Chief Wacoche Traces Keetoowah Resilience at NSU Symposium

By: Troy Littledeer | UKB Media Director

TAHLEQUAH, Okla. — At the 52nd Annual Symposium on the American Indian, United Keetoowah Band Chief Jeff Wacoche delivered a stirring reflection on the Keetoowah people’s enduring sovereignty—from abolitionist resistance to modern-day legal victories—offering a sweeping message of cultural reclamation, justice, and pride.

“This year’s theme, ‘Reclamation for an Indigenous Future,’ is a great fit for the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians in Oklahoma,” Wacoche told attendees gathered at Northeastern State University’s Center for Tribal Studies. “Our ancestors would plant corn seeds along the trail so they could find their way back home and the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians have followed the paper trail that our ancestors left behind and reclaimed our home.”

The weeklong symposium, now in its 52nd year, brought together tribal leaders, students, and scholars to explore Native rights and governance. For Wacoche, the event was more than symbolic—it was a platform to assert the UKB’s history of self-determination, its legal legitimacy, and its future path.

A Legacy of Resistance and Treaty Fidelity

Wacoche opened with a lesser-known chapter of tribal history. In 1859, Keetoowah ancestors adopted a constitution binding themselves to uphold U.S. treaties and support the National Government—an act of political clarity as tensions between pro-slavery and anti-slavery factions rose across Indian Territory.

“When the Cherokee Nation aligned with those who supported slavery,” Wacoche said, “the Keetoowah chose a different path. We abolished slavery within the Cherokee Nation on June 25, 1863.”

That stand for justice became a defining trait. “More than three-fourths of our able-bodied men fought for the Federal Army,” he said. “That was a vastly larger proportion than any state contributed. Our ‘Keetoowah Pins’ were not just tokens—they symbolized our unwavering commitment to freedom.”

Survival Through Policy and Reorganization

The Chief acknowledged the devastating impact of the 1898 Dawes Act and the 1902 Cherokee Agreement, which closed the Cherokee Rolls and disrupted traditional governance. But in 1905, the Keetoowah Society received a federal charter to preserve its structure. Decades later, under the 1936 Oklahoma Indian Welfare Act, the tribe reorganized again—with critical support from Presidential appointees J.B. Milam and W.W. Keeler.

Wacoche quoted Keeler’s 1949 letter to UKB Chief Levi Gritts: “The more I think of it, the more I am convinced that the Keetoowahs are the proper ones to help the Cherokees.”

UKB ratified its constitution and corporate charter on October 3, 1950, affirming its legal standing and its resolve to govern in the spirit of its ancestors.

Building a Modern Tribal Nation

The speech also highlighted recent accomplishments since 2019:

    •    76 acres placed into federal trust for tribal development

    •    A new Cherokee-style courthouse—the first built under the Oklahoma Indian Welfare Act

    •    Childcare centers in Tahlequah and Stilwell, one named “Best Daycare” six years running

    •    Support for 800+ students, including 50 graduate degrees

    •    Construction of a tag agency, housing warehouse, ICW center, and maintenance facility

    •    Bearpaw Community Garden, created by Wacoche’s wife, feeding those in need

    •    750 ricks of firewood delivered each winter by the UKB Environmental Department

    •    A growing language program, with 19 graduates from the cultural center

“We’re not just checking boxes,” Wacoche said. “We’re reclaiming wellness, culture, and the right to self-govern.”

A Federal Affirmation of Sovereignty

Perhaps the most consequential update came in the form of federal recognition. On January 17, 2025, the U.S. Department of the Interior issued a Solicitor’s Memorandum affirming that both the United Keetoowah Band and the Cherokee Nation are equal successors to the historic Cherokee Nation—a long-contested point in Oklahoma Indian law and intertribal politics.

“It reaffirmed what we have always known,” Wacoche said. “We have followed the paper trail left by our ancestors and reclaimed our home.”

“A People United in Spirit”

As the symposium continued through April 16, Wacoche’s words served as a call to action and remembrance. The Keetoowah story, he said, is one of principled resistance and patient reclamation—guided by the spirit of ancestors who never accepted dispossession as destiny.

“Despite everything, we maintained our identity and our purpose,” he said. “We are a people united in spirit and resolve.”