Because of her bravery in battle, Nanye'hi was named Ghi-ga-u, or Beloved Woman of the Cherokee which granted her the right to head the Women's Council and sit on the Council of Chiefs. Mar 1, 2023. He and his troops rampaged through the Cherokee country killing, pillaging and burning the homes of those he blamed for his relatives deaths. and N.N. Nancy did not hesitate to use the power. Box 948 Tahlequah, OK 74465 (918) 456-0671 Fax (918) 456-6485. Book an appointment book online using the link below. A Cherokee could marry into any of the clans except two, that to which his father belonged, for all of that clan were his fathers and aunts and that to which his mother belonged, for all of that clan are his brothers and sisters. The Ghigua headed the Council of Women and held a voting seat in the Council of Chiefs. Sadly, ancestors from over 500 tribes are often called Cherokee in family lore. In 1781, when the Cherokee met with an American delegation led by John Sevier to discuss American settlements along the Little Pigeon River, Nanye-hi expressed surprise that there were no women negotiators among the Americans. The campus will be the home of the new Cherokee Nation Building Trades Program and will provide space for expanding training opportunities in the construction field such as electrical, plumbing, masonry and HVAC. Throughout much of the 1840s Federal agents searched the mountains of North Carolina in attempts to remove the refugees to the Indian Territory. . In 1708 Gov. Home > Forum > Surnames > Morris. Other Cherokee Contacts: Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, P.O. An act of Congress approved March 3, 1893, established a commission to negotiate agreements with the Choctaw, Creek, Chickasaw, Seminole, and Cherokee Indian tribes. They had two children before his death, Ka-ti, and Hiskyteehee/Fivekiller. The 52,000-square-foot building in Tahlequah will house all of the Cherokee Nations growing language programs under one roof. Cherokee Nation officially broke ground on a $10 million, state-of-the-art Career Readiness Campus southwest of Tahlequah. The Eastern Cherokee Claims can be used to connect up with the History of the Cherokee Indians. Their name is derived from a Creek word meaning "people of different speech"; many prefer to be known as Keetoowah or Tsalagi. Her first tangible reward was a black slave who had been left behind by the retreating Creeks, and legend has it that this was the beginning of black slavery among the Cherokees. Home; Trees; Search; DNA; Help; . Nancy Ward had no descendants named Ward. This was the action which, at the age of 18, gave her the title of Ghigau. Copyright 2023 Cherokee Nation. When he was killed, she took up his musket and rallied the Cherokee warriors to victory. As you research family relationships, remember that these relationships sometimes have different meanings depending if the person was referring to the person using a Cherokee perspective or White perspective. If you prefer not to do it yourself, we have premium options available. Today these are known as the Eastern Band. Skip Ancestry navigation Main Menu. Genealogy profile for Nancy Ward, Beloved Woman of the Cherokee. . Bryan(t) Ward also had a white family and his son John/Jack married a Cherokee woman named Caty McDaniel. Box 948 Such memberships did not entitle the persons to voting or any other tribal rights, and had nothing to do with claims of Cherokee ancestry. In 1923 the Nancy Ward chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, based in Chattanooga, placed a memorial marker next to Fivekiller's grave in Benton, Tennessee. Bean stayed with her savior for some time, introducing her to the arts of weaving and the making butter and cheese. Cherokee residing in the east after the western migration of the majority of the Cherokee Nation (see Cherokee Removal) filed three suits in the U.S. Court of Claims to press their claims for funds due them under their treaties of 1835, 1836, and 1845 with the United States. She had a brother known as Longfellow. Research genealogy for Watt Whitmire of Goingsnake Dist, Cherokee Nation, IT, as well as other members of the Whitmire family, on Ancestry. The wording in the Cherokee Nation's legal doctrine has been used to exclude Black people whose ancestors were once enslaved