Chickamauga History from Beginnings

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Below you will find a small amount of the history we have been able to document over years of research into the historical Identity of the Chickamauga and the differences with the Cherokee. This is a compilation work and intended for the use documenting the Academic Research requested by the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs in 2019. 

Introduction

Many of the Chickamauga today in Georgia, Tennessee, and Arkansas are the descendants of those who successfully remained in their homelands later becoming states after the removal.

Many were the pillars of their communities owning blacksmith shops, vast cornfields, sawmills and grist mills. Even those who came for the gold needed these resources. Many of these ancestors were already mixed blood from one or more of several tribal groups that make up the Chickamauga population today. We are the descendants of the survivors of the genocides and ethnic cleansing perpetrated against our people.

We the Tsigamogi also known as Chickamauga people have a long history within the Southeastern United States. One must understand the function of family lines and clans played in our history. Its primary function is an ancient one used by many cultures around the world for the same reason. That reason is to prevent intermarriage within a group and provide social structure. The history we are taught by academia is a very altered form from the facts of history. A continuation of repeated errors originating in the early 1700s. With thousands of hours of research, we wish to bring the facts and truth in our history to light. Our history is very complex and at times painful as our ancestors adapted to an ever-evolving American culture. 

Cherokee Origins Great Lakes

Approximately 300 warriors entered the southeast from the Lake Erie region, they and their families would later become known as the Cherokee, the total population of migrants was perhaps 1500 people in full. They came down both sides of the Appalachian Mountains originally from the Lake Erie area and later from the Ohio region. The expulsion of the Erie people from that region was a direct result of the Beaver Wars which was between 1629 to 1701. The original groups were called by others Rickohockans are identified as three primary groups. The Mingo who ventured south after being ousted by the Iroquois Confederacy, The Kituwagi who went to live among the Muskogee as records indicate from the French Jesuits in the Ohio region. Another the Tchalaka moved into the coastal Virginia area and acted as mercenaries for Itoyatin a Powhatan in a coup to take power from his brother the chief Powhatan. As a result, many Cherokee lines also trace back to Powhatan blood lines The Third after the Treaty of Fort Stanwix migrated from Ohio back to their homeland in western New York. As a result of changes in colonial laws, the Dutch in Pennsylvania began to trade firearms to the Indians. This resulted in the Rickohockans acquiring firearms. At the same time, the colonies passed laws inadvertently leading to a market in the Indian slave trade.

They took great advantage of this as they moved south. The second group in particular from Virginia Now called Rickaherians moving south began the practice of taking over entire villages. What wasn't kept for themselves as wives and territory were sold into slavery it in Detroit, Virginia and later Savannah as well as the newly-established Charles Town in South Carolina often on to the Caribbean islands as slaves in a growing sugar trade. 

When the Cherokee Arrived

We have spent many years collecting information on who was who in the southeast. What communities were overtaken and what communities were dispersed. More often than not the political leaders of these communities were executed as well as the religious leaders. Those initial 300 warriors took new or additional wives of the previous leadership and claimed them as their own leading to the disruption of the existing political and social system and the installation of a new one. The story of the warrior gathering the people to kill off the priest class is a good example of actually taking over of a community, only to change the truth and legitimize themselves. A pattern that persists to this day.

However, in subsequent years families did not forget who and where they came from. Although part of a new society deep resentment and animosity remained among the now occupied people. Within the first two generations, we find political and clan warfare to be driven by one thing, trade, and commerce. The second primary factor is control of the mountain passes of the lower Appalachians and maintaining principal villages along major trade routes long established by the previous cultures and inhabitants.

