Dawes Commission in Cherokee Nation: Freedmen Exhibit closes

The Fort Gibson Historic Site exhibit Dawes Commission in Cherokee Nation, which features Freedmen history, will remain open through the end of February 2025.

The exhibit covers a brief historical moment in the late 1800s when formerly enslaved people from across the territory traveled to Fort Gibson to be enrolled in the Dawes Rolls. The Fort Gibson staff has worked directly with Freedmen descendants to curate the photographs of the Freedmen exhibit.

Captain McKennon set up an office in one of the officers’ quarters to fulfill his commission of enrolling people once enslaved in Indian Territory. While waiting, a small community gathered, and soon-to-be-enrolled Freedmen visited with long-lost friends, sold goods they brought with them, and held gatherings on the post’s grounds. Photographers took several images during the proceedings, recording the small historical moment through images.

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Fort Gibson, Indian Territory (15814.A, Aylesworth Album Collection, OHS).