Cherokee Nation Gains Control of Historic Day-School Sites

The Cherokee Nation now controls five historic day-school sites that had been seized by the Federal Government before Oklahoma's statehood.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs transferred the deed to the properties in a signing ceremony at the Oak Hill-Piney School site near Jay in Delaware County.

The Cherokee Nation said the properties now in trust include Ballou Day School in Mayes County; Mulberry Hollow Day School, also known as Rabbit Trap School, in Adair County; the Oak Hill-Piney Day School; Oaks Mission Day School, also known as Rocky Ford, in Cherokee County; and Redbird Smith Day School in Sequoyah County. Combined, the five properties represent nearly 84 acres of land.

Cherokee Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. also announced plans to build a community center at Oak Hill, likely on the site of a dilapidated building used historically for weaving.

“What they deserve is what all communities deserve is a place for children to feel safe, and families to come together and elders to be cared for, that takes the form more often than not of community buildings in the Cherokee Nation, that's the vision here. Now that the land title issue is resolved, we can do it here, there's four other sites and we'll look and see what we can do there,” said Hoskin.