Very old early example. Sam Morningstar posts at Quora for many years, very knowledgeable good researcher. The photos and docs are at the original link. Bolding is mine.
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https://www.quora.com/How-do-Native-Americans-feel-about-the-song-Indian-Reservation/answer/Morningstar-195
How do Native Americans feel about the song "Indian Reservation?"
Morningstar
Native American 7y
I think it's a wack song, musically and lyrically speaking.
But, it's also has a very interesting back story. It's long, but worth the read.
See, I talk about the phenomenon of White Americans frequently claiming to be "part-Cherokee." And this is yet another example of this. Seriously, folks, this shit cannot be exaggerated! It's just insane!
The song was written by John D. Loudermilk. And he claims to be "part-Cherokee." As a side note, the dude looks a lot like Conan O'Brien.
But, before I delve into the Loudermilk nonsense, I have to point out that the song was first recorded and popularized by a fellow named Marvin Rainwater in 1958, under the title "The Pale Faced Indian." Rainwater also claimed to be ¼ Cherokee himself. In fact, it was sort of his thing, and he talked about it quite a lot during his career.
He was mostly a country western, or proto-rockabilly, singer and had some decent success in the 1950s, including a number one hit in the UK, "Whole Lotta Woman."
He often performed in a beaded headband and fringe jackets. In interviews, Rainwater reiterated his part-Cherokee ancestry, mostly claiming to be ¼ degree. Some sources state that this was through his mother's line, and that it was her name that was Rainwater and he adopted this as a stage name. Here is a sample of his claims. *Notice too, the statement about "sensitive Indians" and their supposed interaction with him.
September 1, 1957 interview (The Milwaukee Journal):
In reality, his father was the Rainwater. And Marvin Rainwater was not Cherokee at all. Here is his background:
None of Marvin's grandparents were Cherokee. These are all standard Southern Whites lineages and you can research most lines going back quite far. Just a brief mention of a few lineages: Ema J (Lorren) Miller was the daughter of a Confederate soldier William Lorren, and granddaughter of George Lorren who received homestead land patents in Alabama. These earlier ancestors were White settlers that moved into lands that had been cleared of Indians during the early American expansion era. The Rainwater line goes back to 1600s Virginia (Anglo) settlers. I know the surname Rainwater sounds all Native American-y, but it's not.
Ironically, some of Marvin's distant Rainwater relatives actually got Cherokee land in Land Lotteries (1832 – Sixth Cherokee Land Lottery in what is now Cobb County, GA). Yes, I'm totally serious.
As I said before, you can't make this stuff up people! This family actually represented the White settlers that directly settled on lands that had been taken by force from the Cherokee. And then fast forward in time and this White guy who descends from the very same group that displaced Cherokees is claiming to be "a quarter Cherokee" as part of his identity.
In fact, there is some indication that Marvin Rainwater came up with the "quarter Cherokee" claim simply as a marketing ploy – to "break out" or gain attention. A public radio interview/story in the 90s states the following:
Marvin Rainwater Sings Again
"I Gotta Go Get My Baby" - recorded here for MGM - was an early Rainwater tune his brother Ray parlayed into a TV appearance with Arthur Godfrey in 1953. By now, Marvin had come up with an Indian persona. He isn't Indian, that he knows of, but it worked with his last name. He wore a headband and fringed leather jacket. He wrote lyrics about his Cherokee brothers. He had the suit, the songs, and the ambition - but needed a big break. And as everyone knew in the early fifties, Arthur Godfrey was in the big-break business.
Alright, well, that's just the tip of the iceberg for this story, and this American "Cherokee blood" phenomenon. Next, let's look at the songwriter's story.
Not only does John D. Loudermilk claim Cherokee blood, he has spun an absolutely fabulous story about this song, in particular. He's done interviews over the years and the story lines are generally the same, although there is some variation and degrees of embellishment.
Here's an interview he did from February 2013:
For those that can't get through this entire clip, I'll provide the excerpt transcript of the the crazy "Cherokee" story here:
JL: "Indian Reservation."
