Okeene, Oklahoma

These northwestern lands belonged to the Cherokee, Creek, and Seminole Indians, although they were only used as hunting grounds as these Indian groups lived in the eastern part of what was to become Oklahoma. Blaine County comprised part of the area belonging to the Creek and Seminole lands who had been forced from their traditional lands east of the Mississippi River by the Indian Removal Act of 1830. The most notable removal of Indian tribes under this act occurred among the Five Civilized Tribes (Cherokee, Creek, Chickasaw, Choctaw, and Seminole tribes) who were taken from their homes in the southeastern states and marched along the infamous “Trail of Tears” to what is now Oklahoma. During the Civil War, they allied themselves with the Confederacy and when the south was defeated the Indians had to negotiate new treaties with the Federal Government. In these treaties the Five Civilized Tribes gave up the western half of the state, which was to be used to settle other Indian tribes.

Pressure from white settlers increased dramatically during the mid 1800’s and following the Colorado gold rush of 1861 the Cheyenne and Arapaho were forced onto southeastern Colorado’s desolate Sand Creek reservation. As more white people poured into the territory the Indians began attacking Denver bound stages coaches and other offensive acts to protect their territory. Despite this, the US Government officially wanted peace with these people and the military was ordered to take no action. In other words, the Indians were officially under the protection of the U.S. Government.

However, without warning on November 29, 1864 Col. John Chivington’s Colorado Volunteers attacked a peaceful band of Cheyenne, led by Black Kettle, on the banks of Sand Creek indiscriminately killing women and children. Estimates of Indian deaths ranged from 150 to 500. Many historians favor the higher number.

Among the Cheyenne who escaped was Chief Henry Roman Nose who in September 1868 led a band of Indians against 51 soldiers in the Battle of Arickaree or Beechers Island in Colorado. This battle took place over a period of 9 days and Roman Nose was thought to have been killed. Apparently, after being wounded he faked death and managed to slip away. Recovering from his wounds, Roman Nose returned to an area of Oklahoma he was familiar with and today that area is Roman Nose State Park.

In 1867 the U.S. Government signed the Medicine Lodge treaty with the Cheyenne and Arapaho Indians, assigning them to a reservation in the northwestern part of Oklahoma, which included all but the southwestern corner of Blaine County. However, the Indian’s troubles were not over, as white men began trespassing on Indian lands to kill the buffalo that were roaming Oklahoma’s plains. The Cheyenne were being systematically looted of their horses and a major economic source creating tension that was further fueled by renegade white traders who bartered with the Indians for guns and whiskey. Not surprisingly this resulted in many outbreaks of fighting.

The Southern Cheyenne were finally subdued and then the Northern Cheyenne were moved to the Oklahoma Reservation resulting in further hardships for both groups, although the brunt of these was borne by the Northern Cheyenne. Strangers to this land they starved due to inadequate rations, and suffered through a terrible winter. Deciding that if they must die it should at least be in their own land the Northern Cheyenne left the reservation in the winter of 1879 and returned to Montana. During this trek they were often harried by U.S. troops and many of the Indians were killed. The small band that reached Montana was allowed to remain there. The book, Cheyenne Autumn (Second Edition), by Marie Sandoz paints a vivid picture of their trials, suffering, and final defeat.

Apparently during the period 1875 to 1878 a number of Plains Indians were imprisoned at Fort Marion, Florida. One member of this group was Chief Henry Roman Nose. The reason(s) for this imprisonment are unknown. One result of this imprisonment was the taking of a series of photographs one of which (shown left) is said to include Roman Nose.

Through all this turbulence the extremely peaceful Southern Arapaho managed remain uninvolved, a remarkable feat, as there were incidents that could have provoked fighting. Even after being placed in western Oklahoma, they remained at peace.

The clamor of the white man for more land continued and in 1890 Congress passed the Allotment Act giving each of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Indians 160 acres of land. Chief Roman Nose and his family obtained the present Roman Nose State Park as their allotment. Roman Nose made his home here until his death in 1917 and was buried near Watonga. The Indians originally called the largest spring in the park “Spring of Everlasting Waters”.

Recently the site of the Sand Creek masscare was pin-pointed by archaeologists, historians, and local landowners, working with the National Park Service, state officials, and Southern Cheyenne, Southern Arapaho, Northern Cheyenne, and Northern Arapaho tribal representatives. For further information visit: http://www.archaeology.org/9911/newsbriefs/sand.html

For those who may be interested in undertaking further research on the Cheyenne-Arapaho on the WWW a search for Cheyenne Arapaho will provide many results. A great deal of information also exists on the various treaties between the U.S. Government and Native Americans. An excellent source for digital copies of these treaties was produced by the Oklahoma State University Library and TechBooks can be found at http://digital.library.okstate.edu/kappler/vol2/index.htm