by the Cherokees known as Freedmen from their full tribal rights. Bryant Ward, a trader who took up residence within the Cherokee Nation, married Nancy in the late 1750s. With approximately 11,000 employees, Cherokee Nation and its subsidiaries are one of the largest employers in northeastern Oklahoma. There is evidence that there were anciently 14, which by extinction or absorption have been reduced to their present number. plus also remembered in county history books. They are said to have lost 1,000 warriors in 1739 from smallpox and rum, and they suffered a steady decrease during their wars with the whites, extending from 1760 until after the close of the Revolution. In 1772, an English diplomat named Robertson visited Nancy's home at Chota, which he described as being furnished in a barbaric splendor that befitted her high rank. The recent decision by the Cherokee Nation Supreme Court is a response to a 2017 ruling by a US district court, which determined that the descendants of the Cherokee Freedmen are entitled to full . And in 1838, the first of 16,000 . July 26, 2022. Connect to the World Family Tree to find out, Circa 1738 - Chota, Cherokee Nation East (now Monroe, TN), 1822 - Womakiller, Ford, Cherokee Nation East (now Polk, TN), Ka-ti (Catherine), Elizabeth (Betsy) Ward, , July 20 1738 - Chota City of Refuge, Crockett, Tennessee, United States, Mar 30 1822 - Cherokee Nat, Benton, Polk, Tennessee, United States, Tsu La Red Fox Chutlow Fivekiller Kingfisher, Longfellow Tuskeegeetee Fivekiller Kingfisher, Ka Ti 'catherine' Kingfisher, Aka Harlan, Littlefellow Hiskyteehee Kingfisher, 1738 - Chota, North Carolina, United States, 1824 - Cherokee Nat, Polk, Tennessee, United States, etsey" Ward, John Ward, John Jack Ward, Nathan "nathaniel" Hicks, Sarah Hicks, Littlefellow Tuskyteehee Fivekiller Kingfisher, Bryant Irish Trader, Bryan Ward, Tsu-la Kingfisher Cherokee, Elizabeth Betsy Martin, Ka-ti Catherine, Caty Walker, Chief Hiskyteehee Little Fellow, Five Killer Cherokee, Circa 1738 - Cherokee nation, Chota, City of Refuge, Tennessee, USA, Circa Mar 30 1822 - Womankiller Ford, Benton, Tennessee, United States, Ka-ti Harlan, Kingfisher, Hi-s-gi-di-hi "five Killer" Kingfisher, Circa 1738 - Chota, Cherokee Nation East (now Monroe, TN), ot;raven Of Chota"] Fivekiller, Tame Doe [ca-ti Catherine Attakullakulla] Fivekiller, [NaAm-BB Wolf Clan, Cherokee] (born (Fivekiller)), Attacullaculla - Little Carpenter [fivekiller], Long Fellow Tuskeegeetee "creek Warrior Killer" [fivekiller], Catherine - Ka-ti Kingfisher, [NaAm-BB, Wolf Clan, Cherokee 4/4], Little Fellow [hiskyteechee \ Hi-s-ki-ti-hi] Fivekiller, 1738 - c.tennesseehota, city of refuge, blount co. Mar 30 1822 - woman killer ford ocoee river benton co. July 20 1738 - Chota, Fort London, Tennessee, United States, Mar 30 1824 - Womankiller Ford, Benton, Tennessee, United States, 1738 - Cherokee, Blount, Tennessee, United States, 1824 - Cherokee, Washington, Tennessee, United States, aker Trader Tom Carpenter, Nancy (Daughter #2 Daugherty Dougherty Woman Of Ani'ga'tage'wi Nancy Ward) Carpenter (born Moytoy). Phoebe's father may have been named Dutchi or Doochee. Priber started the first mission among them, and attempted to organize their government on a civilized basis. Sister of Longfellow Tuskeegeeteehee "Creek Warrior Killer", Nancy Prophetess Na-ni Ghi-Ga-U aka Nancy Ward Nanye-hi ("One Who Goes About") Ward (Ani'-Wa'ya = Wolf Clan (Nanye'hi). * 2 Changes to Cherokee society * 3 Later life * 4 Death, burial and remembrance * 5 References * 6 External links * 7 Further reading [edit] Beloved Woman. Wife of Isaac Rogers married [date unknown] [location unknown] [children unknown] Died before 1883 before about age 23 [location unknown] Another group of Cherokee headed by Chief Drowning Bear split from the rest of the tribe and settled in North Carolina. During this period parties of the Cherokee pushed down Tennessee River and formed new settlements at Chickamauga and other points about the Tennessee-Alabama line. RT @Anadisgoi: Cherokee Nation will host several events in the month of March, including two presentations on Cherokee Freedmen history and genealogy, Cherokee language classes, and two meetings for at-large citizens in Kansas. Those in their original homes had again increased to 16,542 at the time