Radio DJ: Oh yeah.
JL: I was coming from Nashville back to Durham to visit my mother and father. And I got on top of a hill...at the mountain there at Cherokee. And I got snowed in. And I had to stop my little Volkswagen bug...bus and go to sleep. And during the night a tap came on the window. Now, you'd never do that now. You wouldn't park and expect not to get your ass killed, or whatever.
But, a little tap came on it [the window] and it's a guy with a feather in his hair [or, "hat"]. And he said, 'Are you Mr. Loudermilk?" And I said, 'Yes, something's happened and their calling me.' He said, 'Follow me.' So, I got out of the car and followed him through the snow down off the side of the road to a cave down there underneath the road.
Radio DJ: Did you know that guy?
JL: No, but he knew me see...he said, 'You from Nashville?' [unintelligible] idiot kid would do that. Which I did. And so there was a fire going and three or four guys sitting around the fire. And so, he introduced himself as Bloody Beartooth. And he was an Indian chieftain. And he wanted to ask me to write a song about their plight – the Cherokee Indian's plight
Radio DJ: Trail of Tears and all that?
JL: Yes, he knew I was a song writer. And he was very persuasive in his...not a demand, but a spirited request. And so, I came back and wrote the song. Well, it became a hit all over the world. And about 15 years after that we got a letter – Susan and I got a letter...this was about 5 years ago I think. And it said you have been given the first Medal of Honor from the Cherokee, uh, tribe in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. There are two. There's one in North Carolina, Cherokee North Carolina, then there's Tahlequah in Oklahoma.
Radio DJ: The other end of the Trail of Tears.
JL: The other end of the Trail of Tears. And so, I went there and we sat through this and it was wonderful. And, uh, the next morning, he said I'd like to show you something. So, he took us to the archives. And he opened up an old ledger book that was kept by a Senator Daws [sic] – D A W S – during the Trail of Tears period that had a list of all of the Cherokee Indians that had been marched at bayonet point from Cherokee...which were the gold mines really, nobody's gotten into that yet. But, this is...we used to have all the gold over here in this section, before they opened up gold in California.
Radio DJ: That's why they sent the Cherokee...
JL: Well, we don't know. But, and so...he said I want you to look down on the list. There were 1,600 people. And I got to L's and here was Loudermilk. And he said, these were your great-great grandparents. And uh, it was a Homer and Matilda Loudermilk. And they were 91 years old and walked 1600 miles to Oklahoma and then farmed for five years. And he said...I said, 'Why are you doing this to me?' He said, 'Because this award is the only award in the world that we give to people because of their blood.'
Radio DJ: Not the song so much, your blood.
JL: That's right.
Radio DJ: The blood.
JL: But, I didn't know it when I wrote the song. I wrote from the blood, and didn't know why.
Radio DJ: From the heart.
JL: Yeah.
Okay, let's summarize what he's saying. He's laying claim to Cherokee ancestry, first of all. And secondly, he's claiming he was approached by this community to tell the Cherokee story, or "plight." A chief "Bloody Bearpaw" approached him on that snowy night and took him to a secret cave even! Further, he claims ancestors were listed on tribal rolls, and were subjected to the Trail of Tears.
That's very specific!
Now, as per usual, let me highlight the reality of his ancestry, and illustrate yet again...this is a White person falsely claiming Cherokee blood and usurping an identity for some very strange personal reasons.
I seriously don't understand why White Americans do this so much, but it's just like how the sun rises in the east and sets in the west. It's a natural cycle, or to be expected.
So, here's this dude's ancestry along the Loudermilk lines (which he is claiming as Cherokee, although he misidentifies his GG grandparents in the interview):
Alright, and to highlight why his claims - and larger phenomenon - are so ironic, let me point out the actual European-American ancestry in the lineage usually traces back to settlers that took Native lands, or even were Indian fighters.
This is the case here!
John Loudermilk's paternal lines is traced as follows:
His father was John Dee Loudermilk, Sr., born in 1883 and died in 1960.
