Monday we decided to visit the Five Civilized Tribes Museum in Muskogee; it's one of your history lessons for this week. Located in the "Indian capitol of the world," the museum honors the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek and Seminole Tribes, who "...were relocated to Indian Territory from their southeastern U.S. ancestral lands..." where "...these tribes had built communities, developed agricultural economies, and had created complex tribal governments." As Europeans moved into (actually invaded) their homelands life changed as they had known it for generations. In 1838 and 1839, as part of Andrew Jackson's Indian removal policy, the Cherokee nation was forced to give up its lands east of the Mississippi River and to migrate to an area in present-day Oklahoma. The migrants faced hunger, disease, and exhaustion on the forced march. Over 4,000 out of 15,000 of the Cherokees died, being forced to walk hundreds of miles west, many in shackles and at gunpoint. The tribes were herded like cattle; few rode in wagons, with the stronger helping the weaker along the trail. Hunger and disease, combined with adverse weather and tainted food supplies, claimed the lives of thousands. The Cherokee people called this journey the "Trail of Tears." 
 |
| Five Civilized Tribes Museum |
In 1831 the Choctaw were the first to be removed, and they became the model for all other removals. After the Choctaw, the Seminole were removed in 1932, the Creek in 1934, then the Chickasaw in 1937, and finally the Cherokee in 1838. Here's a brief history of each nation.The Cherokee nation occupied villages in North and South Caroline, Virginia, Tennessee, Georgia and Alabama. They called themselves "Ani-yun-wiya," which meant "real people." Ranging in size from 200 to more than 2,000 people, they lived in homes built of logs, bark and branches, plastered with mud and clay. They were farmers, hunters, fisherman, artists and warriors. They produced basketwork, pottery, masks and pipes, which they used for trade. They had a republican form of government with a constitution, a chief, senate, and a house of representatives.
The Chickasaw nation occupied regions in northern Mississippi, western Tennessee and eastern Arkansas. Noted for their successes in war the men carried medicine bundles, cherished as sacraments, which contained the clans' mystic powers. Religion was the center of their world; they celebrated each new full moon and kept a lunar calendar. Even after the their struggle on the Trail of Tears, tainted food supplies and swindling of white merchants led to continued mass starvation.
Known for their farming skills and peaceful disposition, the Choctaws occupied what is now southern and central Mississippi, much of Alabama, and parts of Georgia. Homes were supported with pole frames, covered with grass mats, reeds, branches and clay. By the beginning of the 19th century, brick and stone houses began to appear as Choctaws developed plantations with the slaves sold to them by American traders and the U.S. government. Despite many treaties with the U.S., forced relocation moved them to what is now Oklahoma. By 1907 they were on their 16th treaty with the U.S., who continued to violate agreements. Just a side note, Oklahoma is derived from the Choctaw word for "red people."
The Creek tribe (or Muscogee) was located on creeks and streams in what are now Georgia, Alabama, northern Florida, eastern Louisiana and southern Tennessee, in about 40 to 50 towns, each speaking their own version of the Muskogean language. There were Red Creeks (predominantly warriors) and White Creeks (predominately peacemakers). In response to white settlements, civil war broke out among the two factions, with federal and state troops mobilized under General Andrew Jackson to intervene. Jackson punished the Creek by forcing them to sign the Treaty of Horseshoe Bend, taking away 23 million acres of land. The remainder of their land was lost after the Indian Removal Act, causing 1,600 Creek warriors and their 84-year-old chief Neamathla to walk in chains every step of the Tail of Tears.
Seminoles, who occupied Florida, loosely translates to "runaway." They lived in open-sided chickees that were grouped in villages, built near rivers. Thatched roofs and raised platforms were suited for the warm, damp climate. The Seminoles were hunters and gatherers as well as farmers. Osceola, a Seminole leader, successfully led troops against the federal government, defeating the U.S. for many years. Following the Indian Removal Act, most of the Seminoles traveled by boat to New Orleans, then up the Mississippi and Arkansas Rivers. Many succumbed to disease and starvation due to lack of food and supplies.
Today, the Five Civilized Tribes are a classic tragedy to triumph story, representing over 300,000 Indian people and contributing over $600 million annually to Oklahoma's economy. (Facts taken from documents obtained from the Five Civilized Tribes Museum, www.fivetribes.org.)
Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday were spent walking along Lake Eufaula, noting the many deer, rabbit, raccoon and rabbit tracks in the sand. Thursday we also visited the Honey Springs Battlefield and Interpretive Center, located in Checotah. (History lesson #2.)
Honey Springs is the site of the largest of more than one hundred conflicts in the Indian Territory during the War Between the States, and is often called the Gettysburg of the Indian Territory. It took place on Friday, July 17, 1863, between Federal units led by Major General James G. Blunt and Southern troops commanded by Brigadier General Douglas H. Cooper. According to U.S. Army official reports, Confederate forces established a supply depot 20 miles southwest of Ft. Gibson at Honey Springs and made plans to drive the Federals from the area. Major Blunt, not waiting for the attack, marched out from Ft. Gibson and engaged the Confederate forces under Cooper. A major engagement was fought by a combined total of 9,000 soldiers. Cherokee and Creek regiments fought on both sides; troops included other American Indians, veteran Texas regiments, and the 1st Kansas Colored Regiment the first black regiment in the Union army). The Federal victory opened the way for occupation of Fort Smith and later Union victories in the Red River Valley. Despite strength in numbers, the Confederates,who were stretched out in a line almost a mile and a half long among the trees of the creek bed, were at a disadvantage: they had only four light pieces of artillery, facing 12 cannons. The battle lasted only about 4 hours, but this battle was a turning point. Never again would the Confederates mount a large army in the field, relying instead on small units to disrupt Union supply lines and pin down as many troops as possible. (Oklahoma Historical Society)
 |
| Battle lines of the Confederates (red) and Union (blue) troops. |
 |
| Memorial honoring the Union troops who served in the Honey Springs Battle. |
 |
| Civilized Tribes Memorial honoring the American Indians who served in the Battle of Honey Springs. |
 |
| Memorial honoring the Confederate troops who served in the Battle of Honey Springs. |
 |
| Memorial honoring the Texas Division of the Daughters of the Confederates who served in the Battle of Honey Springs. |
 |
| Memorial honoring the 1st Kansas Colored Regiment who served in the Battle of Honey Springs |
 |
| A very hungry armadillo found alongside one of the trails. |
The battlefield is an historic site administered by the Oklahoma Historical Society. Open and free to the public, the 1,100 acre site has 6 walking trails with a total of 55 interpretive signs, located at the Union bivouac area, the Union line of battle, the Texas regiments line of battle, the battle at the bridge over Elk Creek, the final action, and Honey Springs, the Confederate supply depot. (A reenactment to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Honey Springs will be held in the Fall of 2013.)
 |
| A hedge apple found along one of the trails. Weird... |
 |
| Our site at Millwood. |
The week came to a close at Terra Starr with us packing up and leaving on Friday. Facing 20-40 mph headwinds, we drove 236 miles to Millwood Landing Resort in Ashdown, Arkansas. It's located just 2.5 hours from Little Rock, just 3+ hours from Dallas, and is within minutes of Millwood Lake, a 26,000 acre lake fed by the Little River. Millwood has its own 18-hole golf course, clubhouse and restaurant, courts for basketball and tennis, swimming pool, game room, kiddie pool and play area, and its own fishing ponds. As you can see from the photos, the grounds are tree covered and quite lovely. We'll be here for 2 weeks, until the day after Thanksgiving, when we head for Louisiana.
 |
| The welcome/security house at Millwood. |
No comments:
Post a Comment