Phillips County herald., 1923-01-11
lN0MA FOR THEIR CULTURE
Oklahoma Lawyer is Working to Pre-
vent Extinction Of Tribe BY Pool
ing Lands-cherokees Prosper
Under His Direction.
Here's an Interesting story
about the cherokces. Do you
think they cot 4 square dealf

looks upon the Indian us legend. n
picturesque myth, and forgets that he
is human being with the same long
inss, disappointnients and heartbreaks
as the white man. The intrusion of
the early American settlers seems SO
much thing of tile past that we can
not comprehend the Indians still fos-
ter bitterness for the loss of their
campfires, their domestic hearths,
their valleys, mountains and streams
Occasionally there arises among Us
some one who wins the confidence o.
these tribal people.
Such a man is Eugene L. Graves, 6
lawyer and the largest individual oil
and gas royalty owner In Oklahoma.
For IS years he has given his time and
energies to fighting the battles Of the
Cherokee Indians. once strong na-
ton covering the rich plains Of the
South and Middle West. Now they
have been reduced to one small band.
living In an area less than two-thirds
that Of Rhode Island
Acts a. Their Adviser.
Mr.. Graves Is the authorized dele
gate and representative Of the Night
hawk Keetoowah in all its dealings
with the United States government
and outside private interests. He also
acts in the patcrnal capacity Of ad-
wiser and as sort Of court OF last
appeal In personal Affairs.
The Nighthawk Keetoowah society
is the fraternai. political. industrial.
agricultural and financial nucleus Of
the 3.1OO full-bloodcd Indians Of the
Cherokee tribe. which has 4OOU
members In all. The others have In
terinarrlcd and adopted the ways OF
the white man.
1T must be understood" saii Mr..
Grnves. ''that the Cherokecs are not
the blanket type OF Indian. but
highly gifted and extraordinarily civil
ixed people. with intellectual. literary
and artistic attachments. 1t Is be-
licyed that they have descended from
the Incns. and there Is a legend tpat
they represent five OF the ten 1pst
tribes of Israel. The Cherokee Is Pur
finest specimen Of humanity. during
my IS years among them have yet
to discover that one OF them has
vicious habit. They nre healthy
bodied and healthy R,inded--as trust
Ing as children. They do not know
what II Is to break their word.
I'm 1880 the United States created
the Cherokee commission for the pnr-
pose Of abolishlng the tribal govern
,nents and opening the territories to
white settlement. After Is years Of
pleadlnrs against this plan an agree
ment was made BY which the govern
'ment Of the Cherokee nntion came to
final end ON March 8. 1903
''In 1908 tha United States gov
ernment decided to divide the land
upon which the Cherokees were living
and allot TO each Indian his share.
Mnny Of the Cherokecs. unfamiliar
with the white mans way OF doing
business. forfeited their holdings by
one technical mistake or another.
They could not understand the system
Of taxation. and many farms were
conflscated. Some Of the Indians, In
lnenccd by INSCRIPTIONS white set
Tiers. sold their farms for few sii.
yer dollars"
Impressed BY eravs Fight.
At that point Mr.. Graves stepped In.
"iIow did I become Interested In
the Chcrokees?" he replied Ia answer
to u question. about eighteen years
ago went down to Oklahoma TO look
nf,er some of my holdings. and met
the famous full.blooded Cherokee.
Itcdblrd Smith. and was impressed by
the brave fight hc was making against
the government. Just prior to the hnai
agreement of 1901. lie tried to pre-.
vent the dissolution Of the Cherokee
nation. lie was n philosopher. preach.
ing to his own kind the tinc.old slo.
gnn. In union there IL strength
when the government wns assigning
the grants Of land Rcdblrd refused
to take his allotment and was put In
Jail. lie finally agreed TO n passive
non.rcsistnncc ind was released.
Things wcrr In pretty bad Shape
with the Chcrokees when ! suggested
an idea to them. Why not pool their
interests-their lnnds and possessions
--und develop them ns ono huge hold.
ingf Immediately the 3.I0O members
Of the kcctoowah saw the point The
Kectoownh. IN addition to iis frnter.
nni function. was organized upon a
niutuni business rnd financial basis.
In which the members were TO share
equally In the losses and gnins arising
from the development Of their ngricui-
turni. industrial and mineral re-
sources"
The members practically put them.
selves under the guardianship Of Mr.
Graves, and he has represented them
In MI matters concerning their wei
snre The cherckccs huyc pforVercd
al'f been inppy.