History shows us that the Rickohockans intermixed with the Powhatan lines moved South into the foothills of the Appalachians of South Carolina. The two groups of the Cherokee merged during migration from the Lake Erie region which occurred in less than 15 years. The result was Upper, Middle, and Lower Cherokee. The grandfathers were originally for the most part original Allegwei of Erie background. By this time leadership was with the next generation mixed with the occupied original families. We end up with groups of Cherokee who have a heavier admixture of Muskogee, another Shawnee, and others Powhatan to keep it simple. This is where family lines again play a part in our collective history. Lastly, we must consider those groups that voluntarily joined one group or another for many reasons. Some of those reasons being epidemics of smallpox, slave raids, and colonial expansion into what they called the Western Frontier. This all leads to how and why we as Chickamauga are separate and distinct from the Cherokee. In a letter dated July 10th, 1788 from Joseph Martin, Indian Agent for Georgia and the Southern Frontier, to Henry Knox, Secretary of War, it is observed a clear concise distinction between the Cherokee and us the Chickamauga. 

Geography defines people

Colonial history shows us through the communications with representatives of the various monarchs of Europe primarily England, Spain, and France that the Cherokee had become a force to be reckoned with. Geography plays a huge role in all of this. The primary distinction between groups of Cherokee was who was treating with whom. The Overhill had long established a relationship with England as treaties indicate. While Lower Cherokee began working out trade agreements with South Carolina. Middle towns were most influenced on its western boundaries by the Spanish and French. 

Colonial expansion

Colonial westward expansion was most often strongest radiating out from the ports and trade routes supplying goods from the interior. With that comes Colonists tired of taxation by the Crown of England and the policies of various colonies. The driving force here is the possession of the land. Most colonies operated under a semi-feudal system of governors who also held land baronies. Colonists were basically sharecroppers. However, with enough money, one could acquire the property. In contrast to this those of any admixture of Native American by English law could not own land within the colonies. This was a major force in westward expansion.

Within a generation, those now wanting to establish their own farms had to do so outside of the colonial land claims. This led to many now speaking English as well as their mother's language. This was well suited to the growing trade between many tribes and the colonies. As a result, many tribal leaders were mixed-blood providing an economic advantage as opposed to those who were not. In Jamestown alone, its first census indicated just short of one hundred mixed- bloods circa 1621. This happened because European women were not permitted until 1623. By 1800 the number of mixed-bloods descended from Jamestown would have numbered around one hundred twenty-four thousand people assuming one child born per person per generation. That is just Jamestown. It's easy now to see how many people of mixed parentage is possible. It's also how so many tribal groups adopted European culture so quickly. In an odd quirk of history as smallpox ravaged native communities, it was those of mixed parentage that were more likely to survive. You will end up with a higher percentage of mixed-race leaders emerging from the ranks of the survivors. The remnants of devastated villages come together and form new communities.

Now that we have taken into consideration some the factors affecting the actions of others, we can get into why we are who we are. We will begin with the Chickamauga Wars. By this time the country has had a good 250 years of interaction with the Europeans. This resulted in the majority of Cherokee leadership having some degree of European ancestry and the family as well as political connections that come along with that. As with the first families of Virginia, we know that it was common for marriages to occur guaranteeing lasting family ties. This holds true for the western frontier. Officers or their children would marry into the most politically influential native families.

Dragging Canoe was a Nipissing who was banished by Oconostata to the forest. Dragging Canoe totally opposed the Henderson treaty. Most knew full well that Kentucky was not Cherokee land to sell. It was hunting land in conjunction with the Chickasaw and Shawnee and considered a neutral land. That no clan revenge or animosities could be exacted while in it. Dragging Canoe and everyone else involved fully understood who was who and that the Henderson Purchase was a total fraud carried out with liquor and bribery. Later this was proven to be true. The Cherokee were complaining of encroachment. The encroachment was driven by the taxation on colonists leading to the Revolutionary War. The Revolutionary War didn't begin in the Colonies. It began at the so-called Watauga Association also called the Watauga Republic in what is now Tennessee. The Watauga Republic was made up of colonists opposed to and escaping the jurisdiction and thus taxation by the English. US citizens were leaving the colonies crossing the demarcation line into lands retained via treaty by native peoples. The United States did just enough to say that they were addressing the matter of trespassing into the treaty boundary. The Treaty gave the Cherokee the right to deal with trespassers or settlers as they saw fit. See Article. Dragging Canoe made it clear in his statement blaming those rogues the Virginians. He wasn't speaking of the colonists. He was placing blame on the leaders who were originally from Virginia of Powhatan extraction. Again, family lines. Dragging Canoe having now separated vowing to protect the lands from encroachment were now known as Chickamauga. A reference to the primary bloodlines of the families here represented that have strong Muskogee/ Creek bloodlines. This was also apparent in the three dialects at the time. The dialects would not exist without these totally different admixtures of absorbed tribes. Remember this all happened within three generations. As the compiled timeline indicates. 

