David M. Hodge was the son of Nathanel Hodge and Nancy McKellop, a mix-blood Creek Indian woman. Her parents were David McKellop, who came from Scotland in 1810, and Susan Perryman McKellop, daughter of Chief Perryman. According to Legus C. Perryman"s Diary, Hodge belonged to the Aktayace Clan, and according to the 1882 Creek Census, he belonged to Big Spring Tribal Down (listed as Doctor of Medicine Hodge).
Buried Oaklawn Cemetery, Tulsa, Oklahoma He became involved with Creek Nation politics, was a translator of Creek and English, was licensed to practice law in the Creek Nation and was an orator and leader in the Creek Nation Council House at Muskogee. He was often listed as " Hodge" on legal documentation. In 1897, Creek Principle Chief Isparhecker appointed Hodge to serve on a committee to negotiate with the Dawes Commission for Creek Rights.
He also represented the Creek Nation sions in Washington, District of Columbia, before Congressional committees and the Courts.
In 1905, he was appointed a delegate to represent Broken Arrow at the Sequoyah Convention in Muskogee. Hodge is credited with translating parts of the Bible into the Creek language.
He collaborated with Robert McGill Loughridge to complete and publish the "English and Muskogee Dictionary," in 1890.
He was a member of the convention"s Committee of Three, which assisted the chairman in appointing subcommittees. The other members of the committee included Charles North. Haskell and Robert L. Owen.
