Not sure if you got that if your folks were of native (Cherokee blood) and in OK before the removal....then more than likely they were the Old Settlers. These are Cherokee who originally abdicated their rights to the land in what was Cherokee territory, and first went to MO. Then in about pre 1817, because of the flooding of that are (I believe), they were offered land in AR. In 1817 they were moved to OK, and that put them there before the Removal in the 1830's. It's also interesting to note that when the folks came in from the Removal (Trail of Tears)....there was some initial civil war between the ones already there (Old Settlers) and the new arrivals. Then a committee or council was formed of folks from both groups to fashion a way of living together. This is a very brief synopsis of what happened. I'd look at both the Keetowah Band of Cherokee in OK...and the Western Nation's site online to get the details. jes