Yonaguska
Encyclopedia
Yonaguska, who was also known as Drowning Bear (the English approximation of his name), 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. Schermerhorn to explain the terms of the 1835 Treaty of New Echota
that a handful of Cherokee had signed. He is also the only chief who remained in the hills to rebuild the Eastern Band with others who had escaped or eluded the soldiers. His adopted son, William Thomas, the only white chief the Cherokee ever had, would carry on Yonaguska’s work to establish what is now the Qualla Boundary
. During his life, however, Yonaguska was also a reformer and a prophet, a leader who recognized the power of the white man’s liquor and early on realized the lengths to which settlers would go to take over Cherokee lands.
to his people in the North Carolina
mountains. He was described as strikingly handsome, strongly built, standing 6 in 3 in (1.91 m), with a faint tinge of red—due to a slight strain of white blood on his father’s side—relieving the brown of his cheek. Like many dedicated reformers, Yonaguska’s resolve was strengthened by first-hand experience—he had been addicted to alcohol most of his life.
, a 14-year-old white boy who was destined to succeed him as chief and become the only white man ever to serve as chief of the tribe. When the chief addressed his people, he relayed a message from the spirit world: “The Cherokee must never again drink whiskey. Whiskey must be banished.” He then had Will Thomas write out a pledge: “The undersigned Cherokees, belonging to the town of Qualla,” it read, “agree to abandon the use of spirituous liquors.” Yonaguska then signed it, followed by the whole council and town. Preserved among Thomas’ papers, the pledge is now in the archives of the Mountain Heritage Center at Western Carolina University
. From the signing of the pledge until his death in 1839 at the age of 80, whiskey was almost unknown among the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians
. And when any of his people broke the pledge—few did while he was alive—Yonaguska enforced the edict with the whipping post and lash.
Yonaguska was the first among his people to perceive the white man’s takeover of their mountain kingdom. As a boy of 12, he had such a vision and spoke of it, but no one paid any attention to him. As a young man, he had witnessed the havoc wreaked among his people when Gen. Griffith Rutherford
and his North Carolina militia
burned 36 Indian towns in 1776. Throughout the early 19th century Yonaguska was repeatedly pressured to induce his people to remove to the West. He firmly resisted every effort, declaring that the Indians were safer from aggression among their rocks and mountains and that the Cherokee belonged in their ancestral homeland. After the Cherokee lands on the Tuckasegee River were sold as part of the Treaty of 1819, Yonaguska continued to live on 640 acres (2.6 km²) set aside for him in a bend of the river between Ela
and Bryson City, on the ancient site of the Cherokee town of Kituwa.
As pressure increased for Indian removal, Yonaguska became more determined than ever to remain in his homeland, rejecting every government offer for removal west. He refused to accept government assurances that his people would be left alone in the promised western lands. In the course of his life, he had seen settlers push ever westward. Yonaguska knew that nothing short of complete control would ever satisfy them. “As to the white man’s promises of protection,” he is said to have told government representatives, “they have been too often broken; they are like the reeds in yonder river—they are all lies.”
When the Gospel of St Matthew was translated into Cherokee and published, Yonaguska insisted on it being read to him first before allowing its circulation. Yonaguska's comment on Matthew was:
despite his reservations about how the whites regarded it, Yonaguska approved the scriptures to be given to his people.
in 1824 from among those Cherokee in the State of North Carolina
but left outside the bounds of the Cherokee Nation
as reduced by the treaties of 1817 and 1819, Yonaguska gathered those left about him and settled at Soco Creek on lands purchased for them by his adopted son, Will Thomas. As a white man, Thomas could legally hold a deed to the lands and allow the Cherokee to live on them. This was the birth of Qualla Boundary
.
http://www.genealogy.com/users/h/i/c/James-R-Hicks-VA/BOOK-0001/0003-0019.html#CHILD70
JOHN GA-SU-YO-GI3 LITTLEJOHN (JINNY2, DROWNING1 BEAR, CHIEF)
Harrison E. Coleman (JOHN GA-SU-YO-GI3 LITTLEJOHN, JINNY2, DROWNING1 BEAR, CHIEF)
JOHN NICKODEMUS5 COLEMAN, b. 1877, North Carolina; d. Aft. 1906.
