Draft:ECSIUT

The Eastern Cherokee Southern Iroquois and United Tribes (ECSIUT) is a state

recognized group and 501(c)(3) non profit organization headquartered in Duncan,

South Carolina (1). The organization was awarded the status of state recognized

Indian group by the South Carolina Commission of Minority Affairs in 2005. The

state gave them the state-recognized group and special interest organization

designation under the SC Code Section 1-31-40 (A) (7)(10), Statutory Authority

Chapter 139 (100-111) on February 17, 2005 (2). ECSIUT Officially organized in

1997 as a non-profit Indian association entity under the late Chief William Goins

(3,12). Currently Chief Lamar Nelson and Vice Chief Jody Noe, are the current

executive officials for the Tribe( 4). The ECSIUT are not federally recognized but

are one of two state recognized Cherokee organizations in South Carolina. ECSIUT

are the upstate Cherokees of South Carolina originating from the historical Lower

Towns of the Cherokee (4). Members of the ECSIUT trace their descendances as

requirement for enrollment, as well as having a blood quantum of at least 1/32

Cherokee (4). ECSIUT is organized to preserve, present, protect and document

Cherokee history and other Native American Indian tribes’ cultures and

individuals, material culture, historic buildings, and folkways in South Carolina.

Most importantly, the ECSIUT fosters a Spirit of unified voice among the Native

American communities in South Carolina and to improve the quality of life among

persons of Native American descent. This tribal organization is dedicated to

promoting and creating an awareness of Cherokee and other Native Americans’

arts, history, culture, and its contributions to the development of America and

South Carolina. The Eastern Cherokee, Southern Iroquois, and United Tribes of

South Carolina achieves these goals by promoting the unique culture of Native

Americans and Cherokees through publications, exhibitions, symposiums,

festivals, PowWows, and other activities. Most importantly, the ECSIUT fosters a

Spirit of unified voice among the Native American communities in South Carolina

and to improve the quality of life among persons of Native American descent. In

historic preservation, The Eastern Cherokee, Southern Iroquois &amp;amp; United Tribes of

South Carolina fosters historic preservation of significant Native American Indian

statewide sites and supports preservation of Native American buildings, historic

neighborhood revitalization, and historic markers. ECSIUT is a founding member

of the South Carolina Traditional Arts Network. ECSIUT’s major projects include:

the SC statewide observance of National Native American Indian Heritage Month,

the Native Talent, Inc.; SC American Indian Writers Project; the SC Native

American Traditional Arts Project, and the Annual Native American Indian Film

and Video Festival of the Southeastern United States among others (13,14).

Etymology
Introduction to the language and syllabary is to introduce the Cherokee 7 clan

system, found only in Cherokee organizations. The clans are Wolf (Ani-Wahya),

Bird (Ani-Tsiskwa), Deer (Ani-Kawai), Twister or Long Hair (Ani-Gilohi), Blue (Blue

Holly) or Bear (Ani-Sahoni), Wild Potato (Ani-Gatogewi), Red Paint (Ani-Wodi);

note that Cherokee etymology is associated with each name. Because of the

differences in each of these clans and their stark contrast to Anglo-American

traditions, one can see how it affected the South Carolina Cherokee social and

cultural structures. According to Crosslin F. Smith, the Spiritual Leader of the

Cherokee Nation, states “Each clan has a specialty – a strong personality or

philosophical approach to life. The ultimate goal is for each person to utilize these

specialties, to learn from them and to employ them in their life.” Animals are

placed as representatives to the clan system for their traits and abilities in their

environment (8).

Wild Potato Clan (Anigodagewi) – is a subdivision of Blind Savannah, derived from

the Small Prairie Animal clan, whereas small prairie animals could exist out in the

open with very little protection and can conceal themselves by blending into their

environment. In reference to the wild potato, clan traits were keepers of the land

and gatherers.

Long Hair Clan (Anigilohi) – is derived from the Panther clan and its Cherokee

name has translated into English as Long Hair, Twister and Stranger clans. A trait

of this clan comes from the panther’s ability to maneuver or get through things. In

reference to long hair, this clan was known to be peaceful. Non-Cherokees,

prisoners of war and orphans were often adopted into this clan, thus the name

“Strangers” clan.

Paint Clan (Aniwodi) – is derived from the Hawk Clan. It was likely translated to

Paint Clan from the Cherokee word uwodi, which is a name for a medicinal and

highly regarded red powder. Paint Clan is historically known as medicine people.

Bird Clan (Anitsisqua) – is named for small birds as representatives of this clan.

They have been regarded as exhibiting strong “moral and relational values” as

they are able to harmoniously coexist in close quarters, eat together and share

shelter and have “societal and relational strengths.” Bird Clan members were

known as messengers. Their subdivisions are Raven, Turtle Dove and Eagle clans.

Deer Clan (Aniawi) – The deer and its hooved relatives such as elk, buffalo and

antelope all share characteristic traits such as “a fleeting instinct, keen senses and

great speed and endurance.” Animal hooves were used to doctor other animals

for different physical conditioning or to improve performance. Deer Clan

members were known for speed and hunting.

