Chickasaw-Choctaw Freedmen & Descendants Sacred Burial Sites in Oklahoma

African & African-Native Cemeteries

Recently my cousin with his 88 year old mother and an associate journeyed through several counties in Oklahoma to visit several cemeteries that held the remains of numerous Chickasaw and Choctaw Freedmen and their descendants. It was a journey out of love for their history and one where Raymond Dallas, Raymond’s mother Susan Smith-McCoy and Jeff Kennedy documented these sacred burial grounds. 

In all they were successful in visiting five of the six cemeteries they set out to visit. The round trip journey from Oklahoma City to the far reaches of Carter County is a reminder of how simple it is for us to keep the history of our ancestors alive for future generations.

The trio planned to visit at least six cemeteries (Old Flock, Jehovah, 5 Mile, Old 5 Mile, Oil Spring, Rosedale but they were not able to get to Rosedale because of the heavy rains during the week of their journey. However, they were successful in adding Hickory Colored Cemetery just outside of Ardmore as part of their trip.

This was a 288 mile round-trip that was important because it documented the conditions of the cemeteries that hold the remains of some of Oklahoma’s first citizens. 

The history of the Chickasaw and Choctaw Freedmen is important to the history and development of the state of Oklahoma and these sacred burial grounds are under great pressure to be preserved and protected from the neglect of ranchers who would allow their livestock to ruin these special places. 

I cannot imagine any other group of people who would stand-by and allow the desecration of their ancestor’s burial grounds without saying a word or putting up a fight to prevent further damage and restitution for the damage done to date by cattle knocking over headstones and trampling over the gravesite of their beloved grandmother or great-grandfather. 

We are eternally grateful for this selfless effort by Raymond Dallas and his mother Susan Smith-McCoy as well as Jeff Kennedy to bring attention to the plight of Chickasaw and Choctaw Freedmen history and the preservation of that history. Our story is intertwined with both nations and as such we are just as deserving in securing funds that will preserve that history and protect these sites from the irresponsible rancher that evidently has no problem allowing their livestock to roam through these sacred burial grounds. 

The other challenge to the descendants of Chickasaw and Choctaw Freedmen is to secure the burial grounds so access to them will never be obstructed by land owners who could sell the property or develop it in such a manner that the history of Indian Territory and the state of Oklahoma would become a parking lot or housing subdivision in the future. 

List of the known Cemeteries where Freedmen are buried: 

1. Agency Cemetery (Creek)
2. Athens Cemetery (Ada, Ok)
3. Blue Branch Cemetery
4. Box Springs (Choctaw Nation)
5. Brazil Cemetery (Choctaw Nation)
6. Bruner Cemetery
7. Calvary Cemetery (Berwyn/Gene Autry)
8. Cane Creek (Creek Nation)
9. Cheek-Love Cemetery (Carter County)
10. Clearview Cemetery
11. Dorsey Cemetery
12. Fairlawn Cemetery
13. Frogville Cemetery
14. Hickory Colored Cemetery
15. Hollow Springs Cemetery
16. Jack Brown Cemetery
17. Jehovah Cemetery (Milo,OK)
18. Keller Cemetery
19. New Hope Cemetery
20. Old Brunnertown Cemetery
21. Old Flock Cemetery
22. Old 5 Mile Cemetery
23. Peter’s Chapel Cemetery (Muskogee)
24. Rentie Grove Historical Cemetery
25. Rosedale Cemetery

 If you have knowledge of other Freedmen of Indian Territory Burial sites please contact me at:

tligon@ccfanow.org