Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-03-06

capes and Of all the perils which pioneers
faced when the nineteenth century was
tribe has engaged the attention of all the
best American historians and much more
OF 1t remains to be written. Their regime
goes back, like those of the Arabs,
through the word of the elders to the
very beginning of time. No Indian tribe
has more enhancing legends. According
to the traditions, the Cherokees were
founded by seven brothers, who came
from the east so long ago that the time
Of their coming has passed from the
reckoning of their descendants But by
the laws of their clan their names had
been handed by the mothers of the peo-
pie. These mothers were the recognized
historians OF the clans, and by word Of
mouth their variations, coming down
from immemorial time, were accepted
reverently. 1t was about the time that
my father died, in 1884, that the tribe
began to have a written history, and
ern Cherokees to the west. My father
was descended from the oldest of the
seven founders, Arni Kilawhi, or the
Long Hair.
u
According to the legend the seven
brothers dwelt together in great love and
harmony. all being sincerely devoted to
one another's interest, and 1t was de-
in the Garden Of Eden. But when the
grandchildren grew to men and women
there began some difficulties and the
sympathy of the mothers of each clan
went out to their own. The seven
brothers. then Of patriarchal age. saw
that their womankind were placing fam
lily feelings above the peace of the tribe,
so they decided to break into clans They
held a council and made laws for the
IF their families The first
law was to meet annually at the old
home and in this. I believe, we may
see the beginning of that delightful GUS
tom so prevalent now of-families meet
ing each year to renew the ties of kim
ship, called the homecoming 1t Is, of
course, we'll known in the old countries,
but In this part OF the world l think
the Cherokees must claim the distinction
feast. 1t would be heroic task to at
tempt any connected history of the
Cherokees.
They were mound builders and one Of
the best known examples OF their skill
is a mound about twenty-one miles from
Fort Gaines, Ga. 1t is seventy feet high,
GOO In circumference, and, according to
expert authorities, the trees covering it
are not less than 500 years old When
Sir Walter Raleigh came to Virginia in
1885 he found them small farmers, cult
waiting food products, which he gladly
took to England and where after their
introduction they became staples all over
the civilized world. Among these may
be mentioned corn. beans and white or
now called Irish potatoes. To the Cher
okee braves modern man owes what he
may consider blessing or the reverse
namely, tobacco.
Through the colonial days the Chero-
KEGS suffered and fought and wrote their
wrongs in letters of blood on the his
tory of their time. After the independ-
ence they held together until 1909. Then
the hereditary rulers. realizing that they
could not continue the ed form of gov
eminent began to take means to save
themselves and their property IL possible
from further encroachments of the
whites. In 1919 they made a treaty. my
grandfather. John D. Chisholm. being one
Of the leaders, and moved west, settling
first on the Spadra and Arkansas rivers.
Here they made homes for themselves
and began an extensive system of farm
ing. My mother used to tell me of that
move and some sad and some ludicrouS