1882-84 Hester roll: Charleston, Swain Co, NC, fam# 281, roll# 988
1904 Census, CNE: #1366
GEORGE WASHINGTON COLEMAN, b. 1879, North Carolina; d. Aft. 1906.
1882-84 Hester roll: Charleston, Swain Co, NC, fam# 281, roll# 989
1904 Census, CNE: #1367
WILLIAM EDWARD COLEMAN, b. 1881, North Carolina; d. Aft. 1906.
1882-84 Hester roll: Charleston, Swain Co, NC, fam# 281, roll# 990
1904 Census, CNE: #1368
SIMON PETER COLEMAN, b. 1883; d. Aft. 1906. 1904 Census, CNE: #1369
REBECCA COLEMAN, b. 1887, North Carolina; d. Aft. 1906; m. _____ THOMAS; b. Abt. 1880.
1904 Census, CNE: #1370
NANCY COLEMAN, b. 1890. 1904 Census, CNE: #1371
JOSEPH COLEMAN, b. 1891. 1904 Census, CNE: #1372
LULA COLEMAN, b. 1893. 1904 Census, CNE: #1373
BIRDIE COLEMAN, b. 1896. 1904 Census, CNE: #1374
CALVIN COLEMAN, b. 1899. 1904 Census, CNE: #1375
JULIE COLEMAN, b. 1902. 1904 Census, CNE: #1376
Cherokee
The Cherokee are a Native American people historically settled in the Southeastern United States . Linguistically, they are part of the Iroquoian language family...
. 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. Schermerhorn to explain the terms of the 1835 Treaty of New Echota
Treaty of New Echota
The Treaty of New Echota was a treaty signed on December 29, 1835, in New Echota, Georgia by officials of the United States government and representatives of a minority Cherokee political faction, known as the Treaty Party...
that a handful of Cherokee had signed. He is also the only chief who remained in the hills to rebuild the Eastern Band with others who had escaped or eluded the soldiers. His adopted son, William Thomas, the only white chief the Cherokee ever had, would carry on Yonaguska’s work to establish what is now the Qualla Boundary
Qualla Boundary
The Qualla Boundary is the territory where the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians reside in western North Carolina.-Location:...
. During his life, however, Yonaguska was also a reformer and a prophet, a leader who recognized the power of the white man’s liquor and early on realized the lengths to which settlers would go to take over Cherokee lands.
Early life
Yonaguska was born about 1759, some 40 years after English traders introduced rumRum
Rum is a distilled alcoholic beverage made from sugarcane by-products such as molasses, or directly from sugarcane juice, by a process of fermentation and distillation. The distillate, a clear liquid, is then usually aged in oak barrels...
to his people in the 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...
mountains. He was described as strikingly handsome, strongly built, standing 6 in 3 in (1.91 m), with a faint tinge of red—due to a slight strain of white blood on his father’s side—relieving the brown of his cheek. Like many dedicated reformers, Yonaguska’s resolve was strengthened by first-hand experience—he had been addicted to alcohol most of his life.
Awakening
When he was 60 years old and critically ill, Yonaguska fell into a trance. Certain that the end had come, his people gathered around him at the Soco townhouse and mourned him for dead. At the end of 24 hours, however, Yonaguska awoke to consciousness and spoke to his people, among whom was his adopted son William Holland ThomasWilliam Holland Thomas
William Holland Thomas was Principal Chief of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and an officer in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War....