of their forced removal to the west in 1838, but lost nearly one-fourth on the journey, 311 perishing in a steamboat accident on the Mississippi. Aniwahya (Wolf Clan or Panther Clan) The Aniwahya, or Wolf Clan, represents war and is the largest and most prominent clan. He gives a good history in the front of his book, and then the genealogy of the old families. Tennessee Cousins, by Worth S. RAY - Page 510, Writes: Nancy WARD, the "Pocahontis" of those days, and friend of the white people, lived at "Woman-Killer Ford" on the OCOEE, in present Polk or Bradley County, TN. When researching a family tree clan information is often traced from a known clan in the past down through the female line of genealogy. Skip Ancestry navigation Main Menu. The seven pointed start of the Cherokee seal represents the seven clans. What does this mean to you as you research your Cherokee roots? Craig didn't read the book, but he knew the story. You may also book an appointment by contacting Robin Swayney at 828-497-3481 ext. As a young woman, she had the nickname Tsistunagiska, meaning "Wild Rose." 1872 - Old Cherokee Nation East, Cherokee County, NC. Cherokee born outside of a clan or outsiders who were taken into the tribe in ancient times had to be adopted into a clan by a clan mother. Art Shows. Cultural and Ceremonial Questions: If you have an inquiry about the cultural practices or ceremonies of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians please contact the Tribal Cultural Resources Department at 828.497.1584. The Registration office also issues Indian Preference Letters, provides verification of Tribal Citizenship, verifies eagle feather applications and provides . Those already in the west, before the removal, were estimated at about 6,000. They are believed to have numbered some 22,500 individuals in 1650, and they controlled . 501(c)(3) EIN: 92-1407503 Public Charity Status: 509(a)(2) Michigan Charitable Trust Registration - CS/CT 65872 . During the Revolutionary period she resided at Echota, the national capital, where she held the office of "Beloved Woman," or "Pretty Woman," by virtue of which she was entitled to speak in councils and to decide the fate of captives. After the Battle of Taliwa in 1755, where she battled alongside the male warriors, she was given the Cherokee honorary title of Ghighau, "Beloved Woman." The Eastern Cherokee land consists of approximately 56,668 acres in five counties in North Carolina: Cherokee, Graham, Jackson, Macon, and Swain Counties. The Cherokee in the Cherokee Nation were for years divided into two hostile factions, those who had favored and those who had opposed the treaty of removal. Patriots - Daughters of the American Revolution, Longfellow Tuskeegeeteehee "Creek Warrior Killer", Nancy Tsistuna Gis Ke Wildrose Fivekiller Kingfisher (born Fivekiller Ward), Nan-Ye-Hi Nancy Ghigau Ward (born Cherokee), Nancy [tsistuna "wildrose" Nanye-hi] Ward (born (Ward) (Kingfisher)), Nancy Nanyehi Fivekiller,kingfisher, "the Ghi Ga U" Ward, Nancy Nanye Hi Ghi Ga Kingfisher (born Ward), http://www.allthingscherokee.com/nancy-ward/, http://www.mundia.com/us/Person/20448560/19947694781, Birth of Nancy Ward, Beloved Woman of the Cherokee, Birth of Littlefellow Hi-s-ki-ti-hi Fivekiller. There were also living in the nation about 3,000 adopted black freedmen, more than 2,000 adopted whites, and about 1700 adopted Delaware, Shawnee, and other Indians. 929.3 JOR NCC. Nancy Ward was born in the Cherokee town of Chota, a member of the Wolf Clan. But this weaving revolution also changed the roles of women in the Cherokee society, as they took on the weaving and left men to do the planting, which had traditionally been a woman's job. Last Updated:8/20/2019 P.O. On July 5, 1807, the Moravian mission school at Spring Place, Georgia, in the Cherokee Nation, was visited by three elderly women, including a very distinguished lady who had been a widow of fifty years and almost hundred years old. In 1808 and again in 1817, the Women's Council came out in opposition to the sale of more and more land. A full 75 days after Robert E. Lee met with Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox, Watie became the last Confederate general to lay down arms, surrendering his battalion of Creek, Seminole, Cherokee, and . Please enable JavaScript in your