Cherokee Executive Council

To fulfill these purposes the Cherokee Executive Council was organized, with the following members: 

  Cherokee Executive Council

 Delaware Cherokees:

      Bluford Sixkiller, who was Redbird’s assistant from 1908 until Sept. 12th, 1920, which he resigned on account of poor health. William Rogers succeed­ed to his place by election on the same date. William Rogers is 51 years of age and a faithful follower of Redbird Smith. He is a man of sterling qualities and has rendered invaluable service to his people.

     Bluford Sixkiller died November 23rd, 1921, aged 73 years.

     Sam Smith, the son of Redbird Smith succeeded to his father’s place as Chief of the Nighthawk Keetoowahs, April 7th, 1919. He is successfully carrying out his father’s program. Makes a wise and conservative leader and yet very progressive.

     Oce Hogshooter, the secretary of the organization has served in that capacity since 1908. A man fifty years of age and an active worker and a wise counselor to his people.

     John Redbird Smith, the official Interpreter of the Organization since 1900 and a steadfast assistant of his revered father. A man of strong con­victions, conscientious, fearless and a very strong factor in the work of bring­ing the Nighthawks out of the wilderness.

     All of Redbird’s ten living children are ardent followers of their father. Redbird left surviving him, his wife, two daughters, eight sons and thirty-five grandchildren.

     Lucy Fields Smith, the surviving wife of Redbird’s, was born near Braggs, Oklahoma, in 1852. Her father was Richard Fields, who at the time of his death in Washington, D. C., was the attorney general of the Cherokee Nation. Her mother was Eliza Brewer Fields, who survived until Jan.1890.

     This noble and loyal wife of Redbird Smith was largely responsible for his success in life. She is a wonderful mother. When her two youngest boys departed for the Army encampment, Kiah and Stokes, she calmly gave her boys up and bade them to be courageous and acquit themselves as men.

     It is a noteworthy fact that Chief Redbird, issued an edict to all the fires of the Nighthawk Keetoowahs, calling upon all members of draft age to offer themselves without reserve and to take no advantage of the exemption provided for. This was carried except in two cases.

     The following named were all great factors in the work of the Keetoowah organization Anderson Gritts, Ned Ten Killer, Nagada Seweegbe, Joe Chewy, Lacy Hawkins Daniel Redbird, George Benge, Stool Jackson, George Hughes, Ned Bullfrog Sanee Goo-yah, Sand, Wilson Girty, Tom Horn, Charley Ketcher, John Jim Wycliff, Wycliff, Charley Scott, Alex McCoy, Paul Glass, Joshua Glass, Jim Alex, Alex Deerinwater, Jim Hogshooter, Will Sand and George Smith.

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Red Bird Smith

• Other Resources from this Book

  • Keetoowah Society

  • Cherokee Biographies

  • Cherokee Genealogies

  • Interpreting the Starr Genealogies

  • History of the Cherokee Indians (complete book)

Notes About the Book:

Source: History of the Cherokee Indians and Their Legends and Folk Lore, Emmet Starr, 1921, The Warden Company, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Online Publication: The manuscript was scanned and then ocr'd. Minimal editing has been done, and readers can and should expect some errors in the textual output.

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