The story was first published in a 1978 book called “The Holy Spirit: Activating God’s Power in Your Life,” by Billy Graham. Graham admitted he invented the story for a sermon some 40 years ago.
His original story was about Inuit people, not a Cherokee grandfather, but the Inuit blasted him pretty badly in the Canadian Press so he changed the story.
He chose a Cherokee grandfather for the re-telling because they wouldn’t be able to challenge him. Back in the 70’s, Native Americans were treated like war criminals and blacked out from media — which is, incidentally, why Marlon Brando had a Native American activist refuse his Oscar for him, but that’s a whole different story... anyway…