Today, is the opening day of the film Sarah's Oil. The film depicts the story of a young girl, Sarah Rector of Taft Oklahoma who was alloted 160 acres of land on account of her citizenship in the Creek Nation. To the surprise of many, her land contained oil and upon that discovery, she became a target of many who wanted access to her, and her land.
The film will undoubtedly create the interest of many about her life. However, Sarah's story is part of a larger story of other oil-field children, black chidren, all descendants of former slaves, held in bondage in the Creek Nation where they once lived. Sarah's story is also the same as that of Dan Tucker, Sallie Hodge, Luther Manuel, twins Edith and Edna Durant, and siblings Herbert and Castella Sells.
Sarah's story is special because she lived to enjoy the fruit of her allotment. Luther Manuel died peniless it is said. The Sells children were killed by a plot to obtain her land and it is not clear if anyone was ever punished for the crime. The fate of the other children of the oil fields has yet to become widely known.
But their stories belong to all of us who descend from Oklahoma Freedmen. They obtained land allotments through the Dawes Allotment Act, that allotted lands to citizens of the Five Tribes, each of whom once brought enslaved people to Indian Territory. Before Oklahoma statehood the lands were allotted to those who could prove their ties to the Five Tribers. Over 20,000 people classified as Freedmen received land their land.
As we all celebrate the success of the life of Sarah Rector, we also remember the other children of the oil fields, and let the legacy of Sarah Rector Campbell Crawford encourage others to explore this unique and critical missising chapter of Oklahoma's history.
Luther Manuel Gravesite,
Cane Creek, Okmulgee Oklahoma
Find a Grave
Edith Durant Harrison
Can Creek Cemetery, Okmulgee Oklahoma
Find a Grave Image
No comments:
Post a Comment