On Nov. 19, UTM alumna Dr. Mary Jane Warde spoke on her published works in Watkins Auditorium.
Born and raised in Martin, Tenn., Dr. Mary Jane Warde went on to become an educator and writer residing in Oklahoma.
In 1966, Warde earned a Bachelor of Arts in English and history from UTM. She has obtained a master’s degree as well as a doctorate in history from Oklahoma State. In 1972, she moved to Stillwater, Okla., and continues to reside there. Warde has nearly 80 oral histories, assisted in the design of the Indian gallery in the Oklahoma Museum of History and she has 24 National Register nominations. She has also taught at five universities and is now teaching courses for Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Oklahoma State and at Tulsa and Oklahoma City.
Warde has published three books: George Washington Grayson and the Creek Nation, Washita and the most recent, When the Wolf Came: The Civil War and the Indian Territory.
“I actually didn’t plan on writing When the Wolf Came. I was teaching class and my students kept asking about a book. I told them there wasn’t a book, but they continued asking when the book was coming out. So, I decided to put one together,” Warde said.
The books tells of the Civil War and its effect on the Native Americans, especially in Oklahoma and the surrounding areas. This topic was covered Wednesday when she spoke at Watkins Auditorium. It was entitled: “A Different Civil War.”
Unlike other U.S. states at the time, Oklahoma was very different. Around the time the Civil War broke out, Oklahoma was home to five Indian tribes: Cherokee, Choctow, Creek, Seminole and Muscogee. Despite the mixture, every tribe residing inside the state had their own area and region.
The U.S. had a treaty obligation to protect Fort Washita, Arbuckle and Cobb from invasion but when the Civil War began, the troops that were stationed had to leave. Thus, this left the forts unprotected and the Indian tribes were also receiving annuity payments for their old eastern homelands, but this too was cut off. Oklahoma was surrounded by Kansas (Union), Missouri (neutral), Texas (Confederate) and Arkansas (Confederate). Some of the Native Americans went to Union, while some went to the Confederacy. Opothleyahola (Opothle Yohola), a well-known Muscogee Indian, sided with the Union. Opothleyahola had an immense pull with the community. As he went north, so did a good amount of his followers.
In 1862, the Union Indian Home Guard was formed. Not only were Native Americans a part of the group, but free blacks, slaves and whites were members as well. Eventually, the five tribes signed with the Confederacy. As a result of this, the tribes lost millions of acres. The government gave some of the tribes 15 cents, 30 cents or even a $1 per acre. Along with their downsized land, more tribes were added to the area, with the Apache, Comanche, Arapaho and Cheyenne tribes added to Oklahoma.
Warde’s talk ended with this explanation of the addition of the Apache, Comanche, Arapaho and Cheyenne tribes to Oklahoma.