, a 14-year-old white boy who was destined to succeed him as chief and become the only white man ever to serve as chief of the tribe. When the chief addressed his people, he relayed a message from the spirit world: “The Cherokee must never again drink whiskey. Whiskey must be banished.” He then had Will Thomas write out a pledge: “The undersigned Cherokees, belonging to the town of Qualla,” it read, “agree to abandon the use of spirituous liquors.” Yonaguska then signed it, followed by the whole council and town. Preserved among Thomas’ papers, the pledge is now in the archives of the Mountain Heritage Center at Western Carolina University
Western Carolina University
Western Carolina University is a coeducational public university located in Cullowhee, North Carolina, United States. The university is a constituent campus of the University of North Carolina system....
. From the signing of the pledge until his death in 1839 at the age of 80, whiskey was almost unknown among the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians
Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians
The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians , is a federally recognized Native American tribe in the United States of America, who are descended from Cherokee who remained in the Eastern United States while others moved, or were forced to relocate, to the west in the 19th century. The history of the...
. And when any of his people broke the pledge—few did while he was alive—Yonaguska enforced the edict with the whipping post and lash.
Yonaguska was the first among his people to perceive the white man’s takeover of their mountain kingdom. As a boy of 12, he had such a vision and spoke of it, but no one paid any attention to him. As a young man, he had witnessed the havoc wreaked among his people when Gen. Griffith Rutherford
Griffith Rutherford
Griffith Rutherford was an officer in the American Revolutionary War, a political leader in North Carolina, and an important figure in the early history of the Southwest Territory and the state of Tennessee....
and his North Carolina militia
Militia
The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...
burned 36 Indian towns in 1776. Throughout the early 19th century Yonaguska was repeatedly pressured to induce his people to remove to the West. He firmly resisted every effort, declaring that the Indians were safer from aggression among their rocks and mountains and that the Cherokee belonged in their ancestral homeland. After the Cherokee lands on the Tuckasegee River were sold as part of the Treaty of 1819, Yonaguska continued to live on 640 acres (2.6 km²) set aside for him in a bend of the river between Ela
ELA
ELA or Ela may refer to the following:In organizations:*Euskal Langileen Alkartasuna, a Basque trade union*English Lacrosse Association, the governing body for lacrosse in England*Epanastatikos Laikos Agonas, see Revolutionary Nuclei...
and Bryson City, on the ancient site of the Cherokee town of Kituwa.
As pressure increased for Indian removal, Yonaguska became more determined than ever to remain in his homeland, rejecting every government offer for removal west. He refused to accept government assurances that his people would be left alone in the promised western lands. In the course of his life, he had seen settlers push ever westward. Yonaguska knew that nothing short of complete control would ever satisfy them. “As to the white man’s promises of protection,” he is said to have told government representatives, “they have been too often broken; they are like the reeds in yonder river—they are all lies.”
When the Gospel of St Matthew was translated into Cherokee and published, Yonaguska insisted on it being read to him first before allowing its circulation. Yonaguska's comment on Matthew was:
- "Well, it seems a good book - strange that the white people are no better, after having had it so long."
despite his reservations about how the whites regarded it, Yonaguska approved the scriptures to be given to his people.
Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians
Establishing The Eastern Band of Cherokee IndiansEastern Band of Cherokee Indians
The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians , is a federally recognized Native American tribe in the United States of America, who are descended from Cherokee who remained in the Eastern United States while others moved, or were forced to relocate, to the west in the 19th century. The history of the...
in 1824 from among those Cherokee in the State of 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...
but left outside the bounds of the Cherokee Nation
Cherokee Nation (19th century)
The Cherokee Nation of the 19th century —an historic entity —was a legal, autonomous, tribal government in North America existing from 1794–1906. Often referred to simply as The Nation by its inhabitants, it should not be confused with what is known today as the "modern" Cherokee Nation...
as reduced by the treaties of 1817 and 1819, Yonaguska gathered those left about him and settled at Soco Creek on lands purchased for them by his adopted son, Will Thomas. As a white man, Thomas could legally hold a deed to the lands and allow the Cherokee to live on them. This was the birth of Qualla Boundary
Qualla Boundary
The Qualla Boundary is the territory where the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians reside in western North Carolina.-Location:...