Right of Disassociation

Dragging Canoe complied with an ancient practice or concept specific to the southeastern tribes, that is the right of disassociation. If a group wished to divide or split from a primary group, it could do so. Then becoming a separate political body or tribe. The practice reduced potential escalation of differences or conflicts within tribal groups. Traditional blood laws would not come into effect. If a problem escalated to the point someone kills another then their clan has rights to recover damages. Then the blood law takes over. Interestingly when Chief Vann and his associates assassinated Double Head, the first thing Vann did was to resend the blood law. It was an attempt to avoid reprisals from Double Head's family and clan. As history shows Chickamauga years later ambushed and killed Vann and several others for breaking tribal law. Noland is to be sold. If not for more than a hundred bodyguards we would have taken out Chief Ross and those who profiteered from the removal. Many of those targeted ran to Mexico, Texas and California. 

Treaties with Spain

With the United States and the Cherokee conspiring to eliminate the Chickamauga making land cessions easier. The Chickamauga people suffered a continuous campaign of genocide. The Chickamauga declared war on the United States. At the same time, our leaders began treating with the Spanish to the south and French to the west. As warned by Dragging Canoe the trespassers must leave or die. This is where the relentless raids the Chickamauga carried out against the trespassers. The brutality, in turn, was fueled by the United States condoning the policy of genocide. The loss of family and leaders. This was not considered the normal acts of war.

‍Rules of War Changed

Historically war was conducted with long-standing rules that prevented reprisals from clans that lost a member of its family. The Blood Law. No one was exempt. In the native world, each person contributed to the welfare of the village. When there was conflict it was preferred to not kill the individual. There is a distinct difference in killing and murdering someone. But to intentionally take a life you are disabling the family and village that person is from. You are in effect making others pay a price for something they had no control over. This was to be avoided if possible. If it's murder, life is owed. The offender is surrendered by his or her clan. It was preferable to show overwhelming force and your opponent submit or concede. There are accounts of Indian-on-Indian raids in where each account it is made clear that woman and children would not be harmed. Why? Remember, lost members, are replaced. In effect, a raid can bring useful new village members growing the population. At first, you may be a captive but most of the time one is later adopted into a clan and becomes family, and you are treated with all the same rights as blood family. You become one of them in every sense. You may be born a Catawba and later become Creek or Cherokee. This is also the reason some white men, women, and children were taken and adopted in to replace lost family members. It didn't always matter who as long as they were replaced with an able-bodied person. There are many historical accounts of this on the early frontier by many tribes. A warrior captured in battle usually didn't fare so well. In most cases, elder women decided their fate. A warrior would inherently understand the unequivocal acceptance of death in combat and fight to the death. At the very least die with honor if at all possible.

This is why it was so shocking to native people when colonist's military or militia killed every one in a village they could find. In the native mindset, nothing could justify that kind of action. It was the continued genocides committed by the US military and states militias that changed the rules of war here in the United States. This set the tone. From the Chickamauga point of view, we can solve two problems at once. To justify taking life and get rid of the trespassers. Legally under treaty we can do as we wish with them. We can also justify the taking of lives in reparation for the murder of innocent men, women, and children. Colonists often practiced the same.