1776 Cherokees Map

Chickamauga Tribe

Chickamauga Indians (Tsǐkăma’gi, a word apparently of foreign origin and probably Shawnee, Creek, or Chickasaw). The name given to a band of Cherokee who espoused the English cause in the war of the Revolution and moved far down on Tennessee River, establishing new settlements on Chickamauga Creek, in the neighborhood of the present Chattanooga.

Under this name they soon became noted for their uncompromising and never ceasing hostility. In 1782 their towns were destroyed by Sevier and Campbell, and they moved farther down the river, establishing what were afterward known as the “five lower towns,” Running Water, Nickajack, Long Island, Crow Town, and Lookout Mountain Town. Here they were continually recruited by Creeks, Shawnee, and white Tories, until they were estimated to number a thousand warriors. They continued hostilities against the Tennessee settlements until 1794, when their towns were destroyed.

Further Reading:


Collection:
Hodge, Frederick Webb, Compiler. The Handbook of American Indians North of Mexico. Bureau of American Ethnology, Government Printing Office. 1906.

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22 thoughts on “Chickamauga Tribe”

  1. I have a card that says I am 3/64 degree Indian blood of the Chickamauga tribe. The title of the card is Chickamauga Cherokee Nation of Arkansas and Missouri. How can I find out information on this ancestory?
    Thank you for any help.

  2. I am looking for data on my 3x great grand Rachel Green parents in a Kentucky 1817. She did not list her parents on any paperwork I can find. Ancestry DNA has left clues within the ranks of my 4th cousins trees going back to Chief Gardiner Red Wolf Green and his second wife Rachel.One of their son’s likely Gardner Green jr and Sally Childress in Kentucky. DNA suggests connection back to Sukey Wolf Clan Green. Any information would be help full. Thanks Ralph

  3. Kristie Campbell Hurlow

    I am so excited in finding this site. Just starting to find heritage here. Still looking for my great grandmother’s maiden name. She was full blooded Chickamaugua Cherokee.

  4. I have been told by my Dad that we are Chickamauga Cherokee. But when I googled it, all I saw were articles saying that the Chickamauga are a “false tribe” and that they “aren’t real Cherokee”, but are mere “wanna be’s” and “poser’s”. Why are people saying that? Are the Chickamauga not a tribe?

    1. Even though I would say yes and no, they wer not a tribe, but rather, the Chicamauga is a band of the Eastern Cherokees from Tennessee, North Carolina and Georgia. Chicamauga, Eastern Band Cherokee. I hope that this answers your question. I as well, even though I am Cherokee through my mother’s father’s family and no known knowledgeable, as of yet, what band and family clan that I am connected to on her side, but it is through my father’s mother’s family that I am of the Wolf Clan/Paint Clan of the Chicamauga, Eastern Band Cherokee.

      1. All I know is, George Washington recognized us as a tribe in 1785, and I now have a card with the Cherokee nation. But I also understand that a bunch of Cherokee do not like us.

      2. SUZANNE THORNTON

        Might be kin, Im wolf clan from Nancy Nanehi Ward, to McCord to Dawson to Shankle to me

      3. I seen you are of the wolf clan and pain clan of the chickamauga I am too. Chief Dragging Canoe is one of my Great Grandfather. Through his son Little Dragging Canoe. We have our line traced from Walkingstick from the OKLAHOMA Tride and from a historian they are sending the records to my cousin

