Tsali
Encyclopedia
Tsali, originally of Coosawattee Town (Kusawatiyi), was a noted figure at two different periods of Cherokee
history, both of them vital.
From which of the main divisions of the Cherokee prior to the American Revolution
he came is not known, but records do indicate that as a young man he followed Dragging Canoe
from the time the latter migrated southwest during the Chickamauga Wars.
and the Creek War
that he made his first appearance as a major figure on the Cherokee national scene. When the teachings of Tenskwatawa
, brother of Shawnee leader Tecumseh
and known as the "Shawnee Prophet", began to filter down to the Native Americans of the Southeast, they sparked a traditionalist cultural and religious revival. Among the Cherokee it inspired what anthropologist James Mooney
dubbed the "Cherokee Ghost Dance movement". This revival multiplied in strength after the visit of Tecumseh to the council of the Upper Muscogee and representatives of the other tribes of the Southeast at Tuckabatchee calling on them to band together, abandon the ways of acculturation, and take up arms together in a united war against the Americans.
The Cherokee National Council had sent a small delegation led by The Ridge
to hear what Tecumseh had to say, and after his otherwise well-received speech when Tecumseh asked the Cherokee delegation when he could speak to their National Council, The Ridge replied that if Tecumseh, who had fought alongside many of the Cherokee leaders in the late 1780s during the Chickamauga Wars, set one foot inside the Cherokee Nation that The Ridge would kill him.
Some weeks after that Council, at approximately that time Tecumseh would have arrived back in his own town in the north, the 1812 New Madrid earthquake struck, affecting the entire continent of North America
, with aftershocks for weeks afterwards. The legend spread that after his rejection by the Cherokee at Tuckabatchee, Tecumseh had promised that when he returned home, he would stomp his foot down on the earth so that the anger of the Great Spirit would come upon the Earth.
In a Council meeting at Ustanali some weeks after the New Madrid quake, out of the town of Coosawattee came a traditionalist prophet known as Tsali to speak to the Council. His speech was very eloquent and inspirational, and when he was finished, nearly all those present were swayed. Then The Ridge, the widely-acknowledged best orator among the entire Cherokee Nation, stood and began to decry everything that had just been spoken. Zealous followers of Tsali attacked The Ridge, who fought back against his attackers until he was overwhelmed and saved for death only by the intervention of a friend.
The very fact that he defied Tsali, however, caused the latter to lose face with the Council, which had been at the point of voting nearly unanimously to support Tecumseh's war. In anger, Tsali prophesied a great apocalypse raining down from the sky on the Cherokee Nation, with the only safe haven being the Smoky Mountains of western North Carolina
, to which he then departed.
No apocalypse came, of course (unless you count the trail of tears
a generation later), but the National Council refused The Ridge's entreaties that they support the Americans in their conflict with the British during the War of 1812
. The Council only got involved in the Creek War
after being requested to do so by the Lower Muscogee, who had not heeded Tecumseh's words at Tuckabatchee.
to the Cherokee Nation West in what was to become Indian Territory
. When the soldiers came into the small group of farmsteads owned by Tsali's extended family in the Snowbird Mountains of western North Carolina, they were attacked, and some of them killed.
Both John Ross
, Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation and Yonaguska
, Principal Chief of the Eastern Band of Cherokee on the Oconaluftee River condemned Tsali's action in the strongest of terms and offered to help run him and his family down. Yonaguska being the closest was given the task, and in order to assist other nearby Cherokee in staying, asked not only his warriors but those of his friend Utsala on the Nanthahala River to take party in the hunt.
Accounts of what ultimately happened are somewhat conflicted, but the affair ended with Tsali and two of his sons being executed by a Cherokee firing squad. The rest of his large family was allowed to remain under the umbrella of the Eastern Band.
A highly legendary account of the affair can be seen at Qualla Boundary
in the play loosely-based on the events called Unto These Hills
, the first version of which was originally written by Kermit Hunter
in 1950.
