Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1894-08-24
INDIAN FREEMAS0NRY.
A Secret Society Elk sting In the
Cherokee Nation.
An Ancient Order That Has for It's oolce'
the Preservation OF Tribal
Legends snd Ira
ditions.

ditions.
Not many persons are aware ti''
there exiets anonr the Clero-'ees
secret society that is hundred o.
old. as old, in fact. as the trlne l''0--'
and is today stronger than 1t ever 80
at least in numbers. This socleVy -
called the Ketoowah. which. literary
translated. means elder brother ne
st. Louis Post Dispatch saysit IS sor1
of Indian freemasoary aud has its Jaws
and rules Of order as well as its ofncers
and secret signs. So wen are its secrets
and its doings guarded that there are
hundreds of people living in tho Cnero
l,ee nation. and who have lived therc
for Years. who are not even a"ai Va
the existence Of a society every me-
Der of which is swOEn to ASSIST Ii 'ils
defense of their homes from the 4l'I"
sion of the pale-faced brother either oy
squatter sovereignty or by squaWIhei'
privilcyes. Only full-bloods are euSr
bic to membership, but 50 jealousy Is
The Ketoowah watched that what else
is necessary for membership is Io'
known outside OF the order. Ahe
society now has u membership %
bout thousand full-5loota. each the
head Of family. and thus the organl-
zation represents about I've thousand
persons. Formerly the hetoo"ah ohly
comprised the chiefs and some re" OF
the older men Of the tribe. Then IL
was aIl-powerful and exercised full
control over all tribal affairs; It's
mandate once issued was never ques-
toned even by the most powerful
chief. II dictated treaties, proclaimed
war or peace. settled disputes and
Guided the welfare of the tribe in all
uatters. spiritual and temporal such
was the Ketoowah until within the
mast fftv Years. When the white
mans government was formed and the
affairs of the people were taken from
the hands of the few and administered
bv men elected by the people and the
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 was done TO
counteract these influences the Chero-
kee would soon pass from the race OF
the earth. To prevent this became at
once the object Of the Ketoowah, and
il was so enlarged as to include the
heads of all full-bloOd families, so that
from Il privy council it became power
full oath-bound organization.
No Cherokee whose blood has been
tainted can become a member. and IL
is said that the penalty for disclosing
the simplest secret is death. The
chief aim OF the Ketoovah at the pres
ent day is 70 perpetuate the legends,
customs and language of the Chero-
iess. 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 fucntly. They
ALI have a 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
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. it is never heard of in
politics, and yet il 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 APP
prOach the society to secure its sup
port. for he does not know who it's
members are. They select their ticket
and vote for it and there are no but
tons. The members have sign lam
guage by which they can converse in
telEgently among themselves wholly
unobservcd 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
haIf-blood brother.