Wolf Clan (Aniwaya) – is known to be the largest clan, teaching “family values and

cooperation.” They were known to provide the war chief during the time of a war

chief and peace chief government.

Blue Clan (Anisahoni) – are considered the oldest clan. Its subdivisions are

Panther or Wildcat and Bear clans. They were known to produce special

medicines for the youth. (7)

Traditionally, Cherokees are a matrilineal society. Women were not only the

heads of their households, but also held leadership positions within the tribe. A

child is born into it’s mother’s clan, and people are not allowed to marry within

their clans. Women controlled the clans, inherited all property and field rights,

participated in tribal government and many were war chiefs. Each clan had its’

own responsibility within the tribe. Clan governance and social customs were

observed in a matrilineal order and was governed by an elected Council of

Women that were substantially influential and had the right to declare war. In

short the women owned all the property, the children belonged to their mothers

clan, women held positions in governance, and the field rights of the woman was

handed down from mother to daughter (7,8). In Smith’s book, he states for many

Indian nations, clan systems helped people model personality traits after animals,

which were known as teachers of the natural world. The clan system has provided

moral guidelines, informed Cherokee people’s system of governance and

provided guidelines for marriage (8).

Historic Origins
The Cherokee Indians of South Carolina have had a continuous presence with the

state of South Carolina since its birth. Over hundreds of years there is continual

documentation since first contact to support this (5). Specific Cherokee

community in Oconee and Pickens counties were the geographic area where the

last treaty with the Cherokee People and South Carolina was signed. It was

focused on and dealing with the 1816/1817 treaty, ten years before the Indian

Removal Act was signed into law by Andrew Jackson (6). Historical Summary is

that our homelands located in the remote and inaccessible area called the

Upstate, or Lower Towns (Villages) of the Cherokee People, has been our

homelands for over 500 years and the modern surnames of families, for at least

225 years (5). In early times most of the families were farmers and lived in rural

communities throughout the state of SC. In keeping with the Cherokee Fall

Festival tradition of celebrating harvest and homecoming. This is held the first

week of October, to this day! During that time the Cherokee People would come

back to gather on our traditional homelands. The genealogical and historic

documentation has been competed for many of these families and currently there

are about 500 Cherokee descendants on the Tribal rolls of the ECSIUT. These

Cherokee descendants had ancestors who resided in numerous Cherokee Lower

Towns of history including: Brasstown, Crane Creek, Chatuga, Chauga, Cherowee,

Coweeshee, Echay, Essenca, Estanely, Estatoe, Tomassee, Toxaway, and Tugaloo

Village.(4) These Cherokee descendants became heirs to an ancient culture and

custodians of the Cherokee Lifeways. The Cherokees of South Carolina continue

the traditions inherited from their forefathers and foremothers. We, the

Cherokees who remained in South Carolina, continue our Lifeways by expressing

ourselves via our cultural art and traditional crafts, folkways and food ways passed

down from our ancient ancestors (10). The Cherokees of South Carolina survived

against many obstacles of systematic disentitlement, institutional prejudice,

structural disenfranchisement, de facto segregation, de jure segregation and

blatant racism during the early 1900s in the “Jim Crow” era and up until

contemporary times of the 21st century and still currently (9).

Native American Origin
Blood relates many of our members to each other, this is what Tribalism is. We

are also a gathering of loosely coupled families and distinctive social and cultural

organizations which is our clan system. Community of ECSUIT consists of about

540 members, are located throughout the entire state of South Carolina, as well

as adjacent states and outsides of the Carolinas, our ancestral homelands (4).

Although our ancestral homelands of the Lower Towns are in the upstate of South

Carolina, we were also on the coastal areas and across the whole of the state

following the Cherokee Trade Path across the state. ECSUIT core community

descends from a specific remote community on the South Carolina border with

NC and Georgia. This is known and the “Lower Towns” located in the upstate of

South Carolina and Georgia. The border in the county of Oconee made this area

surrounded by the Tugaloo river and the Chauga river, making this the location

that was ideal and safe haven as an isolated settlement during the times of

removal; remembering that South Carolina did not enforce emigration and

deportation of the Cherokees, but also did not honor their treaty with the

creation of reserves for the Tribe (6,11). Therefore, we had to create our own safe

havens once removed from our country. This area was suitable for farming,

raising tobacco and other crops, which became our community’s economic

substance for the past 200 years. From the 1500s the Cherokees have occupied

the extreme northwestern portion of South Carolina in present day Oconee,

Pickens, Anderson, and Greenville counties. During the colonial period the

Cherokees dominated the Midlands and the Upstate regions of South Carolina

with many of these Native American descendants still residing in these same

areas (4,11).

Government
ECSIUT currently has a lifetime appointment for the position of Chief and Vice

Chief with an appointed Tribal Council in the 21st century. Currently, Chief Lamar

Nelson and Vice Chief Jody E. Noe, are the executive council for the Tribe.

