John Jolley had to move from south of the AR River near Galla Rock to near Dwight Mission (North of the River
near the Illinois Bayou) by the early 1820s. The Cherokee
signed away the land south at Council Oaks at Dardanelle.
One of the two oaks is still standing. I must go over the River
this summer and take a photo myself. The oak is about
about a hundred yards south of the Arkansas River.
Some time between 1820 and 1823, the Council Oaks
witnessed the scene from which they acquired
their name. U.S. President James Monroe ordered Army
Colonel David Brearly to send out a call to every Cherokee
village to send delegates to meet with Brearly to negotiate
boundaries between the Indians and the white settlers.
The twin oaks served as shade amidst a number of recently
fallen trees. There, under the oaks, Brearly and Arkansas
territorial secretary Robert Crittenden negotiated with the
Indians.
According to legend the most prominent of the
Cherokee negotiators, Black Fox (Ta-Kah-To-Kuh), sat on
the same log with Crittenden as they discussed the
boundaries. The story says that Black Fox continually
moved toward Crittenden, who became annoyed at having
to move toward the end of the log. Crittenden demanded the
reason the Indian negotiator encroached upon his space.
In response Black Fox replied: “That is the way with us.
Our Great Father (the President) has moved us from place
to place until we can go no further.”
1 comment:
I really appreciate that story. I can imagine Takatokuh was both telling an important story to the white man as well as having his tongue in cheek (at least a little). And it's true, isn't it, the natives were moved a little more and little more until most tribes now are either interspersed with the general population or they are tucked far far away where the dominant culture doesn't want to be.
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