browser's settings to use this part of Geni. Of the three federally recognized Cherokee tribes, the Cherokee Nation and the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians have headquarters in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. Extract of the . Death 29 Oct 1887 - null. She was also sometimes known as Agigaue (Agi-ga-u-e), meaning "War Woman.". The Western or Oklahoma Cherokee (Cherokee Nation). Today, the Cherokee Nation is the largest tribe in the United States with more than 430,000 tribal citizens worldwide. Research genealogy for Issac Henry Kaiser of Cherokee Nation, as well as other members of the Kaiser family, on Ancestry. The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians of North Carolina is a federally recognized tribe and has its own requirements for membership. Her first husband was the Cherokee man Kingfisher. Born Nanye'hi, which roughly translates to "One who goes about," in the Cherokee settlement of Chota , Tennessee, she was the daughter of Tame Doe of the Wolf Clan. Cherokee Nation Freedmen Roll : Sample Front . Spoiler Alert! Many people who research Cherokee ancestors in their family tree fail to pay attention to information about the clan. Please join us. Less than a decade later the Indian Removal Act was passed, and by 1838 a forced removal to Indian Territory in present day Oklahoma was taking place. Learn more about the Dawes rolls and see examples at left. In the late 1750s, she married an already wed white trader named Bryant Ward, who before 1760 left her and returned to his white wife and children in South Carolina. . Cherokee residing in the east after the western migration of the majority of the Cherokee Nation (see Cherokee Removal) filed three suits in the U.S. Court of Claims to press their claims for funds due them under their treaties of 1835, 1836, and 1845 with the United States. Vonore, Tennessee holds an annual Nancy Ward Cherokee Heritage Days celebration in her honor. Thayendanegea or Joseph Brant (March 1743 - November 24, 1807) was a Mohawk military and political leader, based in present-day New York, who was closely associated with Great Britain during and after the American Revolution.Perhaps the Native American of his generation best known to the Americans and British, he met many of the most significant Anglo-American people of the age, including . These Western Cherokee are known as the Old Settlers. http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/h/u/g/Randall-B-Hughes/F http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/h/u/g/Randall-B-Hughes/G http://www.angelfire.com/blog2/genealogy/. Their northern kinsmen, the Iroquois, called them Oyatagerono, inhabitants of the cave country (Hewitt), and the Delawares and connected tribes called them Kittuwa, from the settlement already noted.They seem to be identical with the Rickohockans, who invaded central Virginia in 1658, and with the ancient Talligewi, of Delaware tradition, who were represented to have been driven southward from the upper Ohio River region by the combined forces of the Iroquois and Delawares. Birth 16 June 1886 - Cherokee Nation. Nanye-hi and Kingfisher fought side by side at the Battle of Taliwa against the Creeks in 1755. Research your family's genealogy. For more information, contact us at 918.456.6007 or email Genealogy Department. To start a new life in a new . A noted halfbreed Cherokee woman, the date and place of whose birth and death are alike unknown. How to Apply. These records were produced by the Guion Miller Commission of the . The majority of work has already been done as well explain below. The Keetoowah led by Pig Smiths son Redbird became a secret society called the Nighthawks. A constitution was adopted on September 6, 1839, 68 years prior to Oklahoma's statehood. 