Dawes Commission Negotiations
In August 1897, the National Keetoowah Convention members expressed strong opposition to the Dawes Commission, which aimed to negotiate new treaties that would change the Cherokees’ land and governance. They demanded that the U.S. respect their existing treaties, arguing that their rights had been violated. During conferences with the commission, full-blooded Cherokees eloquently conveyed their desire to maintain their sovereignty and criticized the imposition of white laws, urging for the preservation of their laws and treaties. The commissioners acknowledged their sentiments but stated that Congress’s decisions were beyond their control, highlighting tensions over tribal rights.