CHEROKEE NATION HAS CAPE CHAPTER

Less than a century ago Native Americans could not legally live in Missouri.

"They couldn't hunt here, they couldn't fish here," said Michael "Grizzley" Seabaugh, whose grandfather was a full-blooded Cherokee.

"In fact, they couldn't legally live here," said Seabaugh.

That changed in 1909, when Missouri repealed an antiquated statute that outlawed the American Indian living in Missouri.

"A lot of our people had gone `underground,' in Missouri," said Seabaugh, a member of the Northern Cherokee Nation, which includes the Southeast Missouri chapter, headquartered in downtown Cape Girardeau.

Seabaugh said Native Americans migrated into Missouri and Northeast Arkansas as far back as 1721. "Many of them wanted to remain in the Missouri area," he said. Other Cherokee settled in the area after escaping the forced Trail of Tears march in 1819.

Indian heritage and customs, featuring dancing, storytelling and singing were celebrated during an intertribal powwow, held on the Southeast Missouri State University campus Saturday.

Although rooted in sacred tradition, the intertribal powwow was a social event among American Indians, where members of many tribes gathered to revive and enjoy the social aspect and diversity of the ancient cultures of original Americans.

On hand for Saturday's event was Chief Beverly Baker Northup, chief of the Northern Cherokee Nation of the Old Louisiana Territory, and Timexx "Rainwalker" Seabaugh, son of Grizzley Seabaugh, and the Cherokee tribal council representative for Southern Illinois.

Rainwalker was previously tribal council representative for Southeast Missouri before the founding of the SEMO chapter.

"Many other peoples, besides the Cherokee, were represented at Saturday's intertribal event," said Grizzley Seabaugh.

During the 1980 census, more than 12,000 people identified themselves as Cherokee in Missouri and Arkansas, Seabaugh said.

The Northern Cherokee Nation is the only Native American tribe officially recognized by Missouri.

A notable number of Cherokee are in Southeast Missouri, which led to the creation of the Southeast Chapter of the Northern Cherokee Nations.

"People from this area were affiliated with the Columbia, Mo., branch for years," said Seabaugh.

A total of 7,000 members are on the rolls of the Northern Cherokee Nations of Southwest Louisiana, said Grizzley Seabaugh. Another 3,000 names are awaiting final approval.

"I've been interested in Indian heritage for years," said Seabaugh. "And my wife -- Glinda "Pitter" Seabaugh -- who is interested in genealogy, is also of Cherokee descent."

The Seabaughs operate an Indian arts and crafts shop at the tribal council office at 210 Independence in Cape Girardeau.

"We receive a lot of inquiries about the Cherokee Nation group," said Grizzley Seabaugh. "There are a lot of people here with Cherokee blood, including some names that most people would not associate with Cherokee -- Smith, Johnson, Brown.

The Southeast Missouri chapter, in existence two years, covers a wide region -- from Farmington and Ste. Genevieve north, to the entire Bootheel and Arkansas state line.

"Southern Illinois is in a different region," said Grizzley Seabaugh. "But we have a lot of distant relatives in the immediate Southern Illinois area. Some of my distant cousins live in the Cobden area."

Members of the Cherokee Nation must be able to substantiate their Northern Cherokee bloodlines, said Seabaugh.

Most tribes require proof of one-eighth blood lines, but some tribes will allow entrance into their associations with less.

In the Northern Cherokee Nation of Southwest Louisiana, Chief Northup has to give final approval for membership.

The Cherokee Nation group is a non-profit organization.

"No one in our Nation draws a salary," said Grizzley Seabaugh. "A lot of people devote their time and efforts. The crafts sold at the downtown headquarters here are made by people, and sold to help pay the bills."

Some of the items are donated to the shop, others are placed on consignment, said Seabaugh.

The Cherokee Nation includes a tribal council, board of elders, judicial committee, a chief and assistant chiefs.

Seabaugh's wife is a council member of the SEMO Chapter.