s Fort
Treaty of Bird’s Fort
The Treaty of Bird’s Fort, or Bird’s Fort Treaty was a peace treaty between the Republic of Texas and some of the Indian tribes of Texas and Oklahoma, signed on September 29, 1843. The treaty was intended to end years of hostilities and warfare between the Native Americans and the white settlers in...
. From the end of the Civil War until 1975, they were associated with the Cherokee Nation. The TCAB formed as a political organization in 1871 led by William Penn Adair
William Penn Adair
William Penn Adair was a Cherokee leader and Confederate colonel.-Background:William Penn Adair was born on April 15, 1830 in the old Cherokee Nation in New Echota, Georgia. His parents were George Washington Adair and Martha Adair. He attended Cherokee schools in Indian Territory, studying law....
and Clement Neely Vann. Descendants of the Texas Cherokees and the Mount Tabor Community joined together to try to gain redress from treaty violations, stemming from the Treaty of Bowles Village in 1836. Today, most Mount Tabor descendants are in fact members of the Cherokee Nation. Only approximately 800 are not enrolled members of a Cherokee tribe. Many of them still reside in Rusk and Smith counties of east Texas.
Each Texas Cherokee organization claims only they are legitimate and others fraudulent. For instance, The Sovereign Cherokee Nation Tejas (SCNT), led by William M. Fry Jr. a.k.a. Chief Bear-who-walks-softly accused Tsalagiyi Nvdagi chief Chief D. L. "Pappy" Hicks of being a con artist, yet, the SCNT has been indicted for fraudulence on several fronts.
Still, many Texas Cherokee today are not part of any organization, and the number of Texas Cherokee individuals is difficult to trace since many hid in the deep Piney Woods as Black Dutch
Black Dutch
Black Dutch is a term with several different meanings in United States dialect and slang. It generally refers to racial, ethnic, or cultural roots. Its meaning has varied in different parts of the nation and at different times...
or Black Irish
Black Irish
Black Irish is an ambiguous term used mainly outside of Ireland. Over the course of history, it has been subject to several distinctive ascriptions, including religious affiliation and poverty. Modern traditionalists, however, maintain the term to be synonymous with a dark-haired phenotype...
to escape prejudice,death, and persecution. A few moved back into Arkansas territory as well. In many ways their situation is analogous to that of Melungeons.
Notable Texas Cherokees
- The BowlThe Bowl (Cherokee chief)The Bowl was one of the leaders of the Chickamauga Cherokee under Dragging Canoe who fought against the United States of America during the Chickamauga wars...
(d. 1813), Cherokee chief and military leader - Jesse Bartley Milam(1884–1949), Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation from 1941–1949
- W. W. KeelerW. W. KeelerWilliam Wayne "Bill" Keeler was appointed principal chief of the Cherokee nation in 1949 by President Truman, and served as appointed chief until 1971, when the Cherokee regained their right to elect their own leaders in a congressional act passed by President Nixon...
(1908–1987), Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation from 1949–1975
External links
- Article from Chronicles of Oklahoma 1923, Volume 1, No. 3 http://digital.library.okstate.edu/chronicles/v001/v001p179.html
- A Brief History: The Texas Cherokee, by Ira Kennedy
- The Cherokee Cultural Society of Houston, a cultural organization
- TCAB, page explaining the policy of the Texas Cherokee and Associated Bands
- Tsalagiyi Nvdagi, Tsalagiyi Nvdagi Home Page
- NW Tsalagiyi Nvdagi, Northwest Tsalagiyi Nvdagi (affiliated with Tsalagiyi Nvdagi)
- SCNT, Sovereign Cherokee Nation Tejas Home Page
- Cherokee Nation Mexico, Cherokee Nation of Mexico Home Page
- http://etd.lib.ttu.edu/theses/available/etd-03252009-31295003904892/unrestricted/31295003904892.pdf, Ethnohistory of the Western Cherokees in Texas by Dianna Everett (Ph.D. Dissertation)