1659-1704.She was born Bet. Cherokee Beloved Woman. FamilySearch Learning Center lesson Cherokee Genealogy. Just found a direct link to Kunnochatutloh "Whooping" Crane of the Cherokee Nation, in my husbands genealogy. Nancy and her daughter would often visit Bryant Ward and his family; they were always treated well. The Cherokee clan was very important as it told who a person could marry, and was associated with the role that family played within the tribe. Campbell speaks of her in his report as "the famous Indian woman, Nancy Ward." In addition to protecting and preserving Cherokee assets, the center provides access to archival materials, a research library, and genealogical services to assist in family history research. Polk County, Tennessee, where Benton is located, is trying to raise money to create a Nancy Ward Museum. Churchill Roll - 1908 (coming soon) Guion Miller Roll - 1909. She was also head of the influential woman's council that consisted of a representative from each clan, and she sat as a voting member of the council of chiefs. These are genealogy links to Native American online databases and indexes that may include birth records, marriage records, death records, biographies, cemeteries, censuses, histories, immigration records, land records, military records, newspapers, obituaries, or probate records. When the main body of the tribe was removed to the west, several hundred fugitives escaped to the mountains, where they lived as refugees for a time, until, in 1842, through the efforts of William H. Thomas, an influential trader, they received permission to remain on lands set apart for their use in western North Carolina. The All Things Cherokee Query Board is a FREE genealogy service which allows you to get in touch with other researchers exploring their genealogy. She later married a white trader named Bryan or Bryant Ward. Many publications for Hardy and phoebe, Hardy from Ireland was a land surveyor. Submitted By Cherokee Nation. The Cherokee Nation and the United States in the Court of Claims at Washington, D. C., the said Commission being composed of William Clifton, William Thompson and Robert H. Kern, the same . Its scientists have labeled the Cherokees not as Native Americans, but as a Middle Eastern-North African population. For more information, call 918-456-6007 or 1-888-999-6007 or visit www.cherokeeheritage.org or email [email protected]. Father Maj. John Ghi-go-ne li Stuart (Oconostota) Show more. . They had one daughter, Betsy Ward. The tribe has a larger proportion of white admixture than any other of the Five Civilized Tribes. Wife of Tsula Red Fox Kingfisher and Bryant Ward Research genealogy for Mary RUDDLES of Old Cherokee Nation East, Cherokee County, NC, as well as other members of the RUDDLES family, on Ancestry. This census of the Freedmen and their descendants of the Cherokee Nation taken by the Commission appointed in the case of Moses Whitmire, Trustee of the Freedmen of the Cherokee Nation vs. After years of hopeless struggle under the leadership of their great chief, John Ross, they were compelled to submit to the inevitable, and by the treaty of New Echota, Dec. 29, 1835, the Cherokee sold their entire remaining territory and agreed to remove beyond the Mississippi to a country there to be set apart for them-the present (1890) Cherokee Nation in Indian Territory. where she is buried, and has a marker at her tomb. As the American civil war approached the Keetoowah were allied with the missionaries against slavery and separated from the slaveholding mixed bloods. Baker Roll - 1924. ), Death of Nancy Ward, Beloved Woman of the Cherokee, Burial of Nancy Ward, Beloved Woman of the Cherokee, "One who goes about", "Beloved Woman Of The Cherokee", "Beloved Woman of Cherokee Nanye hi The Ghi Ga -u", "Beloved Woman of the Cherokee", "Na Ye Hi", "Nancy Ward", Benton, Polk County, Tennessee, United States, Beloved Woman of The Cherokee, Nanyehi the Ghi-Ga-U, Agigaue (Agi-ga-u-e), Wildrose, Nancy Ward, Nanye-hi, Cherokee, "Tsituna-Gus-Ke" (Wild Rose), Wife, The source at mundia is sketchy and may be wrong and so Phoebe's parents may not be right here. CONTENT MAY BE COPYRIGHTED BY WIKITREE COMMUNITY MEMBERS. It was believed that the Supreme Beings often spoke to the people through the beloved women, and they were given absolute power in the question of what to do with prisoners taken in war. Box 481 . They had one daughter, Betsy (Elizabeth) Ward. Mother Unavailable. Nancy Ward was a respected woman among the Cherokees and the white settlers. Clans were matrilineal. was not then granted, her relatives, when brought in later with other prisoners, were treated with the consideration due in return for her good offices. For her bravery she was bestowed with the title of Ghigua. The word uncle does not always mean uncle as it is used