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 David P.
Oakerhater (born around 1850) was a warrior and leader of the Cheyenne
Indians of Oklahoma, and led a corps of fighters against the United States
government in a dispute over Indian land rights. In 1875 he and 27 other
military leaders were taken prisoner by the U S Army and sent to a military
post in Florida. There, thanks to the efforts of a concerned Army captain,
they learned English, were encouraged to earn money by giving art and
archery lessons to visitors, and encountered the Christian faith. David and
three others were moved to become Christians and to go north to study for
the ministry. David was baptized in Syracuse, New York, in 1878, and
ordained to the diaconate in 1881. He returned to Oklahoma and there founded
schools and missions, and continued to work among his people until his death
on 31 August 1931. When he first returned to Oklahoma in 1881, he said:
You all know me. You remember when I led you out to war I
went First, and what I told you was true. Now I have been away to the East
and I have learned about another captain, the Lord Jesus Christ, and he is
my leader. He goes first, and all He tells me is true. I come back to my
people to tell you to go with me now in this new road, a war that makes all
for peace.
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