Oconastota Cherokee (abt. 1710 - abt. 1783)

Born about 1710 in Cherokee Nation (East)

Husband of Unknown Cherokee — married 1735 in Overhill region, Cherokee Nation

Died about Mar 1783 at about age 73 in Cherokee Nation

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Disputed Origins & Relations

Nothing is known of Oconostota’s early life. His parents are unknown. He was born about 1710 in the Overhill area of the Cherokee Nation (estimated from age of about 73 at his death in 1783).^[1]

Little is known of his family; his wife is mentioned in historical records, in 1777 he asked a nephew, Savanooka the Raven of Chota, to speak for him,^[2] and in 1782 he asked to resign as chief and name his son, Tukeesee, in his place.^[3]

Tukeesee is his only known child. A wikipedia entry for William Hicks claims, without source, that Oconastota had a daughter Jennie Ani'-Ya'-'Wa:

Jennie (b. 1724) was previously attached as a daughter of Oconastota Rainmaker (1702–1783) and Ahneewakee of the Red Paint Clan (b. 1704).^[4] Until we have something better than that, we are disconnecting her.

Similarly, a previous version of this profile claimed, citing only the highly unreliable "Family Data Collection," that he had a daughter Prudence Staley. There is no proof of such a daughter and she has been detached.

Please do not connect any relations to this profile without discussion. Thank you.

Biography

Also known as:

Cunne Shote

Aganstata

Oconostota first appears in the historical record in 1736, welcoming the French to the Overhill towns.^[5]

Some accounts^{[citation needed]} state incorrectly that he went to England with Cuming in 1730, and he is sometimes confused with another chief called "Ostenaco," a contemporary who went to England with Timberlake in 1762.

By 1740, Oconostota was the Great Warrior of Chota, or war chief of the Overhill towns.^[6] He was the leader at the Battle of Taliwa, in 1755, where Nan-ye-hi (Nancy Ward) earned her title of War Woman.^[7] After Old Hop’s death in 1760, Oconostota and Attakullakulla became the primary leaders of the Cherokee. Oconostota had a lengthy and important military career, and was a signer of several treaties, including Hard Labour in 1768, Lochaber in 1770, the Henderson Purchase (Sycamore Shoals) of 1775, and the peace treaty of 1777. ^[8] A man named John Reid described the three chiefs who signed the Sycamore Shoals treaty as ‘all drunk’ and stated further that both Oconostota’s wife and interpreter James Vann were so upset by the treaty that they tried to keep the chiefs from signing it.^{[9] [10]}

Another side of Oconostota was seen in 1759 when missionary William Richardson arrived in the Cherokee Nation. Richardson offered to set up schools for the Cherokee children. Oconostota supported Richardson’s plan, but others did not and Richardson soon left.^[11]

William Martin (son of Joseph) recorded that Oconostota and Nancy Ward spent the winter of 1782-83 with their friend, Indian Agent Joseph Martin. William said of Oconostota: “I am of the opinion that Oconostota was one of the noblest and best of human kind.” In the spring Oconostota asked Joseph Martin to take him home to Chota, where he died and was buried.^[12] An archaeological dig in 1969 (prior to the creation of the Tellico Reservoir) uncovered a grave and skeleton believed to be Oconostota. The remains were returned to the Cherokee and reinterred near Chota in 1987.^[13]

Sources

1. ↑ Kelly, James C. “Oconostota” in Journal of Cherokee Studies, Fall, 1978 pp. 221
2. ↑ Brown, John P. Old Frontiers. Southern Publishers, Inc. Kingsport, TN. 1938, p. 165
3. ↑ Kelly, Oconostota pp. 231-232
4. ↑ William Hicks (Cherokee chief) (Wikipedia). NOTE: This Wikipedia entry makes no mention of Jennie as daughter of Oconastota!
5. ↑ Hoig, Stanley The Cherokees and Their Chiefs. University of Arkansas Press, Fayetteville. 1998 p. 22
6. ↑ Kelly, Oconostota 221
7. ↑ Hoig, Chiefs p. 26
8. ↑ treaties digitized here
9. ↑ Hoig, “Chiefs” p. 58
10. ↑ Reid
11. ↑ Kelly, Oconostota pp. 223-224
12. ↑ Brown, “Old Frontiers” p. 203
13. ↑ Conley, Robert J., A Cherokee Encyclopedia.” University of New Mexico Press, Albuquerque, 2007. p. 169

See also:

• Space:Native Americans: Cherokee