Original Keetoowah Society

The Original Keetoowah Society is a Cherokee religious organization that preserves the culture and teachings of the Keetoowah Nighthawk Society (Cherokee:ᎩᏚᏩ ᎤᎾᏙᏢᎯ) in Oklahoma. Allogan Slagle, an historian of the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians, argues that the Original Keetoowah Society is the surviving core of the Cherokee religious movement originally led by Redbird Smith in the nineteenth century, whose aim was to preserve the culture and teachings of the Keetoowah in Oklahoma after the Indian removal of the tribes from the American Southeast. Slagle's argument that the group now known as The Original Keetoowah Society evolved from the early 20th century group known as the Keetoowah Nighthawk Society (or the Nighthawk Keetoowahs) appears in a lengthy treatise, Burning Phoenix (1993).

Budd Gritts, a Cherokee Baptist minister, was appointed to draft a Constitution and Laws of government for the "Keetoowah Society", in response to the changing religious and political climate of the times. The constitution and Laws of Government were formally adopted by the Keetoowah, who prospered and lived in peace under its provisions for many years.

In 1861 the Keetoowah Society enacted a provision, which stated:

During the period from 1859 to 1889, the Keetoowah flourished and were strongly united. Almost without exception, the Keetoowah sided with the Northern States during the Civil War. During this period, the Keetoowah were predominantly members of Protestant Baptist, Methodist, and Presbyterian churches, as well as having a few Quakers. In addition, some of the people practiced traditional rituals of the ancient Keetoowah; Gadugi was strong among the Cherokee people during this period in their history.

Influenced by white missionaries, the members of the different denominations became strictly sectarian in their practice. In 1895 when the question of the allotment of lands to the members of the Five Civilized Tribes was being discussed, the traditionalists among the Keetoowah worked to oppose the change, as they believed it threatened their community: the Keetoowah were united in their opposition to any speedy change. From this time to 1900, the followers of Redbird Smith were designated, universally as the “Nighthawk Keetoowahs” because of their vigilance in their activities.

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