Remembering The Creek Freedmen Shrine

In 1993 I had the opportunity to visit a gentleman I had heard about in a Black History Video about the Freedmen of Indian Territory.  An elder gentleman, descendant of Creek Freedmen was interested in representing his history and his own family ties to the Muskogee Creek Freedmen.

His name was Napoleon Davis of Taft Oklahoma.  He lived on his property in Taft and had for many years wanted to created a shrine honoring his ancestors, the Creek Freedmen.  In 1990 Mr. Davis was interviewed by a Washington DC journalist, who is also a Cherokee Freedmen.  In that particular documentary, the history of the people enslaved in Indian Territory was featured.  The documentary ended with the words of Mr. Davis who was at that time constructing his shrine to the Creek Freedmen.  His goal, he stated was to honor them and thereby perhaps representing something that his ancestors may have wanted to say, but could not say.

Two years later, on a visit to Oklahoma, I gave a presentation at the Rudisill Library in Tulsa Oklahoma.  A woman was there, who lived in Checotah, and I mentioned that I had heard about the shrine being built, and she immediately pointed out that Mr. Davis was her cousin.  She offered to take me there, which I shall be forever grateful. A few days later, we met at her home in Checotah, and off we went to Taft, to visit the site.

Approaching his property across the fields one can see the structure. Not until one gets to the site, can one see the marble walls that announce what the structure actually is.

A round almost cone shaped roots stands in the middle of the property with flag at the entrance.  As the driveway goes to the front of the building the actual shape can be seen.

                                       

As I walked toward the entrance after parking the wall and the words enscribed on them were clear.

                                       

A another marbel panel bears the names of members of his family engraved in each star.

                                          

A large portion of the wall remained blank, which he later explained would be the formal name of the site after a dedication that he hoped to someday have with state political figures to attend.

                                    

Mr. Davis greeted me in front of the shrine and graciously allowed me to take photos and explained the symbolism behind what he had done.  His goal was to honor the Creek Freedmen, and to honor them as African American people with strong ties to their land as Creek citizens.  He had a very strong feeling about the images that many persons of African Ancestry had, and how they are often depicted and perceived, and he wanted very much to have the site dedicated as an African American site.

The most remarkable aspect about the facility was the inside.  He wanted to honor the ancestors, and honoring them, he did!

On the inside, for what greeted any visitor to the sites were the names---several thousands names---of his ancestors and the people with whom his ancestors identified.  The Creek Freedmen.  The names of all of them were on the wall, on more than 120 laminated plaques and afixed to the wall of the site.  Thousands of

names of Creek Freedmen that were on the Final Dawes Rolls.  The pages were names that appeared on Campbell's Abstract.

Two Views Inside of the Creek Freedmen Shrine

Mr. Davis then sat down and spoke to me about his goals and how he hoped that others would appreciate what he had done.  His hope was to someday have an official opening and dedication ceremony at the site, and that others would travel to pay honor to the history of the Creek Freedmen.

I visited him again in 1994, and he was still hoping to launch an opening, but had not been supported by many in the local area.   Unfortunately, Mr. Napoleon Davis passed away from complications during a surgical procedure.  It has been now about 10 years since his death.  Though spoken about frequently, it is not known if there has been any activity expressed to continue what was begun by Mr. Davis, or to preserve what he built. 

The Shrine is located on the Davis estate in Taft Oklahoma.  Hopefully what was built will not fall into ruin.

Tombstone Tuesday: Silas Jefferson, Creek Leader

Headstone found lying on the ground pushsed over. Taken at Bruner Cemetry also called Tuskegee, 8 miles west of Beggs in Creek County.

Silas Jefferson was a dynamic leader of the Muskogee Creek Nation, having served as leader, interpreter. Son of Jeffrey and Betsey McNac he emerged as a leader in the nation, serving several time in the House of Warriors. He represented Tuskegee Town (Taskigi Town) for many years.  When representatives of the Smithsonian collected data on the Muskogee people, he was a principal consultant.

According to scholar Gary Zellar, Silas Jefferson served as an advisor to Chief Locha Hacho and he was also close to Chief Isparhecher. He remained in tribal politics till 1906.