John Dee Loudermilk, Sr (1883-1960) - Find A...
We can then click on the link to his father, Colonel Loudermilk, born in 1857. An obituary is extant that clearly makes these connections from father to son – he is listed as "Dee" from Durham.
From this point, the Find-a-grave links go dead. So, we need to turn to other records. We know Colonel was born in Cherokee County, NC. If he was age 75 at death in 1933, that gives us a birth year of about 1858. A search of census records returns a good hit. Here is the family cluster in the 1860 Census, in Cherokee County, NC, with a "Colonel M. Loudermilk" listed, age about 1 at time of enumeration.
Okay, so we find a G. W. Loudermilk married to a Narcissa Loudermilk, the parents of little "Colonel." Narcissa was listed as having been born in Warren County, Georgia. Let's take a look see at those records now. Here ya go...a marriage record. From Warren County, no less. Here is Narcissa Torrence getting married to G. W. Lowdermilk in 1837:
Let's go to the 1850 Census and see if we can find this family cluster. Here they are, same county (Cherokee County, NC):
Alright, now let's explore the sad facts...and it really is rather uniform when you delve into these Cherokee blood lore claims and really research them thoroughly. Take a look at George W. and Narcissa's household. First of all it confirms the Torrence maiden name for Narcissa. Her mother Matilda is living in with them at this time. But, look at the next entry down – Garner N. Loudermilk. That is GW's brother. They were the sons of GW Loudermilk Sr. and an unknown first wife.
Garner was literally a militia captain that was directly involved in the 1838 brutal removals and forced death marches to Indian Territory.
The source graphic isn't quite clear, but here are more detailed facts:
Garner Loudermilk was commissioned as a Captain under Captain Samuel Patterson's Company of Mounted Volunteers - 22 May 1838-14 Jul 1838. This was the most brutal point in the Trail of Tears and this man was a captain.
I know this isn't a direct ancestor in the line we are looking at, but this was John D. Loudermilk's great-grandfather's brother. It's not that far removed. And the dates of service are very important. May 1838 – July 1838 represented the very height of the worst treatment of Cherokees at the hands of the militia/military. These were at the gun-point removals, the stockade staging points, capturing "escaping" Cherokees in the mountains, and then the early forced marches without sufficient provisions (and cruel treatment). It was the worst of the worst. So, indeed there were Loudermilks on the Trail of Tears, but they were holding bayonets and prodding Cherokees along.
Then we can find the Loudermilk brothers living side by side each other in Cherokee County, NC. Ironic name don't you think? These were lands that were taken away from the Cherokee and opened up to White settlers such as this Loudermillk family.
Alright, but let's go one step further and look at another person in this direct lineage.
GW Loudermilk Sr. was in the war of 1812. And not only that, he was part of the Eastern Tennesseee Militia which fought in the Creek War (part of the War of 1812), under Capt Wear's command. And here's a fun fact. Wear was one of the most brutal commanders in that war and was actually relieved of command (and his unit disbanded) for a massacre that made even Jackson upset...which is a very tall order.
Samuel Wear - Wikipedia
The eastern TN militia was almost exclusively a body of Indian Fighters. There is no other way to put this.
So, let's pull the lens back here and take a look at what this song really represents on a deeper level. It's basically a fabrication of a White dude that is using Cherokees as a sort of prop or rhetorical device. Then, he is laying claim or usurping this identity for himself. And he is telling the story of "plight" of the people. In contradistinction to that, his actual ancestry represents the very people that fought Natives Americans, removed them, and occupied their stolen lands.
Further, not only is this restricted to the original songwriter, but the musician that first recorded and popularized it, did the same exact thing. He represents the same bogus "Cherokee blood" claim and fabricated identity.
Seriously, if Cherokees do indeed have a plight, it might be the continuous and perpetual frustration of dealing with White people and their blood lore myths and constructed identities!
Holy shit, you can't even make this shit up! It's just so astounding!