Tahlonteeskee (Cherokee chief)

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Tahlonteeskee (or "'Talotisky' '", Tale'danigi'ski (c1760–c1819) was a Cherokee headman of Cayuga town, eventually rising to

Old Settlers" of the Cherokee Nation—West, and the namesake of the first capital city of the Cherokee in Indian Territory
.

Early life

He was the son of Chief Bloody Fellow (Talotisky, known also as Aaron Price) and Betsy Watts (Wurteh), who was the mother of Chief

George Gist (Sequoyah).[1] Tahlonteeskee was the older brother (or possibly a half-brother) of John Jolly. He married Jennie Lowrey, sister of Chief George Lowrey.[1][a]

As nephews of the

Overmountain towns of Tennessee.[1]

Although originally planning to take part in the late September 1792 raids into the

Name variances

According to the Cherokee genealogist, Dr. Emmet Starr, the alternative spelling of his name, "Talotisky" or "Talotiskee" was possibly an alliterative spelling of Tahlonteeskee (since at that time there was not yet a uniform system of writing Cherokee sounds into English).[1][c]

Tribal politics

At the time of the establishment of the original Cherokee Nation, Tahlonteeskee was a Cherokee headman of Cayuga town (or Cayoka), on Hiawassee Island (in modern-day Hamilton County, Tennessee). Following the decision he and Chief Doublehead made to sign over large parcels of traditional Cherokee hunting grounds to the United States in 1805, they found themselves considered by many Cherokee to be traitors.[3] After Doublehead was assassinated in 1807 for his part in the land transfer, Tahlonteeskee emigrated into the west (in 1809), and became one of the first of the "Old Settlers" of the new Cherokee Nation—West then being established in the Arkansaw Territory.

Tahlonteeskee became the third

Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation—West in 1817 (succeeding Takatoka), and served until his death in 1819, when he in turn was succeeded by his brother, John Jolly (Oolooteka).[3] Tahlonteeskee was the first western chief to allow Christianity to be taught to the Cherokee, and permitted missionaries to establish the original Dwight Mission in the Nation's western holdings known as Lovely's Purchase in the Arkansaw territory, before the Federal Government forced the Old Settlers even further west, into the area of the future Indian Territory.[3][1]

Namesake

Tahlonteeskee, Oklahoma, the first capital city of the early western Cherokee Nation, was named for him.[3] The town acted in that capacity from 1828 through 1839, when the new capitol building was completed in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, and the seat of government moved there. Tahlonteeskee was the oldest governmental capital established in Oklahoma.[4]

Notes

  1. ^ Lowery may have been a cousin of Sequoyah. Lowery's wife was Lucy Benge, a half-sister of Sequoyah. Lucy was the sister of Chickamauga warrior, Bob Benge (often referred to as 'Captain' Bench), whose cousin was John Watts.
  2. ^ Son of Dragging Canoe, who had recently died.
  3. matrilineal
    clan system, in which uncle-nephew connections were more important than father-son relationships.

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Goodpasture, Albert V.; Indian Wars and Warriors of the Old Southwest, 1730-1807; excerpt : continued; "Tennessee Historical Magazine", Vol. 4, No. 3; (September, 1918); pp. 161-210
  2. ^ M'Elwee, W. E. 'The Old Road' : From Washington and Hamilton Districts to the Cumberland Settlement; "The American Historical Magazine and Tennessee Historical Society Quarterly"; vol. 8, no. 4; (1903): 347–54; via jstor; text: "...the Creek division was commanded by Talotiskee, of the Broken Arrow, the great friend of Bowles. He is not to be confounded with Talotiskee, the cousin of Watts, who was not with the invading army..."
  3. ^ a b c d Gore, Oklahoma: Tahlonteeskee - Oldest Capital in Oklahoma; webpage; Leisure and Sports Review; accessed November 2015
  4. ^ Tahlonteeskee; photo of roadside marker [Oklahoma Historical Society]; at waymarking.com; accessed November 2015.

Further reading

  • Wilkins, Thurman. Cherokee Tragedy: The Ridge Family and the Decimation of a People. (New York: Macmillan Company, 1970).

External links

  • Gravesite from Geni.com; He was known as Chief Nettle Carrier in his later years.
Preceded by
Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation–West

1817–1819
Succeeded by