Which Cherokee Nation

© TCN Press
BY Line: Fort Smith, AR
November 11, 2025

It is time to pull back the history curtain and talk about the most hidden piece of history on this continent, “Which Cherokee Nation?”

The Big Lie
The Big Lie is that there is only one Cherokee Nation.

For many in Oklahoma and the halls of the Bureau of Indian Affairs in Washington, D.C., they have told a lie for so long and in so many ways that they now believe their own lie.  It is impossible for those who have chosen to be delusional about the past even to comprehend truth and reality, even when presented from the National Archives of the United States government.

In The Crown of Life (1869) by Isa Blagden, “There” is one thing, he said, “and I can take an oath on it if you like, not one farthing of that money will minister to me personally—it goes into the funds of our cause. There is a newspaper to be established in Germany—writers to be sought for and paid—and an establishment to be maintained, and it is on that business I am going abroad; despots gag the press, we more wisely make it our weapon. If a lie is only printed often enough, it becomes a quasi-truth, and if such a truth is repeated often enough, it becomes an article of belief, a dogma, and men will die for it. We, who are of neither extreme in politics, neither pure red not pure black …”

In the 2016 article titled, How Liars Create the ‘Illusion of Truth’ psychologist, Tom Stafford says, “repetition makes a fact seem more true, regardless of whether it is or not. Understanding this effect can help you avoid falling for propaganda.”  Even those who falsely attribute the phrase “A lie told often enough becomes the truth” to Vladimir Lenin or Joseph Goebbels still make the point that a lie told often enough becomes the truth.

Unpacking the Big Lie: Different Tribes and Towns – Different Cherokee Nations

Questions that must be asked and answered for a better understanding include: Which of the Cherokee Nations historically evolved from the Mound Building Cultures of Mesoamerica, and which ones did not?  Which of the Cherokee Nations historically evolved from the Southeastern Ceremonial Complex of the Mississippi River Bottoms, and which ones did not?  Which of the Cherokee Nations historically evolved from the Traditional Religious Practices, and which ones did not?  Which of the Cherokee Nations historically and archeologically originated South of the Ohio River Valley, and which ones did not?

It is time to examine the historical record to determine which one of the more than 11 dozen Cherokee Nations is being discussed at any specific time from 1684.  Each town had its own government, Chief, headmen, warriors, Raven (War Chief), and clan(s).  Each Town was autonomous and had its own laws, religion, and customs, which varied even within neighboring Towns.  According to the 1785 Treaty (7 Stat. 18), “the said Indians for themselves and their respective tribes and towns do acknowledge all the Cherokees to be under the protection of the United States,” stipulates that there are numerous Tribes and Towns that make up the contingency of Cherokees present at the signing of the Treaty — effectively stating that there are multiple Cherokee Nations that came together to sign the Treaty, each on their own behalf, placing their individual Tribes and Towns under the protection of the United States.  

Historically, the English tried to consolidate the various Tribes and Towns into more manageable groupings. In 1684, Carolina (the English Colony) separated the Towns into the Lower Towns, the Valley Towns, the Middle Towns, the Out Towns, the Upper Towns, and the Over the Hills.  Historically and archaeologically, the Lower Towns, Valley Towns, Middle Towns, Out Towns, and Upper Towns evolved from the Mound Building Culture of Mesoamerica, as well as the Southeastern Ceremonial Complex that existed in the Southeast Woodlands era of the Mississippi River Bottoms.  According to the 73-volume Jesuit Relations, the “Christianized” Over the Hills Cherokee Nations originated in the Lake Erie and Lake Huron regions of Canada before being expelled from the Iroquoian Confederacy following the Beaver Wars. In the late 1670s, they began descending southward along the Appalachian Mountain chain before arriving in the Southeast between the late 1690s and 1710, according to their Chief, Charles R. Hicks, in his handwritten letters to the white-educated, John Ross.

In 1728, Attakullakulla, a Nippising, was a Chief in the “Cherokee” Lower Towns, and Amatoya Moytoy, a Powhatan, was a Chief in the “Cherokee” Middle Towns.  England, in an attempt to deal with only one Chief among the “Indians” instead of the dozens of Chiefs, used Sir Alexander Cummings to appoint Chief Amatoya Moytoy as “Emperor of the Cherokee,” to simplify treaty-making with the Indians.  This appointment led to the 1730 signing of the Whitehall Treaty between England and the “Cherokee.”  In 1734, the King of England referred to Yamacraw Chief Tomo-Chi-Chi, as well as the Lower Creek and all of the Tribes in the Southeast as Cherokee, but they were not; many were culturally cousins of the Southeastern Ceremonial Complex, but not all were “Cherokee”