by non-Cherokee. Please join us in collaborating on CHEROKEE family trees. Discover county court data for Cherokee County Circuit Court for the state of Georgia - provided by Trellis $100.00. This Cherokee title, by tradition, gave her a lifetime voice in the tribal councils of chiefs, as well as the power to pardon condemned captives, which she did on several occasions. She was then thirty-five years old, and he pictured her as "queenly and commanding."3. A Mrs Bean, captured during this incursion, was saved by her interposition after having been condemned to death and already bound to the stake. The version of Nancy Wards life seen in dramatic plays is fiction, but the real Nancy Ward is well documented in Georgia newspapers from the late 1700s and early 1800s . She was the daughter of Tame Doe, [NO] a member of the Wolf Clan and sister to Attakullakulla. Cherokee Nation created and divided into the following districts or counties: Canadian, Cooweescoowee, Delaware, Going Snake, Flint, Illinois, Saline, Sequoyah and Tahlequah; 1851: Drennen Roll, Is a roll of the Cherokee Emigrants who were forced to remove from the Cherokee Nation and the Old Settlers who moved voluntarily before the forced . Eastern Cherokee Applications. The Cherokee Nation Registration Office processes Certificate of Degree of Indian Blood (CDIB), Dawes and Tribal Citizenship applications and issues CDIB, Citizenship, and Photo ID cards. An American observer said that her speech was very moving. Black Pearls of Genealogy. The following articles and manuscripts will shed additional light on the Cherokee as both an ethnological study, and as a people. The area called the Qualla Boundary was established in 1882. The seven clans are frequently mentioned in the ritual prayers and even in the printed laws of the tribe. 10/31/99. not a leader of men in battle. Sevier was equally appalled that such important work should be given to a woman. Cherokee were sometimes listed as white or mulatto on U.S. government censuses, or not included at all. IMPORTANT PRIVACY NOTICE & DISCLAIMER: YOU HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO USE CAUTION WHEN DISTRIBUTING PRIVATE INFORMATION. The Chickamauga gave in after their leader was assassinated. Other Cherokee Contacts: Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma. These records date back to 1835 and enumerate the members of the Eastern Band of . Home; Trees; Search; DNA; Help; Extras; . [email protected] 918-207-3961. Box 948, Tahlequah, OK 74465-0948 (918) 456-0671 or Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, P.O. The five Chickamauga Cherokee were in the towns of Runningwater, Nickajack, Chickamauga, Tinsawatie, and Elijay were closely aligned with the Spanish and fought with other Cherokee who were friendly with the British. Learn more about the genealogy services now available by visiting Cherokee National Research Center. Nancy Ward was a well known historical figure from the Cherokee tribe born into the Wolf Clan around 1738 at Chota, near Fort Loudon, Tennessee. 2. Associate memberships were given in honorary appreciation to several people, but the tribe ended this practice in 1994. 1830 - Cherokee Nation East,AL,USA. Cherokee Nation West (1810-1839)[edit] Originally along the St. Francis and White Rivers in what was first Spanish Louisiana and later Arkansas Territory, the Western . . Orphans were incorporated into other family groups within the clan without any special distinction from other children of that specific family group. 929.373 BOW NCC. Call 918-456-6007 visitwww.cherokeeheritage.org.Those tracing an ancestor who came from Tennessee, Georgia, eastern Alabama or the South Carolina area may want to correspond with:The Eastern Band of Cherokee IndiansQualla BoundaryPO Box 455Cherokee, NC 28719828-497-4771https://ebci.comIf you need further genealogy assistance at other times, the Muskogee Public Library, 801 West Okmulgee in Muskogee, Okla., may be able to help. There are three Cherokee tribes in which you may be entitled to membership. As a Ghigau, Nancy had the power to spare captives. There are no public tribal records regarding clanship. Read more on Genealogy.com! In 1780 she wielded the right of the Beloved Woman and spared white captive Lydia Bean from death. According to this version, only seven