Cherokee
The Cherokee are a Native American people historically settled in the Southeastern United States . Linguistically, they are part of the Iroquoian language family...
history, both of them vital.
From which of the main divisions of the Cherokee prior to the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
he came is not known, but records do indicate that as a young man he followed Dragging Canoe
Dragging Canoe
Tsiyu Gansini , "He is dragging his canoe", known to whites as Dragging Canoe, was a Cherokee war chief who led a band of Cherokee against colonists and United States settlers...
from the time the latter migrated southwest during the Chickamauga Wars.
Prophet
It was during the turbulent years leading up to the War of 1812War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
and the Creek War
Creek War
The Creek War , also known as the Red Stick War and the Creek Civil War, began as a civil war within the Creek nation...
that he made his first appearance as a major figure on the Cherokee national scene. When the teachings of Tenskwatawa
Tenskwatawa
Tenskwatawa, was a Native American religious and political leader of the Shawnee tribe, known as The Prophet or the Shawnee Prophet. He was the brother of Tecumseh, leader of the Shawnee...
, brother of Shawnee leader Tecumseh
Tecumseh
Tecumseh was a Native American leader of the Shawnee and a large tribal confederacy which opposed the United States during Tecumseh's War and the War of 1812...
and known as the "Shawnee Prophet", began to filter down to the Native Americans of the Southeast, they sparked a traditionalist cultural and religious revival. Among the Cherokee it inspired what anthropologist James Mooney
James Mooney
James Mooney was an American ethnographer who lived for several years among the Cherokee. He did major studies of Southeastern Indians, as well as those on the Great Plains...
dubbed the "Cherokee Ghost Dance movement". This revival multiplied in strength after the visit of Tecumseh to the council of the Upper Muscogee and representatives of the other tribes of the Southeast at Tuckabatchee calling on them to band together, abandon the ways of acculturation, and take up arms together in a united war against the Americans.
The Cherokee National Council had sent a small delegation led by The Ridge
Major Ridge
Major Ridge, The Ridge was a Cherokee Indian member of the tribal council, a lawmaker, and a leader. He was a veteran of the Chickamauga Wars, the Creek War, and the First Seminole War.Along with Charles R...
to hear what Tecumseh had to say, and after his otherwise well-received speech when Tecumseh asked the Cherokee delegation when he could speak to their National Council, The Ridge replied that if Tecumseh, who had fought alongside many of the Cherokee leaders in the late 1780s during the Chickamauga Wars, set one foot inside the Cherokee Nation that The Ridge would kill him.
Some weeks after that Council, at approximately that time Tecumseh would have arrived back in his own town in the north, the 1812 New Madrid earthquake struck, affecting the entire continent of North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, with aftershocks for weeks afterwards. The legend spread that after his rejection by the Cherokee at Tuckabatchee, Tecumseh had promised that when he returned home, he would stomp his foot down on the earth so that the anger of the Great Spirit would come upon the Earth.
In a Council meeting at Ustanali some weeks after the New Madrid quake, out of the town of Coosawattee came a traditionalist prophet known as Tsali to speak to the Council. His speech was very eloquent and inspirational, and when he was finished, nearly all those present were swayed. Then The Ridge, the widely-acknowledged best orator among the entire Cherokee Nation, stood and began to decry everything that had just been spoken. Zealous followers of Tsali attacked The Ridge, who fought back against his attackers until he was overwhelmed and saved for death only by the intervention of a friend.
The very fact that he defied Tsali, however, caused the latter to lose face with the Council, which had been at the point of voting nearly unanimously to support Tecumseh's war. In anger, Tsali prophesied a great apocalypse raining down from the sky on the Cherokee Nation, with the only safe haven being the Smoky Mountains of western North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, to which he then departed.
No apocalypse came, of course (unless you count the trail of tears
Trail of Tears
The Trail of Tears is a name given to the forced relocation and movement of Native American nations from southeastern parts of the United States following the Indian Removal Act of 1830...
a generation later), but the National Council refused The Ridge's entreaties that they support the Americans in their conflict with the British during the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
. The Council only got involved in the Creek War
Creek War
The Creek War , also known as the Red Stick War and the Creek Civil War, began as a civil war within the Creek nation...
after being requested to do so by the Lower Muscogee, who had not heeded Tecumseh's words at Tuckabatchee.