One of the first attempts to identify the different towns was done by Bartram, who identified 43 towns.  First, Echoe, Nucasse, Whatoga, Cowe – Towns on the Tanase east of Jore Mountains. Second, Ticoloosa, Jore, Conisca, Nowe – Inland Towns on the branches of the Tanase.  Third, Tomothle, Noewe, Tellico, Clennuse, Ocunnolufte, Chewe, Quanuse, Tellowe – Towns on the Tanase over the Jore Mountains.  Fourth, Tellico, Chatauga, Hiwasse, Chewase, Nuanha – Inland Towns on the branches of the Tanase and other waters over the Jore Mountains. Fifth, Tallase, Chelowe, Sette, Chote (Great), Joco, Tahasse, Tamahle, Tuskege, Big Island, Nilaque, Niowe – Overhill Town on the Tanase or Cherokee River.  Sixth, Sinica, Keowe, Kulsage – Lower Towns east of the Mountains on the Savanna or Keowe River.  Seventh, Tugilo, Estotowe – Lower Towns east of the mountains on Tugilo River.  Eighth, Qualatche, Chote – Lower towns on the Flint River.  Ninth, Estitiwe (Great), Allagae, Jore, Naeoche – Towns on the waters of other rivers.

In 1799, there is a list of “Cherokee Towns” receiving Annuities: Oostinawley, Creek Path, Aumoia, Nickojack, Running Water, Ellijay, Cabben, High Tower, Pine Log, High Tower Forks, Tocoah, Coosaway, Shoemeck, Aumuchee, Tulloolah, Willstown, Achohee, Cuclon, Duck-town, Ailigulsha, Highwassee, Tennessee, Lookout Mountain, Noyohee, Tusquittee, Coosa, Nantiyallee, Saukee, Kenyukee, Red Bank, Nukeza, Cowpens, Telassee, Buffalo Town, Little Tellico, Rabbit Trap, Notley, Turnip Mountain, Sallicoah, Kautika, Tausitu, Watoga, Cowee, Chillhoway, Chestnee, Turkey Town, Toquah, Chota, Big Tellico, and Tusskegee.

Prior to 1800, is a listing of 134 “Cherokee Town” names in alphabetical order: Achohee; Acounee; Ailigulsha; Allagae; Aumoia; Aumuchee; Big Island; Big Tellico; Buffalo Town; Cabben; Chagee; Chatuga; Chatugee; Chelowe; Cheowie; Chestnee; Chewase; Chewe; Chewohe; Chicherohe; Chillhoway; Chota, Chote; Chote (Great); Clennuse; Comastee; Conisca; Conontoroy; Coosa; Coosaway; Cotocanahuy; Cowe; Cowee; Coweeshee; Cowpens; Creek Path; Cuclon; Duck-town; Echay; Echoee; Echoe; Elejoy; Ellijay; Estatoie; Estotowe; Euforsee; Great Tellico; High Tower; High Tower Forks; Highwassee, Hiwasse, Joco; Jore; Joree; Kautika; Kenyukee, Keowe; Keowee; Kittowa; Kulsage; Little Tellico; Little Telliquo; Lookout Mountain; Naeoche; Nantiyallee, Nayowee; New Keowee; Nickojack; Nilaque; Niowe; Noewe; Notley; Nowe; Noyohee; Nuanha; Nucasse; Nuckasee; Nukeza; Ocunnolufte; Oostinawley; Oustanale; Oustanalla; Oustestee; Pine Log; Quacoretche; Qualatche; Quanuse; Rabbit Trap; Red Bank; Running Water; Sallicoah; Saukee; Seneca; Sette; Shoemeck; Sinica; Sittiqo; Steecoy; Tahasse; Takwashnaw; Tallase; Talassee; Tamahle; Tausitu; Telassee; Tellico; Tellowe; Tennessee; Tetohe; Ticoloosa; Tocoah; Tomassee; Tomatly; Tomothle; Toqua; Toquah, Torsee; Torsalla; Tosawa; Tricentee; Tucharechee; Tuckasegee; Tugilo; Tulloolah; Turkey Town, Turnip Mountain; Turruraw; Tuskege; Tusquittee; Tussee; Tusskegee; Watoga, Watoge; Whatoga; Willstown.

In the late 1780s to the early 1800s, many of the Lower Town Chiefs and their people left the Southeast Woodlands area. They ventured West of the Mississippi River to seek protection under Spain from the genocidal actions of the United States and its American Indian Allies, the Cherokees and Chickasaw who sold their whitewashed souls for pieces of gold and silver.

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