Remembering Sarah Rector, Creek Freedwoman

Birth Affidavit of Sarah Rector & Photo of Sarah as young girl

Her name was Sarah Rector.  She was a young black girl born in Indian Territory on March 3, 1902.  Her parents were Joseph and Rose Rector, all of  Taft, Indian Territory. Her story is similar to that of Danny Tucker another black child born in Indian Territory. He, like Sarah had a humble beginning, and he, like Sarah would make headlines for sudden wealth acquired by oil rich land.

Early in her young life, Sarah received a land allotment like all who were members of the Creek Nation.  Like thousands of blacks once held in bondage by  the Five slave-holding tribes, (Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Creek and Seminole Nations) she and her family members received land allotments prior to Oklahoma statehood.  It was a general practice that Freedmen often receive land considered to be of less value for farming as did citizens declared as Indians By Blood, and Inter-Married Whites.  However, the story changed when oil was discovered on her land allotment, near Taft, Oklahoma.

Her wealth caused immediate alarm and all efforts were made to put the child Sarah under "guardianship" of whites whose lives became comfortable immediately.  Meanwhile Sarah still lived in humble surroundings. As white businessmen took control of her estate, efforts were also made to put her under control of officials at Tuskegee Institute.

Much attention was given to Sarah in the press.  In 1913, there was an effort to have her declared white, so that because of her millions she could ride in a first class car on the trains.

These two snippets of an article appeared in the Chicago Defender about her:

Source: Special to The Chicago Defender

The Chicago; Nov 15, 1913; ProQuest Historical Newspapers The Chicago Defender (1910 - 1975)

Sarah's life continued as she began to get offers of marriage from around the world, and efforts were made to move her to Tuskegee.

As the headlines about her continued worldwide many continued to strive to have access to her wealth.

Because of the attention of the black press, Sarah's life eventually took a better turn, when individuals stepped in "from the race" to intervene, and obtain a new home and better lifetstyle for her.  

Not much is written about her adolescence, but it is know that she did  attend Tuskegee Institute, and after she completed her studies there, she moved to Kansas City.  In 1922, she married Kenneth Campbell.  They were known to have many real estate holdings in the area. She and her husband purchased a home that still stands today in Kansas City Missouri.  The home is on 12th and Euclid in Kansas City.

She and her husband were known to entertain the many entertainers of the day from Duke Ellington to Count Basie.  Little is known about the latter days of her life, but there are persons who are working on a biography of her life.

Home of Sarah Rector

This Creek Freedman child, though her descendants are not allowed enrollment in the Creek Nation today, has a rich history from the lives of the Creek Freedmen.

Sarah's father Joe Rector was the son of John Rector, a Creek Freedman. John Rector's father Benjamin McQueen, was a slave of Reilly Grayson a Creek Indian.  John Rector's mother Mollie McQueen was a slave of Creek leader, Opothole Yahola.  Their history is a rich one. The son Joe was enrolled with them on the same card.

Not much is known about the remains of the estate of Sarah Rector, nor her land and mineral holdings in Oklahoma, but she has a rich history and is one in which her descendants should be proud.

Treasure Chest Thursday: Allotment Certificates Freedman & Others

Chickasaw Freedman Allotment Certificate

Many are not aware that the Dawes Enrollment process was created for the purposes of redistributing land within the five tribes, in personal allotments, so that remaining lands would be free for settlement by the new state of Oklahoma.

All five nations participated in the process and all whether, categorized as citizens by Blood, Freedmen, or Inter-married whites---all received land. 

Upon allocation of the personal allotments, certificates were issued, and one does occasionally see land allotment certificates for Freedmen.  I have three Freedmen allotment certificates in my own possession, in addition to others that I have found occasionally, and am displaying one of them here.  Many families lost lands in the years following statehood, some through taxes and many others lost the land through land grafters who were notorious in obtaining land from hundreds of people. 

