It is useful to see the names of the Cherokee men who signed the various treaties made specifically with the Cherokee by the United States, beginning in 1785. The names of some of the signers have become place names in the southeastern United States.
So that we can look at the signers’ names, I have arranged the treaties chronologically, and I have listed the signers for each treaty alphabetically by the first word of each name. For perhaps obvious reasons, I have chosen to omit the Treaty of New Echota [1835], because this false treaty was signed by a group of Cherokee who were not authorized representatives of the tribe, and which formed the spurious legal basis for the Removal [“Trail of Tears”]. See this page for details of the Removal.
Because this list is long, please note the page numbers at the bottom of each page. Click on the next page number to continue.
The majority of the Cherokee signers were not literate in English and the Cherokee had no written language until the early 1820s. Signing was usually done by “his mark,” normally an “X.” Because the name of the signer had to be written down beside his mark, it was mostly white people who had the task of creating some reasonable spelling of the Cherokee names. The results were often quite strange, variable, and difficult to decipher even by one who knows a great deal about the Cherokee language. Different transcribers often had quite different spellings and some of the transcribers—in my opinion—probably were very poor spellers in English, with distorted notions of how sounds should be written. We all tend to hear sounds of some foreign language differently anyway. [Hobson-Jobsonism: altering foreign words or expressions to fit the speech and spelling patterns of another language, in this case, English.] Moreover, perhaps some of the transcribers may have been Cherokee or other Indians who also served as witnesses or even as signers and whose command of written English was less than perfect.
A good example of variability comes with the name Wyuka on the Treaty of Hopewell. The same chief appears as Skyuka on the Treaty of Holston [1792] and the Treaty of Philadelphia [1791]. His name in Cherokee was probably Kiyuga, which retains its meaning as chipmunk, which we in the mountains call “ground squirrel” in English.
In a future post, I will provide more information about the meanings of some of the names of the signers, but, for now I will avoid making any notes directly in this list.
Treaty of Hard Labour, 1768
Chinistoe
Conanennah
Cotchatoy
Ecuy
Mankiller of Chote
Otacite of Quaratrie
Oucconnastotah
Raven of Newcassie
Raven of Tugaloo
Saliey
The Wolf of Keowee
Tiftoe
Tuckassie Keowee
Usteneca
Warrior of Cowie
Willinawaw
Treaty of Lochaber, 1770
Altahkullakulla
Chinista
Chinista Watoga
Chukamuctas
Ecuij
Kaheatoy
Kinnatitah
Kittagusta
Otacite of Higwassie
Oucconnastotah
Skaliloske
Tarrapin
Teutchkee
Tiftoy
Uka Youla
Wolf of Keowee
Treaty of Hopewell, 1785
Akonoluchta, the Cabin
Amokontakona, Kutcloa
Cheanoka, of Kawetakac
Chescoonwho, Bird in Close of Tomotlug
Chesecotetona, or Yellow Bird of the Pine Log
Chesetoa, or the Rabbit of Tlacoa
Chokasatahe, Chickasaw Killer Tasonta
Chonosta, of Cowe
John, of Little Tallico
Keukuck, Talcoa
Kolakusta, or Prince of Noth
Konatota, or the Rising Fawn of Highwassay
Kostayeak, or Sharp Fellow Wataga
Kowetatahee, in Frog Town
Lach’n McIntosh Koatohee, or Corn Tassel of Toquo
Necatee, of Sawta
Newota, or the Gritzs of Chicamaga
Onanoota, of Koosoate
Ookoseta, or Sower Mush of Kooloque
Ooskwha, or Abraham of Chilkowa
Scholauetta, or Hanging Man of Chota
Skeleak
Sketaloska, Second Man of Tillico
Tatliusta, or Porpoise of Tilassi
Toostaka, or the Waker of Oostanawa
Tuckasee, or Terrapin of Hightowa
Tuckasee, or Young Terrapin of Allajoy
Tulatiska, of Chaway
Tulco, or Tom of Chatuga
Tuskegatahu, or Long Fellow of Chistohoe
Umatooetha, the Water Hunter Choikamawga
Unsuokanail, Buffalo White Calf New Cussee
Untoola, or Gun Rod of Seteco
Will, of Akoha
Wooaluka, the Waylayer, Chota
Wyuka, of Lookout Mountain
Yellow Bird
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