Decolonialization and The Chickamauga Nation
How do we know how to Decolonize if we need help understanding Colonization? Whether we realize it or not, almost all of us have a Colonial mindset. It was taught to us in school, on television, in the movies, and by our government. We do not even realize we are Colonized until it is pointed out to us, and then many still refuse to Decolonize. Many cannot give up their Western European Colonial Mindset because it seems unnatural to them to accept something so different from what we have been programmed to believe at the core of our existence.
First, a colonial mindset is placing the philosophies and principles of the Western European Culture over that of and forcing Original Nation Peoples to accept Western European Culture. Almost all Western European Culture is philosophically the polar opposite of the cultures of the Original Nation People, which existed for millennia. The culture and religion of The Chickamauga Nation have existed in Mesoamerica and North America since around 2000 BC (BCE). We are part of the Mound Building Culture and the Southeast Ceremonial Complex, in which our forefathers lived.
Historically, the Original Nation Peoples of Mesoamerica and North America formed alliances, affiliations, and confederacies based on certain widely held philosophies and principles. These multi-tribe alliances existed to express their cultural similarities and for protection against other tribes. It is the cultural similarities of numerous tribes that led to the Lower Town Chickamauga joining the Iroquoian Confederacy in the1700s, the Western Confederacy in the 1770s, and the United Indian Nations Confederacy in the 1780s. The Iroquoian Confederacy Constitution (Great Law of Peace) was the accepted form of governance for the Lower Town Chickamauga.
The Mound Building Cultures of the Southeast Woodlands have consistently held most of the Iroquoian Confederacy Constitution in their ancient laws, which have endured since time immemorial. These are the foundational laws that Lower Town Chickamauga has faithfully lived since time immemorial.
First, the Oath of a Chief prescribed within our ancient documents is almost verbatim from the Iroquoian Confederacy Constitution. The traditional way for a Chief to be appointed as a Chief is for the Grandmothers of the Tribe to appoint a Chief, consistent with the ancient manuscripts that have existed for over a millennium. The only way for a Chief to no longer be a Chief is for the Grandmothers to vote to “dehorn” a Chief. The war and peace cultures of the Iroquoian Confederacy and the Lower Town Chickamauga are incredibly consistent and originate in two different locations and cultures. The laws for welcoming new people into the Tribe and for punishments for crimes against the Tribe are so similar that the closeness cannot be explained except by the fact that their origins had to be comparable.
Second, property was held in common by the tribe and not individually owned. This one concept led to more deaths of the Original Nation Peoples than anything else. The Western European philosophies and principles of individual land ownership clashed with communal land practices. When individual land ownership is combined with the Doctrine of Discovery, Original Nation Peoples stood no chance of survival when the resulting genocide began to take place. The Western Europeans coveted the lands of the Original Nation Peoples, moved the ancient boundary markers, and finally began to exterminate large populations of Original Nation People to take their land.
Third, the Clan System allowed the people to have representation to the Grandmothers and the Chiefs. This type of representation is different from colonial representation in that the Clan Mothers upheld Clan laws and morays, adjudicated disagreements, and provided for the social welfare of Clan members. The Clan Mothers were not elected; they advanced in the Clan to Clan Mother status through years of service and wisdom. They became Clan Mothers not through popular vote or powerful allies but through service to their Clan.
Finally, when a Tribe joined the alliance, they joined until they officially informed the Alliance they were leaving or the Alliance Chiefs voted them out. A stipulation allows member Tribes to request to leave their original homelands and travel to a new place only if they agree to return if needed for battle. This is precisely what the Lower Town Chickamauga did in the 1780s. They requested and received permission to move West of the Mississippi River along with others of the Alliance who moved together into the Arkansas, White, Buffalo, and St. Francis River watersheds.
While there is much more to unpack about Decolonialization, we must begin thinking about how Western European philosophies and principles have impacted the life of our Tribe. Many Tribes are returning to their Pre-Colonial past and officially disavowing Colonialism in their governing documents and how they govern themselves.
The Chickamauga Nation National Council continues the traditions of the Mound Building Culture and the Southeast Ceremonial Complex, which Dragging Canoe and his family agreed upon when they joined the Alliances and Confederacies in the 1700s, 1770s, and 1780s. As a result, we have begun the tedious and arduous task of Decolonizing the Chickamauga Nation to align with our traditional way of life.
(C) This document was produced at the request of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs on July 18, 2019, to document the History, Anthropology, Culture, Religion, and Archaeology of The Chickamauga Nation.