Notice of Copyright. Citing Resources from the Western History Collections

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1 Notice of Copyright Published and unpublished materials may be protected by Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S. Code). Any copies of published and unpublished materials provided by the Western History Collections are for research, scholarship, and study purposes only. Use of certain published materials and manuscripts is restricted by law, by reason of their origin, or by donor agreement. For the protection of its holdings, the Western History Collections also reserves the right to restrict the use of unprocessed materials, or books and documents of exceptional value and fragility. Use of any material is subject to the approval of the Curator. Citing Resources from the Western History Collections For citations in published or unpublished papers, this repository should be listed as the Western History Collections, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma. An example of a proper citation: Oklahoma Federation of Labor Collection, M452, Box 5, Folder 2. Western History Collections, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma.

2 , WILLIAM (D.W.) THIRD INTERVIEW #7588

3 BENSON, WILLIAM (D.W.) IMTBRVIT.7. 1( r^5^gi s - 149) ^ BICSH/JP1IY FORi/I y/oxt:s PRj^Rif-.c VEI^TI IT;R vrnn Indian-Pioneer History Project for Oklahoma Field Worker's name Grape This report made on (date) September 22, 1937» lg3 1. Name D, W«(William or Bill) Bonaon. 2. Post Office Address Okmulgee, Oklahoma, Route 3. Residence address (or location) 4 ile eouth and If east Of Hon«y Sohnol. 4. DATE OF BIRTH: I/.onth Soptectoer Day Year 5. Place of birth Wetumka, Oklahoma* 6. Name of Father D»M«Benson. p l a c e of birth Creek Other infomation abijut father Ran «etumka Trading Po«t«7. Name of Mother Louisa English Place of birth Oreek Nation* Other information about mother Notes or complete narrative by the field worker dealing with the life and stjry of the person interviewed. Refer to Manual for suggested subjects uid questions. Continue on blank sheets if necesnary and attach firmly to this forn. Tuniber of sheets attached ft.

4 BENSON, WILLIAM.(D.W.) INTERVIEW Orac* Kelley, Interyfcewer. Sop t«roher 22, An Interview With Vfllllam B«n»on, " Route $5, Otanulgee, Oklahoma. My folks came over tilth- Opuithli Yahola from Alebann and stopped at North Pork Town. They left everything they had in the house and walked off* Some ^old their possessions. They suffered a lot. I remember the old folks talking at niftht about the trip, of hov? they walked until the underneath parts of their f^et wero bleeding, and they had to limp but k*pt oorain^ on toward the new land. The old Ohiof said he was stonptn^ here but hie bundle was still tied and another move. was to e made. I wish I knew where hr was buried but I sincerely hope they find someone who knows about hla burial place. The Musko^ee Indians settled along the or^^ks ao ae to be on good land fot their corn', hunting was better near water and their herbe mostly gr<$w therej and there was wat»r for them to use sad trees to build vdth *snd to burn* Their»einc along the creates cnua^d the white poopls to oall them Creeks and that naa.o was finnlly piven to them in the place of their own»

5 BWSOH, T7ILLIAM. (D.W.) INT*RVn5W. -2-2VA CIVIL WAR. They know all that I know about that, t know that our people went north and fought for the North or Union but I have nothing to add to that. Oil) LAW. i?hen a man v$s suspected of a crime a few were appointed to try him end ho didn't need to be present at his trial. If he mis found p-uilty they went to his house at daybreak ond two huskies went into hie house and ' brought him out if they had to carry him and he was held and everybody whipped him until he was unconscious,then they marked him by cutting off the soft part of his ears so that ereryboiy would knop that he had broken their law. GRESN PE&CH WAR, Old Mclntosh was the cause of the laws being changed* The Isparhechar war.-wae between him and Porte.r# Both were Oreeks. It was when they first had the new low going, I was six yesrs old and I'm sixty now. Porter's side wanted to havo one court house to try erininals and the new way of doing,isparhecharwanted the old way with districts. He nade officers of his own. He T «is down by Wetumka.

6 BENSON, WILLIAM (D.W. )INTSHVIEW Porter's men took the guns from Isparhechar's offloors and killed on* or two. That started the war. Another battle was a little southwest of the MoDennott store and ranch* Several, I believe about seven, men were killed* The main army started after Isparheohar who had gone west* Porter followed them but they got aoross into his land to fight, so ho had to oome back. Peaoe was made after that and Isparheohar brought his people home." BUFFALO. There were lots of buffalo in the new country; it was great sport killing them but the Indians killed only what they needed for food, not too many like the white people did* During one of the Indian Wars the old folks say that the Government sent whites in here to kill out the buffaloes to starve the Indians out. At first the Indians treated the white folks as i friends until the whites began getting so thick they

7 BENSON, WILLIE. (D.W.) INTSRVTBW* 7588, -4- were imposing then the Indians had fights ai.ong theraeelvos but the Treeks never did fight the whites* The Oomaaches were the hardest Indians to conquer* SMALL PCOC. The smallpox epidemic wae In or before 1P98 for It was when my mother WBS a younp v?otn«n. She waited on lots of sick folks but didn f t take it. There was no vaccination then though. Lots died but some ^ot well; the old tine Indian doctors were pretty pood but the youn ones are :.oain that gift. They don't take enough interest in it# They had some wiys of fumigating of their own I believe. OLD TIMi: CRTXK D' A 0TOR3. The old tine Medioino Kan fasted and took medicine for eight days before he did anything. GATHERING GNAT. HORHS. r There was a big ana'<e that had a head like a deer whioh livod in a deep hol«5 of water. It had horn» about four inches lonr on his head which the Modiolne.!aa would vront to hunt :vi th. He would go to the deep water hole and stay on the bank, fast, ta ce aedicine, sing and danee,

8 BEN8CH, WILLIAM, (D.W.) IflraVIKW. 7888«for eight daya. It was like a rattier charms a squirrel* the anpko would come to the bank and lay there. The medi?clne men>would knock the horna off* He also asked the help of the Higher Spirit when ho was doctoring sickness. They kne.vr and prophesied how the world would be as It got older, like In the Bible. They knew the ways of the Bible and were religious before they knew about the Bible. TOCKABATCHE TO&N ATID 3AORED PLATBS. The Tudkebai&he Town or "Square" waa measured by the earth, north, souty, east and west. The Government sent a man out to Investigate; he went to aee and measured (surveyed) it and said; it was just r?ght«the ones who > oeloagto that town go there and take medicine before they eat green corn and have their danoes. They have a tablet th;:t they say God gave to Moaei* They have something etout like a table built over it and keep it in there. Once white people broke in and tried to read it but the Indians got It back. The whites said they couldn't read it. Every four years the medicine man appoints men to take it down to the creek and wash It and

9 BENSON, HLUUM*(D.W.) INTERVIEW* 7588«tend to V*» *aen they **lng It seak and put It In the place where it is kept for ea other four years* SAOBBD FIBS. This fire was given to the Tuckebatohe Trlee by the Great Sp&rl^ and hae»een handed down from generation to generation. X eelleve It la a kind of flint; the fire is in a rooh«at all dances they use It to danoe around* They take four logs about three feet long and six inches through, tvo ore laid north and south and the other tiro are laid across them east and vest, just right. They are eet on fire with this Sacred Fire and make a big light to dance around* Toward daylight they are pushed together and pushed together until every bit of the logs burn out during the last* danoe* It is Bad luck to leave the logs unburned*