Don't confuse this with a plug for O.E.T.A. but . . .

Did anyone else watch this recent [re-run] of a locally produced historical documentary on "what might have been" in terms of what we now know as Oklahoma? It wasn't "Ken Burns" . . . but it was close.

I wonder if its rebroadcast has anything to do with the current "water rights control issue."
If only on a subliminal, vaguely related, level.

Frankly, it reminded me that I was way behind on my pledge support of this local example of excellence in broadcasting. A situation for which I must atone at the earliest feasible date.

P.S.: The "correct" spelling is "Sequoyah" sorry about that. Should have done my homework.

uh.. what?

Television show.
On O.E.T.A.
Probably a re-broadcast.

About how the entire Eastern Half of Oklahoma--The Indian/Five Civilized Tribes Part--was going to be made into a State in accordance with previous laws/treaties/parliamentary procedure etc. But Teddy "Mr. National Parks" Roosevelt was 100% against the idea. (Probably Mr. T and "The Oil Interests" saw that this plan would be detrimental to their interests--"the more things change, the more they stay the same"). The focal point for the "Water Rights Issue" OKC vs. The Indians is Sardis Lake. Located in what would have been Sequoyah. If there had been a dam built by the Federal Government to make the lake. Tricky stuff, these "water rights" . . . =)

Google It. It's Easy.

Again, I apologize for the misspelling of Sequoyah.
But it won't mess up your Google Search. =)

You can ignore any links to "Sequoias" on account of they most likely will lead to articles about big trees near the West Coast.

Here . . . A picture is worth a thousand words (as long as the winds blow and the waters flow) . . .
Which, in the case of Sardis Lake, says to me, forget the whole dam issue . . . =)

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2513/4155435175_907c7b0bb3_z.jpg

About how the entire Eastern Half of Oklahoma--The Indian/Five Civilized Tribes Part--was going to be made into a State in accordance with previous laws/treaties/parliamentary procedure etc. But Teddy "Mr. National Parks" Roosevelt was 100% against the idea. (Probably Mr. T and "The Oil Interests" saw that this plan would be detrimental to their interests--"the more things change, the more they stay the same").

What I'd heard was that they were pretty sure that the "State of Sequoyah", as well as the state of Oklahoma would both be Democratic. There was a struggle over balance of power in the U.S. Congress (as you said...what else is new?) and that's why they waited until the two halves of Oklahoma could be united before admitting us into the union....so there would only be 2 new Democratic Senators, instead of 4.

Thank you. That is a fair analysis, I think, of a couple of aspects of the "controversy" and eventual solution.

If you look at the historic map of the proposed new state, you might be struck by the apparent penchant of the organizers for too many counties. Or that could just be my imagination. =)

Not to mention the lack of natural lakes.

Also, Congress was rather cool to the idea of a Indian State and didn't get very far. But a lot of the work that went into the attempt was incorporated into what we know as Oklahoma being granted statehood. I have a hard bound copy that I bought off EBay of the failed Congressional bill attempt. Neat historical artifact.

It was weird looking at some of the old colored maps with states surrounding Oklahoma & Indian Territories...with O.T & I.T being a white "hole" in the middle of the U.S.

It was weird looking at some of the old colored maps with states surrounding Oklahoma & Indian Territories...with O.T & I.T being a white "hole" in the middle of the U.S.

Thanks, Larrry!

Yet . . . If you think about it Congress wasn't "cool" at all in this situation . . .
(sorry . . . bad pun . . . yet another one . . . =)

It's kinda like how what we now know as "China" used to appear in the "Weekly Readers" of my childhood:
China = Taiwan/Formosa (and the ever present threat of the invasion of Keemoi? and Matsu?)
Other = "Communist Controlled Territory" (all of mainland China in a somehow sinister gray =)

I simply think that this sort of history stuff is sorta interesting in a political "science" sort of way . . .
With just a tiny bit of curiousity about how our current "legal system" will respond to the rights of so-called Native Americans.