A Poster Speaks Out!

On another blog a poster made this statement:

"Tonight after reading some crap on the Cherokee Nation's website feel like I need to speak out."

And the poster spoke out quite well I must say! So far so good, with a slight error, the Cherokee did not bring/force their slaves on the death march (trail of Tears) with them, the slaves were rounded up right along with the Cherokee as Cherokee, like livestock and penned up for the forced death march, and the slaves gladly accompanied the only family they knew and continued to serve them on the march, many were actually Cherokee Children of the Cherokee slave holders, and some died from the elements weather, diease, etc. right along with their masters...

Some of the author's words are sort of misleading an plays into what Chief Smith and Cronies try to feed the General public as fact of law…First let me say, my not being an authority on treaties I will just make a couple of points that might help with the question of harshness with the Treaty of 1866, treaties were quite common between the US and Indian Nations. Treaties with other Nations may have happened more for purposes of ending wars or as peace treaties. In any case there always seems to be one side that is forced to accept the terms of the other or face violent consequences. It has to be understood there was a war and the Cherokee was on the loosing side, and the validity of a treaty has to be measured by the compliance by the parties. After negotiations, yes there were negotiations with skilled negotiators on both sides, and yes the treaty can be said to be harsh, but a necessity to accept for the Cherokee to be able to get on with their lives after a devastating war.

There has been claims by many over the years, and that is one of the lies the perpetrator of this genocidal act by the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, Traitors, Chad Smith and (CNOT) claim today, against a a minority class of Cherokee, the Cherokee Freedmen and quite simply is not so, it very well could be said to be harsh but considering the era, I believe the Cherokee fared rather well.

As I said Some Cherokee People have always tried to claim the Freedmen were forced on the Cherokee Nation, Some racist Cherokee Nation in the days of old attempted to prove that the Treaty of 1866 was "forced" upon the Nation. That was proven false in a case before the Indian Claims Commission (Cherokee Nation v. United States).

The records created at the time of the Treaty show that the Freedmen question was not of much concern to the legal Cherokee negotiators who were more concerned with the attempts by the illegitimate Southern Cherokee delegation who were there claiming a right as a separate Cherokee Nation, attempting to divide the Nation into two tribes, using the efforts of railroad companies efforts in negotiations for right of way through the Nation.

The mythology regarding the Treaty of 1866 and its provisions concerning the Freedmen being forced upon the Cherokees was begun and perpetuated by the Group of Southern Cherokee, who lacked any authority at the negotiations. Those who perpetuate genocidal act upon this minority Class of Cherokee today are descendants of the southern illegal delegation, who do nothing but carry on the evil deeds of their ancestors in their renewed effort to destroy the Cherokee Nation by trying to divide us once again.

And yes abolition of slavery was a good result of the Reconstruction era, and the 1866 Treaty as well… I don´t believe your scenario quite fits the Cherokee, simply because in 1863 a good 3 years before the signing of the Treaty of 1866, the Cherokee Nation passed an emancipation act freeing their slaves from bondage See a Picture Here which was a way to protect their family members that were black and would be seen as freed slaves. And then to reiterate the fact the Cherokee were all for treating the freed black people fairly as the Law of the Treaty specified, they amended their 1839 Constitution see Article III section 5, in the same year of the signing of the treaty making the freed black slaves citizens of the Cherokee Nation irregardless of blood.

The authors words say, in later years the "Cherokee have tried to renege on their treaty obligations". If if he is talking about this attempt of kicking out the freedmen, he is correct....In 1880 the Cherokee did a Census enumerating all Cherokee Citizens at the time... It will give you the listing of the Cherokee and their Citizenship status i.e. Adopted Delaware, Shawnee, Creek, Caucasian, and African, as Negro/Colored, that were not family members, black family members were simply enumerated as Cherokee. And all ethinicities listed therein were Cherokee Citizens and absolutely ALL equally so.

Yes being an Indian is certainly about blood ties, but it is more than that, with some of the Indian Nations, BUT not the Cherokee People/Nation, blood is of absolutely NO consequence, we as a people politic, quite a while prior to all this, in-fact in 1827 with the passing of the first Cherokee Constitution the Cherokee became a Nation of Nationals/Citizens no different than all other nations of the free world, including the USA…Example of a question to ask yourself, are we American citizens by blood, or are we so by law?? Same applies for the people of the Cherokee Nation.

In the author´s statement "I'm not surprised to see the current tribal administration defend their actions on their website, but I do find it particularly ironic to see them do so while displaying this little graphic on their website...



Here are these beautiful Cherokee children with their hands over their hearts (presumably reciting the pledge of allegiance) while one child is holding an American flag. Pardon me while I barf."

I agree give me my barf bag as well, if we are going to be Cherokee lets be Cherokee, being American is a happenstance because we lost the war! (CIVIL WAR), but sadly not until 1924, were the Indian people made citizens of the United States, by and act of Congress.

The Cherokee were sent on a genocidal death march by the US Government's secretary of war and the US Army. That flag was carried by the troops who herded the Cherokee to Oklahoma, and that flag flew over the White House where racist President Andrew Jackson defied the Supreme Court and ordered the Indian removals to continue.

Yes the author is correct, American Indians are all to quick to forget this flag flew over many, many atrocities against the indigenous of this land, and sadly some Cherokee are no different, but we that are NOT, ask for no more than what is ours and our rights by the LAW of the land TREATIES!!

The author is so very correct with these words "but now, the great Cherokee Nation is willing to sell itself out and have their children be used as a propaganda tool in favor of disenfranchising the Freedmen, by playing to the presumed "common values, common ground" between racist pro-exclusion Cherokees and the dominant white culture."

I must say while the author is correct generally speaking they are willing to sell out, BUT there is a fallacy in your statement it is not "The Great Cherokee Nation" that throws its people to the dogs, it is the "Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma,Traitors" (CNOT). See their Constitution the title clearly gives you there Name! And that my friends is another complete Story in itself, if you have an interest in learning the truth, you can go to cornsilks.com click the CNO is bogus banner, then the LINK the story begins here. "Also click the banner John and David's Articles"

The authors words, "I'm not proud of what the Cherokee nation is doing. I stand with the Freedmen and will continue to stand with them"

Once gain the author is absolutely correct, these are the only words a caring human can say! And this has gone on absolutely too long, and needs to be halted and it must come ASAP, for Chief Smith to be put in his place, he seems to think he is above the law, and attempts to place all Cherokee People above the law, we already lost the war, and we have no means to wage another, the only course is obey the law.

Another aspect of the whole thing is the presidential Candidate came down on the side of wrong in this matter of the Cherokee Freedmen see and Article here at this link

The Author is absolutely correct, the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma's action to take away tribal citizenship and to take away the Freedmen's right to vote, is no different than the US deciding to repeal 14th and 15th Amendments.

And the 13th amendment as well, and to get an understanding of the law all one has to do is read Watson´s Bill and while you are there reading it, you can find documentation there on cornsilks.com to corroborate the facts of law she cites in the Bill.

John "The Eder" Cornsilk

Cherokee CNOT Member

Purveyor of Simple Truth!