The Freedmen Files

This podcast explores the lost stories and untold histories of the Freedmen of Oklahoma. The goal is to unravel the tapestry of the past, sharing the voices and tales that come from the Freedmen from Indian Territory. Theirs is a history of resilience, strength and triumph. Stories of both the people and the places where Freedmen from the Five Nations lived and negotiated lives on the western frontier.

Episode 23 The Story of Rebecca Williams 05/07/2025

Episode 23 The Story of Rebecca Williams This is the story of Rebecca Williams from South McAlester in the Choctaw Nation. Her background was of Chickasaw history, culture and life, and her mother was a native woman from the Territory. Her story is significant because she chose to sepak to her truth, especially when she realized that something was being taken away from her. Hers is a story to tell and a story to be remembered. /episode/index/show/9c2802db-c82d-4576-aff1-2876f7ede60e/id/36471110

episode 22 Looking for a Slave Named Jake 02/04/2025

episode 22 Looking for a Slave Named Jake Jake was enslaved on a plantation in Skullyville in the Choctaw Nation. He was said to have been on the estate of Joseph Hall. In the early days of the Civil War, a slave uprising was said to have occurred, but Jake was the man who was able to bring the violence to an end, saving the life of one of the Hall family members. Nothing more was ever said about Jake, the enslaved man except that he died during the war. Could more be learned about him? This is a story of my journey to see what I could learn about him. /episode/index/show/9c2802db-c82d-4576-aff1-2876f7ede60e/id/35147530

Episode 21 The Remarkable James Coody Johnson 01/16/2025

Episode 21 The Remarkable James Coody Johnson James Coody John was a remarkable man who emerged as a leader in both Creek and Seminole communities. His was fluent in both Muscogee language as well as English, went on to obtain an education in the east returning to Oklahoma where he would be a man in demand by many who needed his legal skills as much as his language skills. He was active politically working for tribal Freedmen as well as blacks who emigrated to Oklahoma from other states. In addition, he emerged as a leader as a Grand Master in the community of Masons in Oklahoma. A building erected by Johnson still stands in Wewoka Oklahoma today and a highway marker bearing his name welcomes all to the city where he lived, and died. James Coody Johnson--a name not to be forgotten in Oklahoma history. /episode/index/show/9c2802db-c82d-4576-aff1-2876f7ede60e/id/34875795

Episode 20 Moses Whitemire, Cherokee Freedmen Trustee 01/02/2025

Episode 20 Moses Whitemire, Cherokee Freedmen Trustee This podcast focuses on Moses Whitmire who was elected as a Trustee for Cherokee Freedmen in response to an act from the tribal council in 1883 that planned to exclude the Freedmen from the Nation in sharing in a percapita payment that was being allocated to the Cherokee Nation. Moses Whitmire was elected by the Freedmen to be their trustee and to travel to Washington to negotiage on their behalf. In an effort to secure an attorney he signed an agreement with two attorneys from St. Louis Missouri, and this led to a larger issues where he had unknowingly signed an agreement to pay the attorneys almost 30% of the funds going to the Nation. His case began a centuries long case regarding Cherokee Freedmen and their treatment as full citizens. As a trustee lawsuits arose against him and Whitmire filed counter-suits against the Cherokee Nation and the United States. He set precedent for Freedmen and their many trips to Washington DC that would go on for more than a century. /episode/index/show/9c2802db-c82d-4576-aff1-2876f7ede60e/id/34693215

Episode 19 Annie Keel, Remarkable Church Woman 11/15/2024

Episode 19 Annie Keel, Remarkable Church Woman This episode describes the work of Annie Keel a Chickasaw Freedwoman who lived in the Choctaw Nation. After slavery ended she was interested in the establishment of a church in her community, and in particular that of the AME Church. She did not have contacts herself, but took the initiative to contact the Chief of the Choctaw Nation for assistance. Her boldness and her tenacity paid off and the AME Church was established in the Choctaw Nation and she and her husband Billy hosted the first AME Church conference in the Territory. Hers is a remarkable story of vision, action and determination. /episode/index/show/9c2802db-c82d-4576-aff1-2876f7ede60e/id/33939652

Episode 18: The Sango Legacy 08/21/2024

Episode 18: The Sango Legacy This episode explores the remarkable legacy of the Sango family from the Muscogee Creek Nation. From the days before the removal of Creek Indians from Georgia and Alabama, to Indian Territory in the west, the Sangos have left their mark on the soil of Oklahoma. Beginning with Scipio Sango to his son Alexander known better as A.G.W. Sango, this is a story of a strong father and son, who left their mark on Oklahoma. Theirs are names that should never be forgotten. /episode/index/show/9c2802db-c82d-4576-aff1-2876f7ede60e/id/32684437

Episode 17, Zach Foreman, Leader and Man of Wealth from the Cherokee Nation 08/10/2024

