The farmer and mechanic., 1911-02-14
CHEROkEES PROUD
Of A GREAT NAME
Friends of the Whites in
Peace and War
CHEF SUAN0OKE TALKS

Assistant Chief of Western North
Carolina Tribe Tells Of His people,
Their Customs And Their Habits
Giving Matters That Will Interest
the Whole State as He Tells of the
Cherokees Of the Past and Present
While on a Visit to Raleigh.
North Carolina knows Of the In
dams in its borders, and it is a his
tory that should be known, for en-
erging out of the days Of the war
paint, the gaudy colOrs, the feathers
and the tomahaWk Of early Colonial
days there has come the Indian of
the Twentieth Century, with a rec
ord of daring and devotion in the
Revolutionary War, the War Of 1872
and the Civil War.
The Cherokees Of Western North
Carolina are a tribe in point, for to-
day as in past ages ages they main
tain their tribal relation, but in peace
with the United States, knowing the
Great White Father the wards of
The nation. These North Carolina In
dians of the mountains, brave and
courageous. followed the first flag of
the country, battled for its red and
white in later years. and under the
Stars and Bars made records for
themselves.
Last week there were in Raleigh
the Head Men Of the tribe, Chief John
Coin WEIGH and Assistant Chief
Joseph A Suanooke, with them being
L. -frin nv
birth, who is the superintendent OF
the Indian Training School at Cher
okee. Chief Welch and Chief Sua-
nooke came as representatives of the
Cherokees to protest before a Legis-
lative Committee from giving the
name Cherokees in any way to the
people now known as Croataus, re-
siding in Robson county, who claim
the right to be called Cherokees. 1t
was in the ordinary dress of the men
Of the day that these two Chiefs came
to Raleigh, no war paint and feathers,
and while Chief Welch was not a typ
1cal Indian, being five-eighths Of that
race, Chief Suanooke was. as he is a
tull-blooded Cherokee. the high cheek
bones, the nose, the red line beneath
the skin, all eXclaiming loudly, Il am
an Indian" /
These two chiefs and Superinten-
dent kyselka toured Raleigh last Sat
the Capital City of the State. Great
interest was shown in visits to many
places, among others to the A. and
NJ. College, but the greatest interest
cf all was in visit to Oakwood GEM
ctery to the grave Of Mrs. A. G.
Bauer, whose maiden name of Miss
Rachel Blythe, is known to the
Cherokees. The two Chiefs stood in
reverence at her grave, heard the sto-
~ of her life, how We'll she worked
and strove and was liked and loved
gazing in admiration upon her face on
lhe monument erected by her hus-
tand, and reading from the words
81 Juanlta' beneath the picture In
thE soft eyes cleaning; where the
IoNe-llsht longs to DWELL The Cher
okee Chiefs paid tribute to the Cher
okee girl.
Chief Welch speaks little English,
hhOWS more. Chief SuanoolIe, the full
blood, who attend the Carlisle School,
IS huent speaker of English, an in
terpretor. He was asked a
visit TO the News and Observer office
20 20 the newspaper man who had the
Shefokees and the Croatans to meet
9dCh other in peace and harmany, to
leH hlm something of the Cherokees
@liu IN part here is what he said
me CherokeeS OF Western North
aro'lna, my people; are some 1000
n number, ana live in Swain, Jack
Sr- ana N>neIOkee countess
MAINTAIN our tribal rela tions with
IhleI; Assistant Chief and Council
nohh boln Welch, who has ten more
1l'orlhs TO serve is about IS years old
am SO. He was assistant chief un-
We! blFd Sallolneata and w J. Smith
@ ,,1,u was elected to his office. We hold
osu!af elections for the office each
Years and the vote is by ballot
'tr tribe there is an annual eet-
5is4 2i the council, elected from seven
icts with seventeen members
har Icing from one to three mem
eoI rom each district. The next
te'uon Of a chief is on the fourth
u october and the duties of a