    2. James Meeks was the Chief. The CNO did everything they could to stop the Chickamakas of the South Cumberland from being recognized. We were on the books for a shot time though before Tennessee took away the charter.
      Chikamaka David Meeks, that is the correct spelling as per history and the Moravian Missionary who gave him this English name. He showed up in Franklin County, Tn history before 1800 at which time he declared he was half Cherokee, to save hsi hide perhaps ad the Cherokee were still in possession in the 1770s. Whetehre he fled Running Water Town or Black Hawks camp, I don’t know. he shows up in the Tennessee State Archieves, of the Tn Indian Agency in 1813 as Chikamaka David Meeks.
      Most of the County of Grundy and surrounding area is descended from him and other Chikamakas, Cherokee, Shawnee and so on. The Trail of Tears came near where, his Grandson lived in Layne’s Cove, where Grand Pa Was born in 1872, which still stands but covered in poplar siding. All his Descendants , in our line anyway including Moms Brothers, were tall lean, and muscular. Grand Pa and his generation and back were all over 6 ft tall, a the distinctive hoked nose except a couple of Uncles. One Uncle said that (some) of our Ancestors were “Bridge Builders” from Mexico, perhaps Yaqui,but how long ago, Our line is not the short squat Cherokee of Ga. Clearly Iriquoian, I think for the most part. Everyone in Franklin, Grundy, Marion counties their families, living there prior to the 1960s, the majority have Native American as the Cherokee say (heritage) we don’t have an official card and we aren’t black so most are recognized as just White People. On the other side is the descendants of Pathkiller, through the Cokers, who were both familiar to Jackson and Crocket, and mentioned in history an Grand Mother’s ancestors on Dad’s side. Chikamaka David Meeks knew them, at their mill in Cowan. The Indian Camp near Cowan on private property, may be a familiar place of David Meeks. There is a book by a Cousin in the CNo titled ‘Water on a Flat Rock’, among others that has mentions of Native American descendants familiar to most in the area. The issue that David Meeks came from the Carolina’s has some real threads but he did not die in 1810 and is not buried in NC and may have been adopted by that David Meeks. I don’t know and it seems no one else has the answers. During the Trail of Tears our Ancestors rescued many who left the march. By that time everyone in the area was known ans black Dutch or Black Irish etc, as Grand Ma Owners was, because until and in the year 1928 Alabama declared, in Law, it was against the Law to kill an Indian. Indians had no property rights nor were their lives protected til then , Whites could come in take your property and run you off even murder you but neighbors would usually not stand for it. 1928 was the year of the last Native American uprising and generated the changes giving property rights to Indians and recognition, really, as human beings. into the 1960s it was looked on as being called the same as Niger to be an Indian so Dad’s family never spoke of it and neither did Mom’s though Grand Ma would tell us to stay out of the woods the Indians would get us.her Mother died in 1933, had a bent back/ a broken back from a r aid on the Anderson cabin in Battle Creek cove. Her Sister Grand Ma’s Barbara Bell Braden Meeks name sake, Barbara was stomped to death by the “Indians.” Tobiathia Abagail Anderson Braden and Barbara Anderson’s father was Hezzikiah Carr Anderson, himself 3/4 Native American…and Grand Ma did not know or either would not speak of it.
      The Chikamakas were before the Cherokee, or at least some, and were known as the ‘wild men of the mountains’…and by some, were worse then the Chickasaws in barbarity. I don’t see it in their descendants. The last true wild man of the mountain, my Uncle departed this life January 5, 2015. he lived as a wild Indian, until the early sixties, when he came in so to speak. He had curly brown hair and skin as brown as oak tannin. He was signed to be in the Davy Crockett movie, but he could not read the script…. I suggest you attend the Grundy County Historical Society meetings first Monday of the month in Tracy City tn and speak with Janelle Layne Taylor, a cousin and some others.

      1. You are absolutely right about your COKER lineage, I too have that bloodline. And have proof of some them leaving to Indiana in 1838,
        A lot of the Coker (Coque) family are eastern Cherokee or chickamauga. You can find in the Payne Mountain /Coker Creek Área there in the Cherokee National Forrest, a lot of the Coker people too. Same families.

