I think I found my GGGF

[subeeds]

I mentioned here in a long ago thread that I knew my Grandfather's grandparents had died at Sand Creek. I've kind of half heartedly been doing some research and I found a list that had some of the names of those who died there. Among those names is my Grandfather's name. I know he was called Robert Tall Bear by the town people, so I just always figured his name was Tall Bear. I asked him once what his name was and he looked at me and smiled and told me his name was "Grandfather". My cousin also told me that when he ran away from the school, he had changed his name. I'm thinking he changed his name to honor his Grandfather. Am I way off base with this idea?
Edited to add: There are no family members left to ask and I'm just kind of fumbling around trying to establish some sort of connection. I've got a cousin on my mom's side of the family who has traced that side back to 1590 Wales. I would like to go back a few generations on my Dad's side.

[Cyndith]

Tall Bear

February 18, 1861 – Treaty of Fort Wise is signed by Black Kettle, White Antelope, Lean Bear, Little Wolf, Tall Bear, Lone
Bear (Cheyennes); and Left Hand, Little Raven, Storm, Shaved Head and Big Mouth (Arapahos).

The Fort Wise Treaty would forever remain a matter of controversy, for it later became a major contributor to the Sand Creek
Massacre. Although the treaty was clearly a land swindle perpetrated by the U. S. Government bent upon reclaiming valuable
Colorado land, the Cheyenne and Arapaho chiefs clearly represented their respective nations when they signed the
agreement. Although Black Kettle had insisted upon gaining approval of the Cheyenne Council of Forty-four, only six of its
members signed the treaty, suggesting a serious breach of Cheyenne political protocol. The treaty not only drove deeper the
wedge of Cheyenne dissatisfaction with their leadership - it enraged many warriors who were appalled at the participation of
one of their own - Dog Soldier Chief Lean Bear.

Sand Creek Massacre Timeline 1860-1863

In the 1920 Census of Oklahoma there is a Tall Bear Family living in Custer, OKlahoma

Tall Bear born 1889 in Oklahoma
Florence Bear born 1890

Children:

Bill Bear born 1914
Charles Bear born 1915
Christine Bear born 1917
Paul Bear, born 1920 (infant)

[subeeds]

Thanks for that, Cyndith. My Grandfather was one of the many taken from his family and sent to a missonary school. He reached his limit with the mistreatment and he and a couple of friends ran away. It's possible the people in the '20 census are related, but from what little I know, I don't think they are. I do appreciate the info, though.

[wardancer]

What is the timeline you're looking for then ?

I am C/A and I know a few different TallBear families.....some are even related to me .

Go check out the C/A website :Welcome | Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes

Maybe contact Tribal Enrollment
Good Luck

[subeeds]

Thanks for that link, wardancer.
I now realize I mis-typed when I posted the title of this thread. I was excited. It should read "I think I found my Great Great Great Grandfather." From what I remember being told, my Grandfather was about 7 or 8 when Sand Creek happened. I remember this because when he told the story of it, he said he was about my age. He and his Father were out with a hunting party and it was the first time out for my Grandfather. He described coming back a day or so after the massacre and what they had found-his grandparents dead. He was descriptive with dates, not "on Mar.7, 1875 this happened", so putting a timeline together is hard for me. He said 3 or 4 winters after Sand Creek, the preacher people came, along with some government people, said his Father was a Dog Soldier and took him and several other kids away from the camp. I think they were in Colorado-not sure. They rode in a wagon for many days before they got to the school. So, my best estimate is that he was about 10 or 11 then. He was at the school for 2 winters, before he and his friends ran away. He was seriously burned by the Christians for refusing to call Christ, God, wanting to just call him the Creator instead, and for refusing to be baptized, but they weren't having that. His friends help him partially recover from the burns and then they took off. The building that housed the records for the displaced kids, burned mysteriously and I have always suspected that they had something to do with it. My Grandfather was always a bit paranoid about "federals and the BIA" and even though he was entitled, he refused to apply for tribal enrollment. He said he had worked hard and earned the money (became a brickmaker) to buy the land he had (great place on a little lake in northern Alabama) I think he was worried that they would come back on him for something that had happened 40 or 50 years earlier. He was living in the South then and I heard him say several times that Indians would never get justice from the whites. He worked off the books and the brick place he worked for went along with it because he was good at what he did. He stayed low under the radar and did a very good job of it, too. This is what is making this search so hard for me.

[Cyndith]

Missionaries

I understand now. First I must say how wonderful it is that you know that much of your family history. Your grandfather blessed you with knowledge of your heritage.

I'm including a link. This is a book that explains the cultural genocide that followed the Sand Creek Massacre. It explains the missionaries and who influenced them. Maybe it will give you a clue as it names major delegates to the region. From there, I suggest trying to locate missionary papers and the particular school where these children were taken to. The book states that the missionaries believed that assimilation into the White culture was the only way (they thought) the IND children could survive. Hope this helps a little.

Missionary conquest: the Gospel and ... - Google Books

Most missionaries were required to keep records and reports. I believe the schools would have records as well. We just have to find the school and the archives that holds the records.

[Cyndith]

Survivors and Schools for Sand Creek Massacre survivors

Here is another link that may help you out.

Maybe one or more names will mean something to you.

Fort Marion Prisoners.

This project sounds promising and I'm happy they are making records available to the public.

[wardancer]

I found this on the 1887 Census of the Cheyennes , taken at Darlington Agency:
1648 Tall Bull Father 30
1649 No-vo-di Wife 31
1650 Small Neck Son 1

[subeeds]

Cyndith and wardancer, I really appreciate your help with this. Here's some irony for you-I am from St. Augustine. I knew the fort had held Apaches in the past, but had no clue there were ever any Cheyennes and Araphos held there. I will be taking my time and reading those links. I feel like so much is lost-kind of like losing 10 or 12 pieces of a jigsaw puzzle.

Like I said I'm pretty sure he and his friends are the ones who torched the buildings, including where the records were kept. When the "Christians" burned my Grandfather (poured boiling pine pitch on his back), they told him they were doing it so he would know what hell felt like because he would burn there for not being baptized. He commented once that they made sure the government would not punish their families for what they did and that he imagined that hell did look like those burning buildings. He said it melted the snow for about 50 out from the buildings. This is why I have always felt that he and his friends had something to do with that. It always makes me smile when I think of it and I would love to give him a high five for it. :)