Chikamaka

The term Chikamaka is not the anglicized spelling that most folks are more accustomed to seeing. Perhaps you are more familiar with the Americanized spelling of Chickamauga. Dragging Canoe, “Tsiyugunsini”, was the Leader. The Chickamauga confederacy of various tribes and tories disgruntled with the former British Colonists attempts to take their lands. This confederacy consisted primarily of Chitimauca, Cherokee, , Chickasaw, Choctaw, Delaware, Mohawk, Shawnee, Catawba, their white allies the Tories (mainly Scottish and Irish), and several smaller tribes.
The Chikamakas who stayed in the homeland and inhabited what is now known as the South Cumberland Plateau assimilated into the mainstream of Society all the while teaching our children about who they really were. Over the years they intermarried with other races as well as amongst themselves. Some things were forgotten and some practices ceased. During the Forced Removal they remained in their mountain stronghold basically untouched by US Forces. Because they had fought the whites, former British Colonies, for over twenty years their forefathers were denied allotments and basic rights granted to those who descended from “Peaceful Indians.” Because they had fought for what was theirs they were known to both “Whites” and “Peaceful” Indians as “The Hostiles.” They are proud of this nickname. They aided in the escape of numerous Indians who passed their way. Some chose to remain and become a part of the community. In conducting research into their genealogy you will find records of people’s deaths but will never find that person on any US Census as they chose not to participate. Others did participate and were either labeled as “White”, Mulatto, or “Free Person’s of Color.”
In order to properly conduct census searches one must check the following counties as boundaries changed and new counties were formed: Grundy, Marion, Coffee, Franklin, Warren, and Sequatchie.
Today many Chikamaka are of intermingled background, give some fair skin and blue eyes even with 50% Indian blood.
In 1794, an expedition led by Major James Ore destroyed most of the Chikamaka towns and killed many of their inhabitants. The survivors fled to the hills and coves of the South Cumberland Plateau, which was to be their "final stronghold." They vowed to either be allowed to live there in peace or die. Their primary goal was to hold on to the land at all cost. This goal was accomplished with much personal loss.
The Government refused to give the Chikamaka peoples any allotments or recognition due them for their 20 plus year long war. The 1924 Citizenship Act repealed this law allowing us to publicly admit our heritage. Distrust for previous acts against their grandparent’s grandparents caused many to still be wary.
Today the Chikamaka are attempting to change this fear instilled by our previous generations and to hang on to the traditions and culture before it is lost. We are gathering the descendants of this once proud people. Our goals are to bring the people forth publicly as a whole. The Traditional Homeland of the Chikamaka is in the area of Tennessee which is partitioned as the following counties Coffee, Franklin, Grundy, Marion, Sequatchie and Warren, but we have members who live throughout the state and in points beyond.

Historic Towns

The foremost of these towns that are known today was known as Tsi Ka Ma Gi or Chickamauga. It was located in the Brainerd area inside the current Chattanooga, TN city limits. Dragging Canoe and the warriors formerly of Great Island settled this place in 1777. Colonel Evan Shelby cruelly destroyed it in 1779.

After the destruction of the "Tsi Ka Ma Gi" or Chickamauga towns, the Chickamaugans built five villages known as the "Five Lower Towns". Dragging Canoe located his headquarters Running Water Town. The Famous Shawnee Leader Tecumseh spent two years in this area.

Citico/ Settico, or by its Cherokee name, “Ustutigwayi” (meaning, “Big fish there”) was about ½ mile west of Tsikamagi. It was settled by refuges of the town of Settico of the Overhills. Colonel Evan Shelby’s forces destroyed it in April of 1779.

Kituwah (Cherokee name Gatugiw or people of the Creator) the name used by the Cherokee for themselves: This was also located in what is now Chattanooga, TN. It was settled in 1777 and destroyed in April, 1779 by Colonel Evan Shelby under orders of the US Government.

OOLTEWAH, a Chickamauga town founded by Ostenaco, located on Ooltewah Creek, a.k.a., Judd’s Creek.

