Redbird Smith (born ''To-Juwah Sequanitah'',

Cherokee The Cherokee (; chr, ᎠᏂᏴᏫᏯᎢ, translit=Aniyvwiyaʔi or Anigiduwagi, or chr, ᏣᎳᎩ, links=no, translit=Tsalagi) are one of the indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States. Prior to the 18th century, t ...

) (1850–1918) was a traditionalist and political activist in the Cherokee Nation in

Indian Territory The Indian Territory and the Indian Territories are terms that generally described an evolving land area set aside by the United States Government for the relocation of Native Americans who held aboriginal title to their land as a sovereign ...

. He helped found the Nighthawk Keetoowah Society, whose members revitalized traditional spirituality among the Cherokee from the mid-19th century to the early 20th century.

Early life

Redbird Smith was born into a Cherokee family on July 19, 1850 in Indian Territory, near the current city of

Fort Smith, Arkansas Fort Smith is the third-largest city in Arkansas and one of the two county seats of Sebastian County. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 89,142. It is the principal city of the Fort Smith, Arkansas–Oklahoma Metropolitan Statistical Are ...

. His father was Pig Redbird Smith, who was given his surname by European Americans, after they noted that he worked as a blacksmith. Redbird Smith's mother was Lizzie (Hildebrand) Smith. His parents had been removed from

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

. Both his parents were ardent traditionalists. When Redbird Smith was ten, his "father dedicated him to the services and cause of the Cherokee people in accordance with ancient customs and usages."

Political activism

In the late 19th century the

Dawes Commission The American Dawes Commission, named for its first chairman Henry L. Dawes, was authorized under a rider to an Indian Office appropriation bill, March 3, 1893. Its purpose was to convince the Five Civilized Tribes to agree to cede tribal title of I ...

was established under the Dawes Act. It was ordered to carry out registration of members of Indian tribes, in order to identify heads of households for the allotments of communal lands to individual families. This was to be a means to convert Native Americans to the European-American model of subsistence farming. Any lands remaining after such allotment were to be declared "surplus", and the United States government would put them up for sale, including to non-natives. Redbird Smith led a political resistance movement to the

Dawes Allotment Act The Dawes Act of 1887 (also known as the General Allotment Act or the Dawes Severalty Act of 1887) regulated land rights on tribal territories within the United States. Named after Senator Henry L. Dawes of Massachusetts, it authorized the Pres ...

and sought to return to traditional Cherokee religious nationalism and values.Conley 197 In 1887 and 1889, Smith served as a tribal councilor from the Illinois District of the Cherokee Nation. Smith said in the early 1900s: Smith repatriated

wampum Wampum is a traditional shell bead of the Eastern Woodlands tribes of Native Americans. It includes white shell beads hand-fashioned from the North Atlantic channeled whelk shell and white and purple beads made from the quahog or Western Nor ...

belts belonging to his tribe. In 1910 he was selected as chief of the Nighthawk Keetoowahs. Previously he had served as their chairman.Starr 480 Also in 1910, Smith and fellow Nighthawks traveled to

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

with an 1820 document supporting Cherokee lands claims from when bands had lived there, but the Mexican government did not support their claims. In 1914, he petitioned President

Woodrow Wilson Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856February 3, 1924) was an American politician and academic who served as the 28th president of the United States from 1913 to 1921. A member of the Democratic Party, Wilson served as the president of ...

to create a Keetoowah reservation, but the US government rejected the idea, believing that reservations hindered its assimilation policy for Native Americans. In 1921, one hundred Cherokee from 35 families moved together to the southeastern corner of

Cherokee County, Oklahoma Cherokee County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of the 2010 census, the population was 46,987. Its county seat is Tahlequah, which is also the capital of the Cherokee Nation.Burnett, Amanda"Cherokee County,"''Encyclopedi ...

, to create a traditional community. This was "the brainchild of Redbird Smith."

Family

Redbird Smith married Lucy Fields, born in Braggs, Indian Territory in 1852. She was the daughter of Richard Fields and Eliza (née Brewer) Fields. Together the Smiths had ten children who survived into adulthood, including eight sons and two daughters. Among their descendants is great-grandson

Chad Smith Chad Gaylord Smith (born October 25, 1961) is an American musician who has been the drummer of the rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers since 1988. The group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012. Smith is also the drummer of the ...

, former

Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation Principal Chief is today the title of the chief executives of the Cherokee Nation, of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, and of the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians, the three federally recognized tribes of Cherokee. In the eighteent ...

Death and legacy

After falling ill for 48 hours, Redbird Smith died on November 8, 1918. He is buried in the Redbird Smith Cemetery in

Sequoyah County, Oklahoma Sequoyah County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of the 2020 census, the population was 39,281. The county seat is Sallisaw. Sequoyah County was created in 1907 when Oklahoma became a state. It was named after Sequoyah, wh ...

. He served as chief of the Nighthawk Keetoowahs until his death and was succeeded for a short period by Levi Gritts.Starr 482 His son Sam Smith became chief of the Nighthawk Keetowahs on April 7, 1919.Starr 483 The Redbirth Smith ground is an active ceremonial ground. Redbird Smith, Oklahoma, Sequoyah County, was named for him. Smith's birthday on July 19 is celebrated annually at the ceremonial ground.

Notes

References

* Conley, Robert
"The Dawes Commission and Redbird Smith."
''The Cherokee Nation: A History.'' Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 2005: 193-199. . * Starr, Emmet
''History of the Cherokee Indians and Their Legends and Folklore.''
Oklahoma City: The Warden Company, 1921.

External links

Redbird Smith
on the Cherokee Nation website

Access Genealogy {{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Redbird 1850 births 1918 deaths People from Sebastian County, Arkansas People from Ellis County, Texas Native American activists 19th-century Native American politicians 20th-century Native American politicians Cherokee Nation politicians (1794–1907) Cherokee Nation politicians Religious figures of the indigenous peoples of North America Activists from Texas Native American people from Arkansas