Keeler 's success in the oil industry and work with the federal government coincided with his older , more conservative upbringing . Clyde Warrior , an Indian activist during the 1960 , once mockingly described him as “ a little brown American . ” Some consider Keeler to be the most influential person to the Cherokee nation aside from John Ross , who battled the removal of Indians and fought against the “ Trail of Tears . ” He promoted infrastructure building within Cherokee land while serving as chief . Although Keeler would eventually manage to create great leaps in Cherokee infrastructure and life , he did not promote native sovereignty in the late 1950s . Also , while serving as Chief , he did not endorse the radical change of the late 1960s and 1970s but instead promoted more conservative changes and equality . He actively supported education and welfare work among his people , stating “ Indians should not be entitled to more rights than anybody else , but they should still have all the rights of everyone else . ” He also advocated hard work of Indians as means to progress stating that “ Indians can not win friends by force and that militancy damages constructive causes . ” In 1971 , Keeler was democratically elected as Chief of the Cherokee Nation , this was the first democratic election of chief since 1903 . Ross Swimmer , who followed Keeler as Chief after Keeler decided not to run for a second term — stated that Keeler “ was the Cherokee tribe . He was the one who established the tribe and he did a lot of it with his own money and energy . ” Keeler also promoted and accomplished infrastructure building in the Cherokee nation . The Cherokee Nation owned several office Buildings including the Tribal Business Office , a BIA-leased building , and a building housing education programs . He also created several Cherokee buildings targeted at industry building ; such as a garment manufacturing company with Cherokee employees , the Cherokee Nation Builders Corporation ( with Cherokee Indian construction crews ) , and skills training programs to assimilate to the new industrialized world as well as crafts and child care training for women at home . He also established a national Cherokee newspaper and oversaw the Tribal Housing Authority , which offered low-cost housing to Cherokees . Keeler helped establish the Cherokee Foundation and through legal legislation attained $ 14,789,000 from the federal government over land dispute . He also presided over the drafting of a new Cherokee constitution in 1975 in his final year as chief
Trail of Tears
Trail of Tears
W. W. Keeler