of the groups survived, and their members became the clans that settled Cherokee nation. Nanye-hi (: "One who goes about"), known in English as Nancy Ward (c. 17381822 or 1824) was a ghigau, or beloved woman of the Cherokee nation, which meant that she was allowed to sit in councils and to make decisions, along with the other Beloved Women, on pardons. By genealogy.com user February 27, 2000 at 06:29:23. After he was killed at the Battle of Taliwa, she later married Briant (Bryant) Ward, an English trader, and they had another daughter named Elizabeth, who was often called Betsy or Betty. Cherokee Indians. Many of their decendants later became prominent in the Cherokee tribe. When researching a family tree clan information is often traced from a known clan in the past down through the female line of genealogy. Around the same time Sequoyah introduced the first written language for the tribe. Skip Ancestry navigation Main Menu. Cherokee Roots by Bob Blankenship includes a name index. They no longer appear on official tribal rolls. You may be surprised to learn that theres usually no need to trace your Cherokee ancestry very far through history. The Cherokee government changed dramatically during Nancy's lifetime and the Cherokee, once ruled by clan loyalty, were moving toward a republican form of government. Nanye-hi objected to the sale of Cherokee lands to whites, but her objections were largely ignored. In deciding who would be eligible for an allotment of Cherokee land, this information was used to decide who was considered a Cherokee. The Ghigua, or Beloved Woman of the Cherokee, was a prestigious title given to extraordinary women by the Cherokee clans. She believed in peaceful coexistence with white people. It contains most of the Cherokee Dawes applications and the Miller Roll applications, as well as additional federal census records. Women were considered the head of household among the Cherokee, with the home and children belonging to her should she separate from a husband, and maternal uncles were considered more important than fathers. The territory of the Cherokee was overrun in turn by both armies, and the close of the war found them prostrated. Today the Cherokee are divided into three federally recognized tribes. In 1819 the Hiwassee Purchases forced Nancy to abandon her home in Chota and settle further south on the Ocoee River. With the changes in Cherokee government and American expansion after the Hiwassee Purchase of 1819, Ward left Chota and settled on the Ocoee River near present-day Benton where she operated an inn on the Federal Road until her death. The Old Settlers soon realized that the mixed-blood Cherokee who had arrived were beginning to take control. Its not uncommon for a widow to marry her deceased husbands brother or even nephew. Other tribal members living in Tennessee and North Carolina towns were not immediately found and removed. She had one known brother, a man named Longfellow. Nancy's efforts for peace did help to avoid large-scale war with the white settlers, but in the end nothing could protect the Cherokee Nation from white encroachment. Tennessee Cousins, by Worth S. RAY - Page 203, Writes: In 1775 the Indians had a plan to attack the settlement on the "Watauga", Nancy WARD, [a37yrs], who was nearly allied to some of the principal Chiefs, obtained knowledge of the plan, and without delay communicated it to Isaac THOMAS "a trader" her friend and a true' American. Let your women's son's be ours; our sons be yours. Appleton's Cyclopaedia of American Biography. Cherokee Indians. Kingfisher was killed in the battle and Nanye-hi filled his place in the battle. After Bean was repatriated, Ward brought dairy cattle to the Cherokee and introduced dairying to her people. Nanye-hi learned to raise the cattle and to eat dairy products, which would sustain the Cherokee when hunting was bad. With the exception of an estimate in 1730, which placed them at about 20,000, most of those up to a recent period gave them 12,000 or 14,000, and in 1758 they were computed at only 7,500. They were not officially divorced, but it is safe to say their marriage ended in 1760. While some such recipients were given a tribal enrollment card with a number, they were never considered official members of the tribe, and did not receive tribal benefits.