Let’s be honest, very honest, we all know these people and some of us have been these people.  Our ancestors did not play Indian, they lived it every day of their lives. They were hunters, fishers, farmers, ranchers, land owners, hardworking people, crafters, cooks, canners, conservationists, peacekeepers, warriors, and community leaders.  They did everything they could do to thrive where they lived and they did thrive.

Today, we have some things in common with our ancestors because those traditions were passed down to us. But, something is missing, something taken from us that we are trying to teach our people to find.  What is missing is possibly the most important thing, our culture and identity.  Because of our history, those things are for the most part, unknown to our people.  What we have picked up along the way, is not ours, it is Hollywood’s and made-up for history books.

Let’s be honest with each other for a few minutes.  Most of us live in the South.  Do you really think for one moment that our ancestors wore buck-skin clothes in this heat and humidity?  Do you really think they would wear buck-skin clothes when they knew how valuable those skins were for trading?  Now, take that one step further. Fringe, who in their right mind would wear fringe on their clothes in the woods of the Southeast because they would be snagged by everything around them.  

We really need to think past the Hollywood movies and history books to learn our real history so we are not playing Indian. This is one reason we do not have powwows because they are not associated with the Southeast Woodland, Mound Culture Indians. Again, what Southeast Woodland Native American would ever wear the colors sported by powwow dancers?  They would have been visible for miles and would have been an easy target? The powwow is a modern phenomenon dating back to the late 1880s - 1890s. While some associate them with spirituality, others suggest that any earlier basis goes back to the traveling salesmen hucksters in covered wagons selling elixirs they called powwows.

Our ancestors were civilized and rich beyond their wildest dreams.  In the 1760s and 1770s the farms, ranches, plantations, and orchards had our ancestors living as leaders within the communities.  During this time the men wore silk suits imported from France while the women wore French couture.  Even after being raided and having their farms, ranches, and orchards destroyed, they continued to rebuild over and over again.  Finally, between 1780 and 1819, many of our ancestors left everything east of the Mississippi to begin anew and prove their agricultural prowess west of the Mississippi. Was this history part of your family tree?

Does your family start out in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, or Kentucky?  Maybe your family tree flourishes in Arkansas, Missouri, Texas, or maybe even Oklahoma.  Our National Executive Chiefs can trace their ancestral lineage back into the 1600s.  How far back do you know your blood lines? How well do you know each person on your family tree?  How many acres did great, great grandpa own in the 1840s?  Can you tell their stories?  Can you teach your family about their family?   

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Here are a few steps to help you as a Chickamauga.  If you are doing these things, more than likely you are not a play Indian.

1. Spend at least 1 hour per week or more learning something new about members of your family tree

2. Spend at least 2 hours per week learning our language (Lower Dialect, Reading Syllabary, Writing Syllabary, Traditional Sign)

3. Spend at least 1 hour per week learning our Chickamauga history from our Website

4. Attend at least 2 Culture or History Meetings per year in your Region

   A. If you live too far away

        i. Physically attend one National Gathering every 4 years (Chickamauga National Gathering or Chickamauga Harvest Festival) if physically possible

       ii. Remotely attend one Cultural or History meeting by logging into the event

5. Spend 4 hours per month or more volunteering in some way with the Nation

   A. If you live too far away

        i. Contact your Guardian of the Nation or the office for various ways to volunteer

6. Attend a Retreat Weekend every other year submersed in Chickamauga Culture

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(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.

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