Episode 17, Zach Foreman, Leader and Man of Wealth from the Cherokee Nation This episode focuses on the story of Zach Foreman, a Cherokee Freedman who managed to create a small town named after himself. From humble beginnings as a slave, to become a wealthy cattleman, and town leader, his story is one to remember. He became a man of prominence and fortune, though today he is largely forgotten and seldom mentioned among Freedmen leaders from Indian Territory. /episode/index/show/9c2802db-c82d-4576-aff1-2876f7ede60e/id/32525307

Episode 16 Celebrating Freedom as it Came to Indian Territory 06/20/2024

Episode 16 Celebrating Freedom as it Came to Indian Territory There are many stories of freedom and how it came to enslaved people. Those of us who have ties to Indian Territory also have stories of freedom. Some seized their own freedom, and some were told of their freedom. Regardless, though slavery was not abolished till 1866 when the treaties were signed, descendants of Oklahoma Freedmen also join the symbolic commemoration of the end of a 400 year saga of slavery. Therefore we lift our voices and sing, with the harmony of liberty! This episode is in honor of the Freedmen of Indian Territory and their freedom from bondage in the Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Creek and Seminole Nations. /episode/index/show/9c2802db-c82d-4576-aff1-2876f7ede60e/id/31818902

Episode 15 John "Doc Coosey" Baldridge 06/07/2024

Episode 15 John "Doc Coosey" Baldridge John Baldridge had an incredible life as a Cherokee slave, and emerged as a freedom fighter, then had two other lives in which his name was made as a religious leader, and also as an herbalist. This is the story of a man well known in the Cherokee Nation, who should be remembered by all who are fascinated by men of courage, intelligence, and strength! /episode/index/show/9c2802db-c82d-4576-aff1-2876f7ede60e/id/31640547

Episode 14 Deep Roots of the Dunford Family 05/05/2024

Episode 14 Deep Roots of the Dunford Family This episode explores a family from the southern part of the Choctaw Nation whose roots extend beyond the Nation, beyond Indian Territory, and even beyond the United States. The head of the family, Zach Dunford was the son of Dock and Charity Dunford, both of whom were elders at the time of the Dawes Commission, and they had records that led to more information about the family's past. /episode/index/show/9c2802db-c82d-4576-aff1-2876f7ede60e/id/31131483

Episode 13 Wiley Homer, Minister, Educator, Leader 04/24/2024

Episode 13 Wiley Homer, Minister, Educator, Leader This episode presents the life of Rev. Wiley Homer, from the Choctaw Nation. Born enslaved in the southern part of the Choctaw Nation, the young man Wiley was driven by a burning desire to learn how to read, and write. He began by learning how to recognize cattle brands, and by practicing writing what he saw with stick in hand, in the sand. Later when given a primer and a catechism, his fervent desire to read was strengthened. With time his skills became widely known and Homer emerged as a church elder, educator and leader within the small Choctaw community where he lived. His is a story of the resilience of one man and his name should be among the many whose influence left a lasting legacy in southern Oklahoma. /episode/index/show/9c2802db-c82d-4576-aff1-2876f7ede60e/id/30972063

Episode 12 A Mysterious "Negro" Settlement 04/12/2024

Episode 12 A Mysterious "Negro" Settlement This episode describes a settlement of black people that appeared on Indian Territory maps from the 1870s till the early 20th century and that soon disappeared. Who were they? Were they tribal Freedmen? Were they migrants seeking refuge after the Civil War? Where did they go, and why did they disappear? Images of the maps reflecting this settlment are found on the August 2010 post of the . /episode/index/show/9c2802db-c82d-4576-aff1-2876f7ede60e/id/30800018

Episode 11: Bynum Colbert A Man To Remember 04/06/2024

Episode 11: Bynum Colbert A Man To Remember This is the story of a man who was born enslaved in the Choctaw Nation. Seizing his own freedom he began the first of three amazing careers, leaving an amazing record of bravery, dedication to justice, family and freedom on the western frontier. The three lives of Bynum Colbert are shared in this podcast. /episode/index/show/9c2802db-c82d-4576-aff1-2876f7ede60e/id/30707328

Episode 10: Bettie Ligon Leader of a Movement 03/31/2024

Episode 10: Bettie Ligon Leader of a Movement This episode details the life and actions of Bettie Ligon, a Choctaw Freedwoman and a Chickasaw woman by blood. Her mother was once enslaved, thus the "Freedman" status, and her father was Robert H. Love, who signed the Treaty of 1866. Hers is a story where she sought justice advocating for the equal treatment of children born with the blood of their fathers, but who were denied the rights of citizens by blood. Her saga began a movement, and is still part of a movement that prevails to this day. /episode/index/show/9c2802db-c82d-4576-aff1-2876f7ede60e/id/30609003

