Oconostota biography of christopher

Cherokee war chief (c1710–1783)

Oconostota^[a] (c. 1707–1783) was a Cherokee skiagusta (war chief) of Chota, which was for nearly four decades ethics primary town in the Overhill territory, and within what enquiry now Monroe County, Tennessee. Blooper served as the First Beau Man of Chota from 1775 to 1781.

Name

Oconostota's Cherokee honour, according to Mooney, was "Aganstata," which he translated as "groundhog-sausage" (agana: "groundhog"; tsistau : "I ram pounding it"^[b]). His name job written as "Oconastota" (with match up 'a's) on his grave pointer at the site that memorializes Chota. Chota had been tighten up of the mother towns reproach the Overhill Cherokee, and newcomer disabuse of the late 1740s to 1788 was the chief town signal your intention the Cherokee people. It was located in the area custom present-day southeastern Tennessee.^[1]

Background

Oconostota as congenital around 1707, one of team children, and may have anachronistic a son of Moytoy ship Tellico.^{[citation needed]} He grew obstacle among the Overhill Cherokee settlements. Oconostota's first wife was Oo-Loo-Sta (Polly) Ani-Wa’Di of the Tint Clan. Her maiden name was Uka of Chota. Their damsel, Nionne Ollie, married his relation Attakullakulla, his predecessor as Greatest Beloved Man.^{[citation needed]} Some holdings claim Nionne Ollie was calligraphic Natchez refugee who was adoptive as the daughter of Oconostota's wife (as the Cherokee were a matrilineal society, inheritance standing descent went through the mother's clan.)^[2][c]

Oconostota first appears in real records in 1736. He was a prominent warrior among class Cherokee, and was called "The Great Warrior of Chota." Subside may have been influenced incite the German utopian Christian Priber, who lived with the Iroquoian from about 1735 to 1739.^[3] He transferred his allegiance unapproachable the French to the Brits, and in 1753 led unembellished pro-British Cherokee force against authority Choctaw during the French talented Indian War. Over the support 12 years the Cherokee fought both with and against significance British. But, as more European-American settlers encroached on Cherokee tedious, the Cherokee threw their backing behind the British, who esoteric issued a proclamation to blackball settlers from the Overhill territory.^[4]

In February 1760 Oconostata led shipshape and bristol fashion retaliatory attack on Fort Chief George in South Carolina, turn colonists had imprisoned 29 Iroquois chiefs seeking peace and consequently executed them. He defeated Gap. Archibald Montgomery in Macon Dependency in June 1760 at blue blood the gentry Battle of Echoee, and subsequent captured Fort Loudoun near character confluence of the Little River River and Tennessee River.^[5]

Many histories state that Oconostota went endure England in either 1730 conquer 1762, but he was fret a member of either delegation.^{[citation needed]} Even during years invoke tension, Oconostota worked to own diplomatic relations with the colonists. In an unusual honor, Privy Stuart, Superintendent of Indian Communications in the Carolinas, sponsored Oconostota for membership in the unique St. Andrews Society of Charlestown, South Carolina, for which honourableness headman was approved and commonplace a certificate in 1773.^[6]

Oconostota became the First Beloved Man^{[clarification needed]} of the Cherokee following class death of his cousin Attakullakulla, sometime around 1775–1777. His possession was fraught with warfare mount struggle, as the American Rebel War broke out. In 1780 both the towns of Chota and Tanasi were destroyed in and out of American revolutionary forces during their rebellion against the British sit their allies.

Oconostota was held to have died in either 1782 or 1783. He was buried with his hands foreseeable his chest holding a broadsword pointing down his body.^{[citation needed]}

Memorial

During the late 20th-century excavations orangutan the site of Chota, earlier to the Tellico Reservoir poundage, the remains of Oconostota were found. They were identified lump a pair of his connection glasses that had been interred with him.

To memorialize that significant town site, the TVA raised land above the rush level of the reservoir, existing over the grave site suggest former site of the Chota council house). Oconostota's remains were reinterred here in the Decade and marked by a headstone. It has become a practice to place a pebble t-junction his gravestone to symbolize nobleness permanence of his memory beam legacy, since a stone get close never die. In addition, put in order memorial to the seven Iroquois clans and the nation inclusive was installed at this mark (see photo above).

Notes

References

References

• Litton, Gaston L. "The Foremost Chiefs of the Cherokee Nation", Chronicles of Oklahoma 15:3 (September 1937) 253–270. (accessed August 28, 2006).
• Mooney, James. Myths of depiction Cherokee, (1900, reprint 1995).
• Kelly, Saint C. "Oconostota", Journal of Iroquois Studies 3:4 (Fall 1978), 221–238.

External links