TELASSEE, OR TALASI, founded in 1777, it was a village near Chickamauga-Town.

Tlanuwa, (meaning “Hawk Hole”): This is the Cherokee name for what folks now call Chattanooga. Also known as “Chattanooga-Town”.

TOQUA, in Cherokee, Dakwai, meaning “Place of the Great mystic Fish”. Located inside the current Chattanooga city limits, this village was settled in 1777 by refuges of Toqua of the Overhills. It was destroyed in April, 1779 by Colonel Evan Shelby.

TUSKEEGE, from the Muskogee (Creek) name, Tuskegee which means “Warrior’s Place”. It was located near Suck Creek, downriver from Chattanooga, north bank of the Tennessee River. This island town was also settled in 1777, and destroyed in April, 1779, by Colonel Shelby. “Bloody Fellow” founded this town.

AMOYEE, meaning “water place”, located near the Hiwasee river and north of Chickamauga-Town.

Chestoee or Tsistuyi (Means “Rabbit Place”, located at Chestoee Creek in present day Polk County.

HIWASEE. Located on Hiwasee River and north a Chickamauga-town, Sevier led his 1788 Chickamauga raid from this village. This was the childhood home of Major Ridge and family at the time of its destruction by Sevier. Ridge’s mother & father and her brothers (who were of the same clan of course) fled to the headwaters of the Little Sequatchee River. This is in present day Grundy County, at Sweeten Hill. This land is owned by the Jim Campbell family of Tracy City, TN.

OCOEE, OR UWAGAHI MEANING “APRICOT PLACE.” This is a word of Muscogee (Creek) origin. It was located east of Chickamauga-Town in the valley settlements of the Cherokee.

CROW TOWN, OR KAGUNYI, located near present day Stevenson, Alabama on the Tennessee River, settled after 1799 & the largest of the Lower towns.

LONG ISLAND TOWN, OR AMAYELIGUNAHITA. Located near the present day Bridgeport, AL, on the Tennessee River, this was also settled after 1779.

LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN TOWN, OR STECOYEE, “BIG FISH THERE.” Located near present day Trenton, GA, this was “Little Owl’s” town.

NICKAJACK, OR ANIKUSATIYI, “OLD CREEK PLACE.” Located near present Shellmound, TN, it contained at least 40 dwellings and was destroyed by Major James Ore (US) on 13 September 1794.

RUNNING WATER TOWN, OR AMOGAYUNYI. Located 3 miles above Nickajack, this was the principal settlement of the Chikamaka. It contained over 100 dwellings and was located on the southern bank of the Tennessee River. It was destroyed by Major James Ore (US) 13, September 1794.

* SOURCE: THESE LOCATIONS AND NAMES CAN BE FOUND IN Heart of the Eagle by Brent Cox

* SOURCE: [http://books.google.com/books?idrLBrUbj02IcC&pgPA344&dq=dragging+canoe+five+lower+towns#PPA344,M1 Touring the East Tennesse Backroads By Carolyn Sakowski]

Historic Trails

The Sequatchie trail runs from the Pikeville mounds. It led down the Sequatchie Valley keeping near the Sequatchie River. It passes the sites of a large number of prehistoric villages. It finally reaches the great crossing place of the Tennessee at Bridgeport Island over trail 21 near the mouth of the Sequatchie Valley.

The main Blackfox trail continued westward from the Sequatchie mounds across the Cumberland Plateau. It reached the Caney Fork River a few miles upstream from the Falls of the Caney Fork. It crossed the well-known Chikamaka path a short distance south of Rock Island. From there it passed the junction of Mountain creek with the Collins River, and then up the north side of Mountain creek to the present line between Warren and Cannon counties, following near the line of the present Woodbury to the famous Blackfox Springs in the suburbs of Murfreesboro.

