I’m Part Indian: Black Indians in Chattanooga, Part II
Hi Everybody,
Still running into people who claim to be “part Indian?” Read on to find more details about what became of the real Black Indians in Chattanooga.
If you read Part I – http://tinyurl.com/29wqeqn, you have already learned how many runaway slaves, freed slaves and drifters were often embraced by Indian tribes and allowed to marry into tribal units. They were judged on the basis of character, skill and loyalty to the group, not on the tint of the skin or the fact that they were descended from a supposedly inferior race. These blacks were welcomed, and the memory of this unconditional love and acceptance is still apparent in African American families today.
“I’m part Indian,” has been a stock phrase among Chattanooga African American families since emancipation.
Eventually, the New Echota Treaty of 1835 sold Cherokee lands to the United States Government. This sale opened the door for Indian removal. Not long afterward, a mandate came down in Chattanooga that the entire Indian population be moved west of the Mississippi River to make room for whites, who wanted the rich, fertile land for themselves.
According to the Chattanooga History books I found right in the downtown library–3rd Floor, the Indians were hunted down and rounded up. They were often found hiding in treetops, bushes and hollow logs, and were herded into stockades at Ross’ Landing. Their houses, gardens and livestock were plundered and ransacked right before their eyes, even as the Ross’ Landing soldiers marched them to interment camps at gunpoint. Their property was auctioned off, usually for next to nothing.
Their African American slaves were confiscated, but those African Americans who had been born Indian, or rather, who “looked Indian” were marched to the stockades with the rest of the tribe, loaded onto barges, and eventually floated down the river.
Altogether, 2,000 or more Cherokee Indians were held in interment camps at Ross’ Landing. They were usually moved in groups of 1,000, and one such group left the Brainerd Mission, crossed over the Tennessee River, went through Walden’s Ridge, and continued across the Sequatchie Valley. Unfortunately, it may never be determined how many of these Indians had African American blood in their veins.
Overall, some 16,000 Cherokee Indians were living in the eastern part of the country, and with forced removal, they attempted to walk the “Trail of Tears” to their new Indian home. It is estimated that at least 2,000 Cherokee Indians from the East perished from starvation, exhaustion, dehydration, mistreatment, freezing temperatures and rampant diseases along the way.
Across the country, when the Indian Removal Act of 1830 went into effect, over 10,000 of the 60,000 Indians that marched along the “Trail of Tears” were “Black Indians.”
Well, that’s all for now. I hope you’ve enjoyed, I’m Part Indian: Black Indians in Chattanooga.
Be sure to pick up your copy of African Americans of Chattanooga: A History of Unsung Heroes and find out about other African American personalities and events from long ago. Just click on the icon to the right, and you’ll be taken directly to Amazon.com’s website, where you can make your purchase.
Best wishes and happy researching,
Rita Lorraine
Tags: african american history, african american writers from chattanooga, African Americans of Chattanooga, Biographies, chattanooga tourists, rita's stuff, southern history
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Haywood Rochin Said...
Interesting read. We learn something new everyday.
Nita Aslinger Said...
Brilliant blog posting.
Petrina Magos Said...
Amazing site Thanks for writing this.
Leslie B. Newkirk Said...
i enjoyed what i read thus far. I am part Indian as well. My grandmother ESTELLA WADSWORTH was from Alabama. They were in the removal of the seminole and creek indians in act of congress. i have some more information but i can’t submit at this time. but stay encouraged and we shall live again in peace.
Ernie Wilson Said...
I look like my white Irish mother. I’m Sub-Saharan African-Cherokee-European, and hold the DNA ethnicity test results to prove it. My great paternal grandmother was forced on “The Trail Where They Cried” (“Trail of Tears”) from Morgan County, Alabama to Oklahoma.
Rita Lorraine Said...
Hi Ernie,
Thanks so much for writing. What a proud heritage you have. Do you know the details of your grandmother’s story? Did she survive the journey? I would love for you to share your story with me. By the way, I’m part Cherokee, African and European. We’ve managed to trace our roots to a Norwegian heritage, and the name Flemister surname.
Hope you’ll write again. Take care,
Rita Lorraine
Rita Lorraine Said...
Hi Leslie,
Thanks for writing. I apologize that it took so long to respond, but we’ve had illness in our family. I would love to read any information you have about your Grandmother Estella and the Indian removal. Feel free to drop me a line anytime. You’re also welcome to provide any photos of your grandma and yourself, and if you like, I’ll share it with our readers.
All best wishes,
Rita Lorraine