.
Death
Shortly before his death in April, 1839, Yonaguska had himself carried into the townhouse at Soco where, sitting up on a couch, he made a last talk to his people. The old man commended Thomas to them as their chief and again warned them against ever leaving their own country. Then wrapping his blanket around him, he quietly lay back and died. Yonaguska, the most prominent chief ever of the Eastern Band, was buried beside Soco Creek, about a mile below the old Macedonia mission, with a crude mound of stones to mark the spot.Sources
- Blankenship, Bob. Cherokee Roots, Volume 1: Eastern Cherokee Rolls. (Cherokee: Bob Blankenship, 1992).
- 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).
- Ehle, John. The Trail of Tears: The Rise and Fall of the Cherokee Nation. (New York: Doubleday, 1989).
- Finger, John R. The Eastern Band of Cherokees 1819-1900. (Knoxville: University of Tennessee Press, 1984).
- Lumpkin, Wilson. The Removal of the Cherokee Indians from Georgia. (New York: Augustus M. Kelley, 1907).
- Mooney, James. Myths of the Cherokee and Sacred Formulas of the Cherokee. (Nashville: Charles and Randy Elder-Booksellers, 1982).
- Smithsonian Institution, Mooney's American Bureau of Ethnology Records, Photograph of Katalsta & Ewi Katalsta, daughter & grand-daughter of Yonaguska/Yanaguski.
- Hicks, James R. "Cherokee Lineages" Register Report of Drowning Bear
http://www.genealogy.com/users/h/i/c/James-R-Hicks-VA/BOOK-0001/0003-0019.html#CHILD70
JOHN GA-SU-YO-GI3 LITTLEJOHN (JINNY2, DROWNING1 BEAR, CHIEF)
Harrison E. Coleman (JOHN GA-SU-YO-GI3 LITTLEJOHN, JINNY2, DROWNING1 BEAR, CHIEF)
JOHN NICKODEMUS5 COLEMAN, b. 1877, North Carolina; d. Aft. 1906.
1882-84 Hester roll: Charleston, Swain Co, NC, fam# 281, roll# 988
1904 Census, CNE: #1366
GEORGE WASHINGTON COLEMAN, b. 1879, North Carolina; d. Aft. 1906.
1882-84 Hester roll: Charleston, Swain Co, NC, fam# 281, roll# 989
1904 Census, CNE: #1367
WILLIAM EDWARD COLEMAN, b. 1881, North Carolina; d. Aft. 1906.
1882-84 Hester roll: Charleston, Swain Co, NC, fam# 281, roll# 990
1904 Census, CNE: #1368
SIMON PETER COLEMAN, b. 1883; d. Aft. 1906. 1904 Census, CNE: #1369
REBECCA COLEMAN, b. 1887, North Carolina; d. Aft. 1906; m. _____ THOMAS; b. Abt. 1880.
1904 Census, CNE: #1370
NANCY COLEMAN, b. 1890. 1904 Census, CNE: #1371
JOSEPH COLEMAN, b. 1891. 1904 Census, CNE: #1372
LULA COLEMAN, b. 1893. 1904 Census, CNE: #1373
BIRDIE COLEMAN, b. 1896. 1904 Census, CNE: #1374
CALVIN COLEMAN, b. 1899. 1904 Census, CNE: #1375
JULIE COLEMAN, b. 1902. 1904 Census, CNE: #1376
- (Eastern Band Cherokee Women - Cultural Persistence in Their Letters and Speeches, by Virginia Moore Carney,University of Tennessee Press/Knoxville 2005
- Indians At Hampton Institute 1877-1923 By Donal F. Lindsey, University of Illinois Press Urbana and Chicago 1995