Nanye-hi means "One Who Goes About" and is a derivative of a legendary name from the Cherokee Spirit People. She was born in 1738 to the sister of Attakullakulla or "Little Carpenter" a Cherokee leader who became a famous advocate to the British and a major influence on American diplomacy. Nanye-hi's mother is thought to be Tame Doe of the Wolf Clan. Her father is unknown since Cherokee marriage was never meant to be permanent and in that time the father of the children was of little consequence.
Early Years
In her youth Nanye-hi, or Nancy, chose a man named Kingfisher to become her husband and by the age of 17 had given birth to two children, Five Killer and Catherine. In 1755, during a fierce war between the Cherokee and the Creeks, Kingfisher was killed. Nancy had been fighting by his side and when he went down she grabbed her weapon and lead a savage attack on the Creeks that eventually won a Cherokee victory.
Becoming Ghighua
Ghighua means Beloved Woman and was a term generally reserved for mature females in the seven clans. Because of her valour and devotion to the battle with the Creeks, Nancy was given the title at an early age and became Agi-ga-u-e which meant War Woman. She was given final say over any prisoners taken by the Cherokee. In 1776 she called her power to command and saved the life of a pioneer woman named Lydia Bean. She took the Bean woman into her home and during her stay Lydia taught Nancy how to weave and do tasks common to the early pioneer women. She helped Nancy purchase two milk cows and taught her uses of the milk.
Marrying An English Trader
In the late 1750's Nancy married an English trader by the name of Bryant Ward. Ward already had a wife and children in North Carolina but the marriage was readily accepted by both the Cherokee and the other wife. They had a daughter, Elizabeth (Betsy) before Ward went back to his first family in North Carolina. In later years Nancy and Betsy visited the Ward family whenever possible.
Negotiator or Traitor?
Nancy Ward became known as a mediator between the white settlers and her Cherokee Nation. She always spoke of peace and tried to promote that philosophy to the war chiefs of that time including her cousin, Dragging Canoe. But Dragging Canoe refused to be conquered and during the year of 1777 his band of warriors kept the frontier families of Kentucky and Virginia on constant vigil. Nancy Ward often warned the whites of a coming attacks and later was influential in treaty negotiations. This endeared her to the struggling pioneer families but stirred controversy among her own people.
Later Years
During the 1770's Nancy Ward became known as Granny Ward and had taken in many children to nurture and care for in her declining years. She was disturbed, though, by the changes taking place in her own tribe and in the nation in general. By the early 1800's she was voicing strong opinions about the sale of more Cherokee land to the whites. Her own birthplace, Chota, was taken over by the settlers and she was forced to move to a home on the Ocoee River. Her last plea to be taken to the Cherokee Counsel was delivered by her son, Five Killer, and spoke of her beloved land and the rapid disposition to the whites.
The Burial
It is commonly believed that Nancy Ward died in 1822 and was buried on a hill next to her son, Five Killer. It wasn't, however, until the fall of 1923 that a permanent marker was placed over her grave by the Daughters of the American Revolution. A pyramid of unbroken quartz stones were fashioned as a marker with a bronze embedded tablet giving a brief history of the Beloved Woman.
Sources:
Nancy Ward Cherokee Chieftainess - Dragging Canoe Cherokee-Chickamauga War Chief, Pat Alderman, The Overmountain Press, Johnson City, Tennessee, 1990
 |