In the Choctaw Nation, if you were a Freedman citizen, 40 acres were given to each, but if one was a citizen by blood a typical land allotment consisted of 60 acres or more.  This kind of discriminiation continued towards black citizens, for several decades in the new state of Oklahoma. Descendants of those who were Freedmen were quietly expelled when the tribe reorganized and removed the Freedmen when reorganization of the tribes took place in the late 1970s nad early 1980s.  This expulsion of Freedmen continues to this day. And although they eventually received land allotments the Chickasaw Nation continously denied rights and priveleges of citizenship to their Freedmen for 40 years.

Allotment Certificate of Inter-Married White

Wordless Wednesday: The Slaves of Cherokee Chief John Ross

From the 1860 Federal Census Slave Schedule

Closer Views

Column 2

Tombstone Tuesday: Harry Island, Creek Interpreter & Leader

Another grave marker lying flat on the ground. 

Harry Island was the noted Muscogee Creek leader who is buried in the neglected and ignored Old Agency Cemetery. Someday, hopefully descendants from this community will address this historic burial ground.

Harry Island served as one of the official U.S. Interpreters with the Muskogee Creek Nation. He was present during many official hearings during the 1860s and 70s in the years following the Civil War.

Harry Island was utilized most often by the nation, because of his fluency in both English and Muskogee. He had other African contemporaries who were also interpreters---Silas Jefferson, Robert Johnson, and John Meyers. During the hearings for the Loyal Creek Claims, Harry Island served as government interpreter for Louisa Tiger and others, who were refugees from the War, from the Muskogee Nation.

Monday Madness: A Complete Oklahoma History Includes Slavery

I am often dismayed when the story of slavery in  American history depicts the maps and how virtually every map shows slavery with no representation of the practice of the practice of slavery in the land that would later be known as Oklahoma.  The slavery states are clear---the boundary is drawn distinctincly around what later became today's Oklahoma.

But the ommission of slavery in Indian Territory, omits the stories of slaves, rebellions, runaways, and abolition.  And the ommission of slavery is an affront to those who descend from those who were enslaved.
The black slaves brought to Indian Territory as slaves---not brothers, friends, protected allies----they were slaves--they were bound, entrapped, human chattel, taken to Indian Territory as slaves of wealthy slave owning Indians---not often depicted when the stories of the Trail of Tears or Indian removal are known.

But this is part of my history.  And it, like all stories deserves to be told.

To understand  the story of 1200 slaves taken to Indian Territory, will help other understand the plight of Cherokee Freedmen today.

To understand the Cherokee Slave Revolt of 1842 will help others to understand the southern anti-black sentiments found in 5 slave holding tribes today.

To understand the involvement of 5 slave holding tribes and their support of the Southern Confederacy and their fighting with the South, will help others to understand why many will fight tooth and nail to keep evidence of slavery in their tribes today.

To understand the resistance that slaves made to try run to Freedom, will help others to understand why the 5 slaveholding drives just took a vote to get rid of the descendants of those slaves today.

To understand that some would rather see their slaves dead than free, will help others to understand the resistance within the tribes today to acknowledged this part of their past.

To understand the fact that slaves were not freed after the Civil War, helps others to understand why some claim that the Treaty of 1866 was forced upon them.  It was--- for it made them officially release their slaves from bondage!

To understand the struggles of Chickasaw Freedmen to get their nation to honor their signature to accord them citizenship, makes it easier to understand why those few black Chickasaws in the nation today receive hostile glares in Tishomingo today.

To understand how Choctaw Freedman elected leader Henry Cutchlow was never allowed to take his seat when elected to the tribal council in the 1890s, will help others to understand how today, no descendants of Choctaw Freedmen are allowed citizenship.  They were quietly removed from citizenship in 1983, and had no voice in that vote.

To understand how many African Creeks were active in tribal politics in the years after the Civil War, confuses those noting today how the Muscogee Creek Nation, also forbids Freedmen descendants in their tribe today.

To understand the politics of race---will help others understand, how Indian Freedmen were at one time citizens, and now, because they don't have the race of the people who enslaved them, are erased from the nation of their ancestors's birth and are now shielded by a protective blanket of sovereignty shielding the slave owner's children  from federal scruitinty.

To understand all of this history, is to understand the hsitory of Oklahoma---and it helps one to know that a complete history of Oklahoma, a complete history of each of the 5 slave holding tribes, just like a complete history of  America----includes slavery.