The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1893-06-22
INDIAN FREEMASONRY.
A Secret Society Existing in the
Cherokee Nation.
An Ancient Order That Has for Its Object
tho Preservation Of Tribal
Legends and Tra- :.
ditions.

ditions.
Not many persons are aware that
there exists among the Cherokees q
secret society that is hundreds of years
old, as old, in fact, as the tribe itself,
and is today stronger than it ever was,
at least in numbers. This society is
called the Ketoowah, which, literally
translated, means elder brother. The
st. Louis Post Dispatch says it is sort
of Indian freemasonry and has It's laws
and rules of order as well as its officers
and secret signs. So we'll are its secrets
and it's doings guarded that there are
hundreds of people living In the Chero-
kee nation, and who have lived there
for years, who are not even aware OF
the existence Of q society every mem
ber of which is sworn to assist in the
defense of their homes from the inva-
sion of the pale-faced brother eithersy
squatter sovereignty or by squawmen
privileges. Only full-bloods are eligi-
BILE to membership, but so jealousy Is
the Ketoowah watched that what else
is necessary for membership is not
known outside of the order. The
society now has membership OF
about a thousand full-bloods, each the
head of family, and thus the organi-
zation represents about five thousand
persons. Formerly the Ketoowah only
comprised the chiefs and some few OF
the older men Of the tribe. Then 1t
was all-powerful and exercised full
control over all tribal affairs; its
mandate once issued was never ques-
toned even by the most powerful
chief It dictated treaties, proclaimed
war or peace, settled disputes and
guided the welfare of the tribe in all
matters, spiritual and temporal Such
was the Ketoowah until within the
past fifty years. When the white
mans government was formed and the
affairs Of the people were taken from
the hands Of the few and administered
by men elected by the people and tho
Indians saw their power and their
birthright steadily passing away, their
customs and language receding before
the march Of civilization. they realized
that unless something wss done to
counteract these Influences the Chero-
kee would soon pass from the face Of
the earth. 70 prevent this became ct
once the object Of the Ketoowah, and
IL was 30 enlarged as to include the
heads of sll full-blood families, so that
from privy council It became q power
full oath-bound organization.
No Cherokee whose blood has been
tainted can become q member, and 1t
is said that the penalty for disclosing
the simplest secret is death The
chief aim of the Ketoowah at the pres
ent day is to perpetuate the legends,
customs and language Of the Chero-
KEGS. The existence of this society ac-
counts for something that has often
| puzzled inquiring persons who have
found that It is very rarely that full
| blood Cherokee does not both read and
write his own tongue fuently. They
| all have classical Cherokee educa-
| ton, and as their language is not
taught in the public schools, and they
have no schools of their own, when
and where they learned to write it was
| mystery. Every Ketoowah is bound
to teach it to his children, and there
| exists pride among them SO strong
| that the full-blood who has not ac-
| quired these accomplishments is in
continual disgrace and is made to feel
| his ignorance most keenly and continu-
ally. Among its members are some of
| the ablest of the Cherokees, Indians
who have acquired thorough English
| educations and who are lawyers, min
| listers and born leaders. 1t is natural
to suppose that these are the leaders,
but this is not known. Certain it is,
the society exerts powerful influence
in the government by casting its en-
tire vote as man for or against GER
| tain measures. 1t is never heard of in
| politics, and yet it has often been no.
ticed that at an election the full-bloods
are sure to support the same ticket.
There is no way for candidate to ap-
proach the society to secure its sup
| port, for he does not know who its
members are. They select their ticket
| and vote for 1t and there are no but
tons. The members have sign lam
| guage by which they can converse in
telligently among themselves wholly
unobserved and employ this means Of
communication when others are near.
Through the medium of their national
| paper, one-half of which is printed in
Cherokee and is sent free to all citizens
who do not read English, the full-blood
is thoroughly posted upon all public
matters and in fact much more con-
versant with affairs of state than his
half-bloOd brother