History

History of the UKB

The Keetoowah people trace their origins to the ancient mother town of Kituwah, located in what is now western North Carolina.

The John Hair Cultural Center & Museum is dedicated to sharing the often-overlooked history of the Keetoowahs—a story rooted in resilience, migration, and cultural endurance. This history begins in the ancestral homelands and follows a westward journey that led the Keetoowahs from the southeastern banks of the Arkansas River into Indian Territory by 1828.

Their path continued through pivotal moments in American history: service as soldiers during the Civil War, the challenges of the Allotment Era, and the political upheaval surrounding Oklahoma statehood, culminating in the termination of tribal governments.

Yet the story did not end there. In 1946, the Keetoowahs reorganized under the Indian Reorganization Act and regained federal recognition, marking a powerful resurgence of cultural and political identity.

The museum honors this journey—past and present—by illuminating the legacy of the Keetoowah people and the enduring impact of their reemergence.