Well I am glad to see the Court has already decided this Steve.
The UKB has already won.
The CNO Inc. is A 1975 Model.
The UKB is A Indian Reorganization Act Tribe of 1934 and the Oklahoma Indian
Welfare Act of 1936, the Keetoowahs began taking measures to organize under the
legislation. The federal government began buying up land, and placing it in trust for the
"Cherokee tribe." These tracts of land are located primarily in three counties of NE
Oklahoma. The deeds stipulate that the land is to be held in trust by the U.S. Government
until they are assigned to a group organized under the Act of June 26, 1936. The
Keetoowahs are the only group so organized. Darcy McNickle, Chief of the Branch of
Tribal Relations of the Department of Interior, stated that the Keetoowahs historical had
functioned as a political body, exercising independent action as a nation. McNickle and
Chief Counsel Theodore Haas recommended that a bill be introduced to recognize the
Keetoowahs under the OIWA, section 3. President Harry Truman signed the bill known
as the Act on August 10, 1946 which recognized the Keetoowahs for the purposes of
organizing under the OIWA (60 Stat. 978). The Department of the Interior's Office of
Indian Affairs stated in 1949 that this provision permits the Keetoowah Indians to
organize apart from the Cherokee Nation as a separate band. W. W. Keeler, the
government-appointed 'chief' of the Cherokee Nation appointed by President Harry
Keetoowah History Essay www.unitedkeetoowahband.org
United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians www.ukb-nsn.gov
www.keetoowahcherokee.org
Truman, stated in a letter to Levi Gritts of the Keetoowah Society, "The more I think of it,
the more I am convinced that the Keetoowahs are the proper ones to help the Cherokees."
Later, in the same letter, Keeler strengthened these feelings, "I, for one, would be willing
to go a step farther and recommend that the present Executive Group be dissolved and the
Keetoowah organization be the sole representative with the Government of the Cherokee
of Oklahoma."
The Keetoowah people ratified the Constitution/By-Laws and the Federal Corporate
Charter on October 3, 1950. The Keetoowah's ownership of all unalloted lands was
expressly recognized in the Charter. By 1963, the BIA began using the UKB as a conduit
for federal funding to the Cherokees, as they were the only Oklahoma Cherokee entity
organized according to federal statute. For about five years, the Keetoowahs were
instrumental in negotiating with the federal government for funding of such projects as
the modernization of rural Indian homes, health clinics, the new IHS hospital in
Tahlequah, and the funding of the tribal complex. The United Keetoowah Band had
offices in the tribal complex from the time it was built until 1968. Several years later,
Cherokee Nation Deputy Principal Chief B. Bob Stopp wrote to Keetoowah Chief
William Glory, and informed him that anytime the United Keetoowah Band wished to
use the tribal conference rooms, "you are perfectly welcome to do so." The letter
concluded with, "We want all Cherokees to feel welcome to use this Conference Room
for meetings of a constructive nature which will serve the interest of the Cherokees."
The Keetoowahs were also responsible for the Cherokee flag, being in charge of
producing and selling them. Cherokee Nation's appointed Chief frequently referred
persons interested in obtaining the flag to the Keetoowahs, "...the Cherokee flags, which
are to be produced and sold by the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokees. Since this is
being handled entirely by the Keetoowah Band, I am referring your letter. . . " (1969)
The United States Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs confirmed in 1993,
via letter to the United Keetoowah Band, that No OIWA or IRA constitution was adopted
for or by the 'Cherokee Nation." The letter states that they are not aware of any
documentation showing the intent of the Commissioner to approver CNO's 1975 draft
constitution within the meaning of the IRA (through the OIWA of 1936). Most
importantly, the letter states that the BIA is not aware of any documentation showing no
justification for contracts and/or grants with the Keetoowahs to provide the same services
to those portion of the Cherokee Nation that would be served under the Nation's contracts
and/or grants. the BIA's Acting Assistant Secretary of the Interior Ron Eden even sent a
letter to the Keetoowahs on August 24, 1992, confirming the Band's autonomy, separate
recognition and independent eligibility for services and trust land acquisition.
In Conclusion
There are two successor governments to the 1906 Cherokee Nation rolls. The UKB
ancestors were part of the historic Cherokee Nation at the time of the Act of April 26,
1906 that dismantled the Cherokee government, allotted portions of the Cherokee lands
