The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1913-04-25
INDIAN STORY
Of Interest
Once Called Mountaineers
of North America.
Wne Seven Divisions and Wee
fngs Within Clan
Not Allowed.

ssur n,uore, Ok, April 22.-The Cher
e,srs .r5he of North American Indians
,sz. in abe days of long ago an I'M
fa,r ..y,cs in many essential respects
and sb.r were an exclusive and iso-
Ea.i1e vDple being called the " noun
sriDrsers of North America" by the
earliest white people who came to
know Them. This great tribe at ali
rinSY proved themselves well able
IN hold their own against any num-
Der sof confederate tribes living
posiN Of them and with whom they'
.at different times, clashed in ware
fzrY. Taking all in all the Cherokees'
xEcur this continent was first visited
,5y the white man, were the most
z,urx<.cnlls the most powerful and the
most advanced body of Indians north
OF abr Rio Grande.
Auciently the Cherokees lived in
vxhai they called ''towns"-that is'
in ueighborhoods or settlements con-
sswsing of a large common, field or
.rarra- surrounded by the dwellings
s,r -1epees" of the families in the
within from each other
br miles of open, generally uninhab-
itrd. country devoted to natural
x1ze.
Ihe great tribe or nation" was.
In the early days of its known his
rn-y. divided into seven clans,
ssarh clan being composed OF persons
of 10th sexes, related to each 9TH
or nr the maternal side, and compris-
Iny ane great .family"--the entire
trihr thus consisting of but seven OF
thsssk so-called families. Members OF
each clan or family were forbidden
ny q strict '1aw" of the nation from
marrying within the same clan I'M
sfs.r penalty of death, the clan rela-
Eioerhip being the first thing taught
to The young members of the tribe,
sank always perfectly known to the
szs3iEiIinal himself. The children Ia
Iossy and a girl, for example) born to
"A ccrple. the father of one clan and
til. HSother of another, became men,
neEr of the mothers clan; when the
.sid grew up and was married, her
,chillren belonged TO the same clan
AZ herself. but the childmother of an
.okhar. beca ne members of the clan
30 which the woman he had married
besNaed, which was always different
ErnrE his own. When a man married
the second time and had children by
both wives, members of seperate clans
the youngsters always became men,
beIy OF The clan of their mother
.alshNugh they were half brothers and
,JiasaTx.
4 stringent tribal regulation for
Exaae marriage between blood rela-
;=sans ON the fathers side within a
S-erraiD degree. with as absolute sew
Gritty As between members of the
ssAnac clan 1t was in this strict man
neg that the Cherokees avoided the
DISASTROUS results that always fol-
lnsyed the habit or custom OF ''in-
Arxsli;ng. and for this reason most
Iy they developed into a healthy,
-artiFe and intelligent race OF In
dams.
Bouepar. this great tribe owed its
sSEJErjn-ify not alone TO the elan
.'d1xsfn Of marriage and descent as
Ehf high regard paid 10 the feminine
poSIinn .cf the race was another re-
,nArlehie and beneficial feature of
,thsir .sDscess. The women of the tribe
yseEs held equal with men in perso-
ux5 IigbIs AID considered far super
-tGY Ii respected the principle OF he
rE<ny and transmission of qualities,
always vitality important TO the Cher
s1hs=L This infleXible rule pertain
ing 10 marriage. requiring the in
SEnssn of new blood at every union,
gsH Ihe cause Of another being ad-
dad Eo the seven then existing clans
CJ Lke tribe.
IN one OF the early years OF the
ssiusemh century party OF some
my az sixty warriors. members OF
tAe Cherokee Nation. reached the
xasd wilderness known formerly as
ths dark and bloody ground" re-
tIxnEns from a foray OF revenge
AGAINST hostile Northern tribe.
In the center of this section. an
immense solitude far from the hab-
ttAiions OF any body OF red men. a
region rarely visited by members of
AIRY tribe. a tract upon which the
braves were loath to treat. this small
banfi of warriors found. bound at
Staef foot of a holly tree. little In
dian girl, whose presence at that
pAzre and in that situation gave the
sx.Eucinn that shn haA h.A.an IN ;.A1