Randal: Like Danny said, there is not a clear direct connection between the Keetoowah Society of the late 1850s to the ancient Kituwah (variously spelled). While generally one might say the Keetoowah represented the traditional culture of the tribe, the various "organizations" of Keetoowah rose up and disappeared over the centuries. The federally-recognized United Keetoowah Band descends from but is not a direct evolution of previous groups calling themselves Keetoowah. Principal Chief Chad Smith (Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma) is a direct desendant of Redbird Smith and Stokes Smith, both "chiefs" of the Nighthawk Keetoowah.

As Danny said, much information comes from stories handed down from generation to generation. While the Cherokee were known for their abilities in handing down precise stories, we must logically assume that errors in memory and/or translation occurred and changed the stories slightly or significantly over time. Then as now, some writers embellished, misunderstood, lied, or were idiots when it came to recording history. Unlike Danny, they didn't have a problem making things up to make themselves feel or appear important. (Is my attitude showing?)

I would suggest James Mooney's "History, Myths, and Sacred Formulas of the Cherokee" as the best (but certainly not perfect) attempt at capturing ancient Cherokee history. Mooney worked for the Smithsonian's Bureau of Ethnology and had/has a very good reputation for his documentation and understanding of Native American cultures. He spent a couple of years living with the Eastern Band of the Cherokee in North Carolina. Mooney states that Kituwah was a prominent or even the primary "mother" city of the Cherokee located near Bryson, North Carolina. A distinction later held by Chota in eastern Tennessee. It is also said that the Cherokee called themselves ani-ki-tu-wah-gi (if I'm spelling that right - phonetically) meaning the People of Kituwah.