Reclaiming Cultural Identity of The Chickamauga Nation
For over three (3) centuries, the Colonial powers used the Doctrine of Discovery to obliterate the Original Nations people. They “came in peace” only to kill, steal, murder, rape, and eat our people (South Carolina Colonial Records and Davey Crockett autobiography). They came in the “name of their god” to move ancient boundary markers of their Original Nation's neighbors, covet and steal the land, and then kill their neighbors and take the lands, mostly following colonial or state laws that allowed the practice.
Original Nations people have been the victims of the Colonial powers changing our identity. They found it hard to pronounce or Traditional names in our language, so they changed our names to Colonial or white names. They either “bred the Indian out of the Original Nations people,” killed the leaders of the Original Nations tribes, or Civilized (Forced conversion to Christianity and to “White Man’s language.”
We can take a few steps to reclaim our cultural identity. First, we can begin naming our children with Traditional Names. Not the wild and crazy colonial versions of Original Nations people’s names, but from the traditional language itself. Between the mid-1300s and the mid-1600s, we spoke the Mobillian trade language. The Mobillian Trade Language is about 93% Choctaw. We also spoke the Cherokee Trade language in the Southeast Woodlands called Erate or Arate (the Southern Dialect).
Names like “Screaming Turkey and Swiss” or “Smiling Diaper Changer” are not traditional names. Examples:
“Tsiyu Gansini,” who was known as Dragging Canoe,
“Enoleh,” who was known as Black Fox,
“Nenetooyah,” who was known as Bloody Fellow,
“Chuquilatague,” who was known as Double Head,
“Kunoskeskie,” who was known as John Watts,
“Cheakoneske,” who was known as Otter Lifter,
“Umatooetha,” who was known as the Water Hunter Choikamawga.
“Toowayelloh,” who was known as Bold Hunter,
“Talohteske,” who was known as Upsetter,
“Teesteke,” who was known as Common Disturber,
“Kanetetoka,” who was known as Standing Turkey,
“Koatohee,” who was known to colonial powers as Corn Tassel of Toquo,
“Newota,” who was known as the Gritzs of Chicamaga,
“Konatota,” who was known as the Rising Fawn of Highwassay,
“Chuleoah,” who was known as the Boots,
“Occunna,” who was known as the Badger,
“Chesquotteleneh,” who was known as Yellow Bird,
“Chutloh,” who was known as King Fisher,
On the birth certificates of our new Citizens, it would be nice to begin seeing “Talohteske Enoleh Smith” or “Tsiyu Gansini Teesteke Jones.”
Second, we can begin learning one of our Traditional Languages. Almost everyone who remained East of the Mississippi River is associated in some form or fashion with the Cherokee Trade Language or Erate. Those who traveled West of the Mississippi, while they spoke the Trade Language, began to speak English after 1829 to be able to hide in plain sight.
My recommendation for learning a traditional language is to learn the Mobillian Trade Language if you do not have any relationship with the Mobillian Trade Language (Choctaw) or the Cherokee Trade Language. The Mobillian Trade Language is easier to learn and predates our use of the Cherokee Trade Language. If you are already acquainted with the Cherokee Trade Language, you may want to learn it.
The Choctaw Nation offers FREE online classes for anyone who wants to learn the language. You can go to their website and search for their online courses. (https://www.choctawnation.com/services/language-courses/)
Third, we can begin learning our family history. While many have a family tree, how much do you know about your ancestors? The more you know about your family history, the more you will be able to understand how each generation sacrificed for the generations to come. Our families are intertwined with thousands of other Chickamauga. We are genuinely an Original Nations people, with tens of thousands of our families living today; they do not know it yet.
Fourth, we can begin by serving our Chickamauga Nation community and the communities in which we live. There are hundreds of ways a person can be involved in serving our Tribal community where we live. Culturally, this is significant because it ties us all together and creates additional bonds between our families, which will bind us together in good times and bad. We can grow an extra tomato, squash, pepper, or potato and give them away to our community. We can plant an extra fruit tree, take the bounty, and share it with our community. We must begin to restore our sense of community, which was stolen from us by the colonial mindset.
Fifth, we can begin by going to Clan Family meetings. Everyone who is a Citizen has had their Clan affiliation determined. In January, you will receive information about your Clan family and how you can be involved in it in the future. While this has not been previously stressed as an aspect of Tribal identity, it is vital from a cultural standpoint because it gives us an additional way to be connected to the Nation.
Finally, find a place to serve in the Nation. In January, you will learn of hundreds of ways you can serve your Nation. Whether you are from one of the more than 37 states and three nations where our citizens are located, you will be able to find a place to serve. You will almost always have an opportunity to serve online or in person.
(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.