Episode 9: Hagar Myers and the Green Peach War 03/26/2024

Episode 9: Hagar Myers and the Green Peach War This is the story of Hagar Myers, who lived her entire life in the Muscogee Creek Nation. She is an unsung heroine when she exhibited remarkable bravery during a time of conflict when the peach orchards still bore green fruit. Her bravery was shown when she uttered five critical words that then led to her actionthat would bring peace to the nation during a time of conflict. She is remembered during this Women's History Month. /episode/index/show/9c2802db-c82d-4576-aff1-2876f7ede60e/id/30541093

Episode 8: Phoebe McIntosh Banks Recalls the Escape to Kansas 03/15/2024

Episode 8: Phoebe McIntosh Banks Recalls the Escape to Kansas This episode tells the story recalled by Phoebe Banks about the journey that her family made to Kansas during the Civil War with hundreds of people in the Creek Nation. She was only a small girl, and she recalled the harrowing journey she and other enslaved people from the Creek Nation made during that trip. This triip made under the leadership of Chief Opotholeyahola is sometimes referre to as "The Trail of Blood /episode/index/show/9c2802db-c82d-4576-aff1-2876f7ede60e/id/30395248

Episode 7: Lucinda Davis Creek Freedwoman's Early Life 03/08/2024

Episode 7: Lucinda Davis Creek Freedwoman's Early Life In this episode the story of Lucinda Davis, a Creek Freedwoman is told. She shared her memories of her early years when just a young girl, going into rich detail about her life, the culture and the history through which she lived. /episode/index/show/9c2802db-c82d-4576-aff1-2876f7ede60e/id/30292388

Episode 6: Burrell Daniels, Travels and Troubles 03/04/2024

Episode 6: Burrell Daniels, Travels and Troubles This episode illustrates the saga of a man from the Cherokee Nation, who struggled for years to find freedom and who struggled to claim his identity, rights, and, as a Cherokee citizen, and to share the outcome of his and his family’s struggle. /episode/index/show/9c2802db-c82d-4576-aff1-2876f7ede60e/id/30226768

Episode 5: The Dunfords from the Choctaw Nation and Beyond 02/23/2024

Episode 5: The Dunfords from the Choctaw Nation and Beyond This episode shares the story of the Dunford Family that is documented in the Choctaw Nation and takes the family back in time, crossing boundaries, in the Nation and beyond. /episode/index/show/9c2802db-c82d-4576-aff1-2876f7ede60e/id/30082268

Episode 4: The Chawanochubbys – A Chickasaw Family 02/13/2024

Episode 4: The Chawanochubbys – A Chickasaw Family This story looks at a Chickasaw family in blood, language and culture, but whose status as Chickasaws by blood was denied. This story looks at the records that reflect their history. /episode/index/show/9c2802db-c82d-4576-aff1-2876f7ede60e/id/29923828

Episode 3: Dolly Stidham, A Creek Freedwoman 02/05/2024

Episode 3: Dolly Stidham, A Creek Freedwoman There was a time when the voice of a slave had little or no meaning, but years later, the voice of an ex-slave became a deciding voice taken as the truth that brings a case to an end. Such is the story of Dolly Stidham, a Creek Freedwoman. /episode/index/show/9c2802db-c82d-4576-aff1-2876f7ede60e/id/29807428

Episode 2: In Search of Sugar George 02/01/2024

Episode 2: In Search of Sugar George Episode 2 features details about an amazing man from the Muscogee Creek Nation. Sugar T. George was born a slave in Georgia and was brought west with Creek Indians. He spent his entire life there, obtaining his freedom, becoming a literate man who rose to prominence in the Nation. From the Civil War, to the Dawes era, this once enslaved man served in both ruling houses of the Creek Nation, became a minister, and so much more. After his death he was described as "wealthiest Negro in Indian Territory." An amazing man who has been written out of Oklahoma history but whose name should be known by all. /episode/index/show/9c2802db-c82d-4576-aff1-2876f7ede60e/id/29760748

Episode 1: Who Are the Freedmen? 02/01/2024

Episode 1: Who Are the Freedmen? This introductory episode provides information about the Oklahoma Freedmen. They were people once enslaved by Five Native American tribal nations, and taken west during the years of the Indian Removal - The Trail of Tears. They endured enslavement, but also exhibited acts of resistance during their first the decades there. After the Civil War, many remained in Indian Territory which was now their only home forging new lives on the western Frontier, as bilingual people now practicing tribal culture, speaking tribal languages, and becoming a distinct unique people on the frontier landscape. This first episode introduces the listener to the podcast that will describe who they are, and promises to bring episodes that will describe the lives of the thousands of people classified as "Freedmen" living on the soil that became Oklahoma. Welcome to the Freedmen Files! /episode/index/show/9c2802db-c82d-4576-aff1-2876f7ede60e/id/29759878

The Freedmen Files

TOPICS