The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1906-06-09
SOCIETY OF FULL-BLOODS
OF PEACEFUL DIS
POSITION
DRIVEN INTO THE FOREST
Whites Drive Shy Tribes
men Into Retirement
speslal to paIly Leaaer.

Special to Daily Leader.
Tahlequah, l. r.. June .. Much has
been written OF late concerning the now
famous Night Hawks or Keetoowah so-
ciety Of full-blood Indians. residing in
the mountain district OF the Cherokee
nation, ana no true status OF the people
has ever been written.
Tho name Night Hawk Of itself Is mis-
leading and savors OF outlawry dark
deeds, etc. Such. however is far from
thetruth concerning the people. The or
igin OF thename originated from their
meeting az night in the open woods. Not
having halls or lodges. they resort to
the primeval forests that nature pro-
vided them and as their ancestors did
before them
The true name OF this society is Kee-
toowah, and win be news to many to
know that in an old Cherokee law book
found In the Cherokee Mountains last
week, printed in the'30s, Il is stated that
when the present town OF Fort Gibson
was laid off It's name was Keetoowah.
Stories Of these people meeting NJ night
and holding orgies, ghost dances, etc.
Is all imagination. Their meetings are
as quiet as that Of Masons or other Sc
crct societies. The object OF the Kee-
toowah society Is somewhat similar tc
that OF the snakes OF the Creek nation.
IN SO far as the protection Of their lands
from white invasion aud the holding In
common Of the country given them by
President Andrew Jackson. TO have and
60 hold as long as grass grows and water
flows"
There does not exist on earth today
more honest, peaceable or hos pitahle
people than the blood Indians OF the
Cherokee Mountains. TO all old resi-
dents OF the territory il is wen known
that quarter OF century ago the
homes Of these people were open to all.
Al thai time everything was IN plenty.
The exodus Of the whites from the states
has driven these people (who are nat
uraiiy shy By nature) into the barren
mountain district. where existence Is next
70 starvation and how they live today
Is mystery TO the outside world
Many thousands OF Cherokees have
taken their allotment Of lands IN the
rich prairie and oil lands IN the western
part Of the Cherokee nation, but the
keetoowaks or ful-bioods refused TO
take any lands az an. This forced the
government through the Dawes Com
mission, 10 allot thein lands arbitrarily.
This hind Is "a the mountains and the
the FiAt Hills. aud is Of no value wsat-
ever. There are only occasional spots
% few acres susceptible OF cultiva-
tion where little corn can be raised,
Their hogs range Wild In the woods ana
subsist on aeOrns and roots.
This today Is an these people have to
subsiss on. che millions Of dollans la
the tssast;Fy vaults az Washington be-
ionging 60 them are of no value 10 them
whatever The payments made by the
government az Intervals OF many years
are OF very little value 20 these people
when Il IS remembered they only get a
profata al these payments Of from $4,000
TO feo0,ooo II these payments were TO
come regularly as among the osases Il
would be quite different but these small
amounts paid ten years apart are of
practically no benefit TO theee people
This ID way will explain the Illusion
prevailing Ia tho oatside world that all
Indians Of Indian Territory are among
the richest individual people on earth.
When as a matter oi fact there arc
thousands " them IN tho Cherokee and