Centennial of the Five Civilized Tribes.

Caption

Number

0972

Prompt

The map of Oklahoma could have a soft glow that emanates from its center. The names of the five tribes could fade in one by one, each in a slightly different hue. The five seals should roll off the image to the sides and out of view. After they disappear, the state should enlarge to take up the entire view. The names to the five tribes should grow bolder.

Body

Issued in Muskogee, Oklahoma, on October 15, 1948, this 3-cent stamp marks the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the Five Civilized Tribes in Indian Territory. The term "Five Civilized Tribes" was applied by European Americans to the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek (Muscogee), and Seminole nations because they had adopted many of the colonists' customs, including their systems of government and education. Despite this, they were forcibly removed from their ancestral homelands in the southeastern United States in the 1830s and 1840s, a tragic event known as the Trail of Tears. The stamp features a map of Oklahoma with the names of the five tribes and the seal of the Indian Centennial. It serves as a reminder of this difficult chapter in American history and a tribute to the enduring spirit and sovereignty of these tribal nations.