    3. FirstNationChickamauga.com/Contact-Us/

      The chickamauga still exists and you can enroll. The Chickamauga are not a Federally Recognized Tribe. By the US. But the BIA has Caregory (4) which is People of Cherokee heritage or ancestry the Chickamauga are In that category. And treaty recognized with the US as well as War Department récords will also acknowledge the Chickamauga.
      Letters to congress Make mention of them. They exist. And if you want, you can enroll and be a part of the Chickamauga.

    4. Sherry WhiteOwl Ottmann

      The ones who say that we are fake are generally members of a Federally-Recognized, card-carrying tribe or nation. That seems to be quite important to them. We shared the Cherokee way of life and ancestry of centuries…right up to a point in the Revolutionary War when the Treaty of Echota was signed. It was not represented of the whole of the nation and our portion of gracefully went our own way with Dragging Canoe at our head. We were condemned by the same people we had fought for. It depended on who you asked. The Spanish thought we were great as they furnished us with weapons and served as a buffer between their efforts to gain converts and land with the English and their masses of settlers who settled wherever they wanted and who also ignored the provisions of previous treaties for our hunting grounds and homes. A rock and a hard place. The Spanish left. The French sold their patch. In the meantime, our families were decimated by the diseases brought in by the Europeans and we were an easy foe to overcome and burn out. By 1830, the colonials had enough of dealing with these impudent indians calling this their home and decided to remove them at any cost. The Georgia Governor discovered gold on land which had been a part of the Chickamauga and Cherokee Indian homes and appealed to the Supreme Court to have these Indians “Removed” The Supreme Court told him that it was unconstitutional. He ignored their response and began his own Removal with his own militia. Those particular Chiefs ended up in Arkansas. Many Cherokees were on the Trail of Tears as you probably know. The Chickamauga and many others who were not rounded up in the eastern states either hid, married whites, and made some special arrangements to stay there. We were scattered to the winds. One hundred and ninety odd years later we have been finding our cousins. Our Chief is a direct descendant of Dragging Canoe. We just celebrated our first anniversary of our online group. Our future plans are acquiring lands of our own where we can gather each year for our annual ceremonies. If you would like more information, I am Sherry WhiteOwl Ottmann on Facebook and the Mother of the Chickamauga Nation. Today there are several tribes and nations of the Chickamauga throughout the country. Many are our Allies Sgi.

      1. I have questions about this tribe and my family’s connection to it. I would love to speak to you. Is there a way I can contact you directly?

  5. Hi
    I have been told all my life that I am part littlefoot Indian.
    I have never been able to verify that.
    Can someone tell me if there is such a tribe or are they part of a tribe.
    All the grandparents, and my parents have passed so I really have no help.
    My grandfather is where I think it came from.
    Thanks for any help

  6. My ancestor, Ostenaco, sided with the British in the war and followed Dragging Canoe to Chickamauga creek, Tennessee. Their entire community emigrated to Indian Territory in 1837. The B.B. Cannon journal records their trip. Try reading the history of the area before trying to find individual family members. You will gain immeasurable insight.

  7. I just found a card with my mothers name on it along with the Water Hallow Band of Chickamauga and I was hoping someone could help me out with understanding what it means. My mothers name is Pearl Labbee and the number on the card is RKA 2007-0004. Can anyone tell me what this means. Thank you

  8. Crystal, I am new at this , from looking at some Genealogy recorders, my Grandmother is a down line of the Chickamuga tribes and Moytoy s? Thank you for sharing your information.

  9. I am trying to get a copay of new cards for myself and my daughter and i need to add my son the rolls. Our tribe is Chickamauga Cherokee. Can anyone point me in the right direction?

    1. I am of the chickamauga cherokee tribe, there are a few different ones. I had a very hard time finding a phone number, I called every number I could find and a sweet guy guided me the right direction. The person I have on my file is Clara Rickard at 918-866-2429. I hope this is helpful for you.

      1. I’m trying to determine if a distant great grandfather was on the rolls. I know He was native and a chief in Chickamauga tribe. Any idea where to go to find this out?

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