Historically the Tribe has had several Chiefs in the 20th century including patriarch

and traditional herbalist Alexander Doc Allen (1868-1935) and his parents Foch

Allen and Martha Oglesby.

Historical Chiefs of the South Carolina Cherokees: Chickamauga Cherokees
Chickamauga/Lower Cherokee (1777–1809) In 1777, Dragging Canoe and a large

body of Cherokee, primarily from Tennessee, separated from the bands that had

signed treaties of peace with the Americans during the American Revolution. They

migrated first to the Chickamauga (now Chattanooga, Tennessee) region, then to

the &amp;quot; Five Lower Towns&amp;quot; area of South Carolina in order to continue fighting (see

Cherokee–American wars). In time, these Chickamauga Cherokee comprised a

majority of the nation, due to both sympathy with their cause and the destruction

of the homes of other Cherokee who later joined them. (5,11)

These are the historical Chiefs of the South Carolina Cherokees:

Dragging Canoe (1777–1792)

John Watts (1792–1802)

Doublehead, brother of Old Tassel (1802–1807)

The Glass, or Ta&amp;#39;gwadihi (1807–1809)

 See Also: 

Other Cherokee Tribal Groups in other states:

Georgia Tribe of Eastern Cherokee

Lucian Lamar Sneed, Pd.D. Executive Director

State Recognized Ga Code OCGA 44-12-300

a/k/a Georgia Cherokee Indians

State Recognized Ga Code OCGA 44-12-300

P.O. Box 1915

Cumming, Georgia 30028

ECHOTA CHEROKEE TRIBE OF ALABAMA

PERRY WHITE, CHIEF

59 HWY 487

VANDIVER AL 35176

(205) 672-0361

CHEROKEE TRIBE OF NORTHEAST ALABAMA

CHARLENE TUCKALEECHE STORY, CHIEF

53 BUCKWORTH CIRCLE TRAFFORD AL 35172 (205) 681-0080 E-MAIL:

WEB SITE: http://www.tsalagi.org/

CHEROKEES OF SOUTHEAST ALABAMA

RAYMOND (DICK) HULL, CHIEF

2212 50TH ST

VALLEY AL 36854

(334) 756-2889

UNITED CHEROKEE INTERTRIBAL

GINA WILLIAMSON, CHIEF

P.O. BOX 754

GUNTERVILLE, AL 35976

(256) 878-6021

Chikamaka-Cherokees

Principal Chief,Tim Meeks; Gvnidigardi

PO Box 201 Tracy City, TN 37387 http://www.chikamaka.org/

Western Cherokee Nation of Arkansas &amp;amp; Missouri

776 HWY 351

Paragould, AR 72450

Western Cherokee Nation of Arkansas &amp;amp; Missouri

200 North Rockingchair Road

Paragould, Arkansas 72450

Ph: (870) 239-5174, Fax: (870) 239-9974

Charles Jahtlohi Rogers M.D.

Traditional Chief and Ugu

Cherokee Nation of Mexico

http://www.cherokeenationmexico.com/

Government Records:

Bureau of Indian Affairs: Established in 1824, the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA)

was the onetime repository for a variety of historical records. However, many of

these records now belong to the National Archives. Still, you can contact regional

BIA offices and request what information they may still have on file. Be prepared

to provide as much information as you can about your ancestors’ tribal

affiliations. For contact information, visit the BIA website:

http://www.doi.gov/bureau-indian-affairs.html

U.S. Federal Census: Not to be confused with Indian reservation census lists, the

U.S. Federal Census began incorporating American Indian communities in 1860.

Transitional censuses (most dating from 1880 to 1890) are among the most

valuable censuses available. They included Indian names alongside corresponding

American names as well as information ranging from native languages to

American Indian blood degree. To access ancestry.com website's census collection

http://www.ancestry.families.aol.com/search/rectype/census/main.htm

Dawes Commission Index: The Dawes Act of 1893 reapportioned land belonging to

the Five Civilized Tribes Cherokee, Creek, Choctaw, Chickasaw and Seminole.

Members of each tribe could apply for a portion of this land after submitting

proof of tribal enrollment. The Dawes Commission listed the names of those who

enrolled between 1896 and 1914.To access the Dawes Commission Index on

Ancestry.com: http://www.ancestry.families.aol.com/search/rectype/inddbs/3118

a.htm

The Hudson’s Bay Company: Founded by British-Scotch fur traders in Canada

around 1670. Hudson’s Bay company preserved records for local Indian marriages

and baptisms along with journals obtained from traveling fur traders (who spent

a great deal of time with American and Canadian tribes). More detailed than

average government records, these documents are now housed at the Hudson’s

Bay Archives in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. For more information about the

Hudson’s Bay Company Archives visit their

website: http://www.gov.mb.ca/chc/archives/hbca/

The National Archives: With its main office located in Washington D.C., the

National Archives is easily the nation’s largest repository for American Indian

genealogical records. The records encompass a variety of topics ranging from

Indian trade, reservation censuses, treaties, land claims and education. To visit

The National Archives website: http://www.archives.gov/