The Nickajack trail runs from the Old Stone Fort in Manchester via Pelham, Elk River, and Wonder Cave. It crossed what is now the Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis Railway Branch Line a little southeast of Monteagle and followed down Battle Creek crossing the Tennessee River at the old Creek Crossing near the mouth of Battle Creek close to Bridgeport, AL. This is also known as the Cisca Trail or the Old stone Fort trail, and the St. Augustine Trail. This is taken from the early maps of the State; the map of Gen. Daniel Smith in 1795 and Carey’s “General Atlas,” Philadelphia 1814. Copies of both are in the State library of Nashville. The North Prong of the Nickajack branched off from the main line on the Head of Hickory Creek in Grundy County, TN and connected to a pathway leading to the Cherokee camp near the Barren Fork and Collins River junction. It was used as a route of the Trail of Tears.

The Chikamaka Warpath led up Battle Creek, near Comfort, Marion County, TN and afterwards passed along the South Cumberland Plateau by Coalmont, Beersheba Springs, and Rock Island. The path itself led right past the springs in which is now known as Beersheba Springs.

This information was documented in the book: “Indian Trails of the Southeast,” by William Edward Myer, copyright 1971 by Blue & Gray Press. Mr. Myer was born Oct. 5th, 1862.

This is some of the history of the Chikamaka in the area of Grundy County. The camp of Barren Fork and Collins River was there until the Forced Removal in 1838. Those who chose to remain hid out in the hills and coves in the region that makes up the South Cumberland Plateau. By this and other information we base the proof that we never left and that we originally inhabited this area as we still do.
Last Holdout

NICKAJACK and RUNNING WATER were both destroyed in September of 1794 by Maj. James Ore. The survivors & former inhabitants of these two (2) towns fled to the area now located on top of the South Cumberland Plateau and settled in the areas known today as Green town, Hobbs Hill, and Tracy City.

They were nothing more than villages and camp sites, hidden out of the way in hollows and sloughs on top of present day Monteagle Mountain. The camp in Tracy City was later the home place of Chief Shook, who removed to Oklahoma with his immediate family, leaving those who wished to, a choice to stay behind. Other Chikamaka are established in places like the “Pocket” in present day Marion County, in Jasper-Town, the current site of Jasper, TN in Sequatchie County, and other connected up with the camps and Cherokee settlements located in the valleys on the other side of the South Cumberland Plateau in what is now designated as Warren County at the intersection of Barren Fork Creek and the Collins River.

Another such camp was located at the head of the Elk River (or the Chuwalee River) in Pelham Valley. This was a hunter’s camp for Chuwalee town, and named for the Chief Chuwalee, who settled near the current site of Beersheba Springs, well known as a tourist attraction today for its springs.

In Grundy County, one certain Chikamaka chose under the 1817 reservation treaty his 640 acres on top of the South Cumberland Plateau in what is now divided between both Marion & Grundy Counties and is still known today by his name “Pigeon” Or Pigeon Springs. This is accessible from the top by way of Partin’s farm road off Hwy. 41 on the left going from Tracy City towards Monteagle, TN.

In Current Franklin County, the town where present day Sewanee and the University of the South is located, was the site of Suwanee Old Town. Others moved on to the area known as Goosepond in Coffee County. This was also a site where many returning Cherokee settled on their way back from the devastating relocation during the Trail of Tears. (NOTE: many who returned had been promised good land in Oklahoma. Upon arrival, they saw a desolate, flat, dreary land, and rather than stay, risked their lives to return east to the familiar mountain ranges of the traditional Cherokee homeland).

An example of this return is found in the story of the DUNCAN family, whose names appear on the 1852 Drennon Roll in the Delaware District. Another lady was “rescued” from the forced march of the party that left the stockades in Rattlesnake Springs in present day Bradley County. She was the grandmother of Mr. James Turner, long time resident of Lake Road in Tracy City, TN. This group of Cherokee that she was rescued from came up what is now Hwy. 41 from Jasper into present day Tracy City, arriving there in early 1840. They were following the Nickajack Trail (which passes by the head of Hickory Creek in Grundy County) on their way to Oklahoma. This group (minus those who otherwise escaped) went off the mountain on what is now Clouse Hill Road that goes from the spring at the base of the mountain in Paynes Cove and continued following the Nickajack Trail till it intersected with the Inali or Black Fox Trail.

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