Cherokee removal
Nothing more was heard from Tsali until the late days of the round-up of Cherokee in the Cherokee Nation in preparation for forced removalCherokee removal
Cherokee removal, part of the Trail of Tears, refers to the forced relocation between 1836 to 1839 of the Cherokee Nation from their lands in Georgia, Texas, Tennessee, Alabama, and North Carolina to the Indian Territory in the Western United States, which resulted in the deaths of approximately...
to the Cherokee Nation West in what was to become Indian Territory
Indian Territory
The Indian Territory, also known as the Indian Territories and the Indian Country, was land set aside within the United States for the settlement of American Indians...
. When the soldiers came into the small group of farmsteads owned by Tsali's extended family in the Snowbird Mountains of western North Carolina, they were attacked, and some of them killed.
Both John Ross
John Ross (Cherokee chief)
John Ross , also known as Guwisguwi , was Principal Chief of the Cherokee Native American Nation from 1828–1866...
, Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation and Yonaguska
Yonaguska
Yonaguska, who was also known as Drowning Bear , was a figure of persistence and endurance in the story of the Cherokee. He was a reformer who banished alcoholic drinks from his land and his people after receiving a vision warning him to do so. Yonaguska challenged Rev...
, Principal Chief of the Eastern Band of Cherokee on the Oconaluftee River condemned Tsali's action in the strongest of terms and offered to help run him and his family down. Yonaguska being the closest was given the task, and in order to assist other nearby Cherokee in staying, asked not only his warriors but those of his friend Utsala on the Nanthahala River to take party in the hunt.
Accounts of what ultimately happened are somewhat conflicted, but the affair ended with Tsali and two of his sons being executed by a Cherokee firing squad. The rest of his large family was allowed to remain under the umbrella of the Eastern Band.
A highly legendary account of the affair can be seen at Qualla Boundary
Qualla Boundary
The Qualla Boundary is the territory where the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians reside in western North Carolina.-Location:...
in the play loosely-based on the events called Unto These Hills
Unto These Hills
Unto These Hills is an outdoor historical drama staged annually at the 2800-seat Mountainside Theatre in Cherokee, North Carolina. It is the second oldest outdoor historical drama in the United States, after The Lost Colony in Manteo, North Carolina...
, the first version of which was originally written by Kermit Hunter
Kermit Hunter
Kermit Houston Hunter American playwright known primarily for writing outdoor historical dramas.Born in McDowell County, West Virginia in 1910, Hunter went on to Ohio State University where he graduated in 1931. After graduation, he held a number of jobs and joined the U.S. Army in 1940...
in 1950.
Sources
- Brown, John P. Old Frontiers: The Story of the Cherokee Indians from Earliest Times to the Date of Their Removal to the West, 1838. (Kingsport: Southern Publishers, 1938).
- Eckert, Allan W. A Sorrow in Our Heart: The Life of Tecumseh. (New York: Bantam, 1992).
- McLoughlin, William G.William G. McLoughlinWilliam Gerald McLoughlin was an historian and prominent member of the history department at Brown University from 1954 to 1992. His subject areas were the history of religion in the United States, revivalism, the Cherokee, missionaries to Native Americans, abolitionism, and Rhode Island.Born in...
Cherokee Renascence in the New Republic. (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1992). - Mooney, JamesJames MooneyJames Mooney was an American ethnographer who lived for several years among the Cherokee. He did major studies of Southeastern Indians, as well as those on the Great Plains...
. Myths of the Cherokee and Sacred Formulas of the Cherokee. (Nashville: Charles and Randy Elder-Booksellers, 1982). - Wilkins, Thurman. Cherokee Tragedy: The Ridge Family and the Decimation of a People. (New York: Macmillan Company, 1970).