Natchez people

From Freepedia

Image:Natchez lang.png

Although suffering a turbulent history since European contact, the Natchez Nation still represents a vital part of the United States Native American community.

The Natchez (w-nahk'-che) exist as a loose confederacy of interdependent families principally within the Cherokee and Muscogee (Creek) Nations of Oklahoma. The current leadership of the Natchez Nation consists of a War Chief, Peace Chief (the Great Sun) and 4 primary Clan Mothers. These "Sun's" as the Natchez refer to them have included K.T.(Hutke) Fields (Principal Peace Chief / Great Sun, 1996...), Eliza Sumpka (Primary Clan Mother), William Harjo LoneFight, Robert M. Riviera (Principal War Chief, 1997...),Watt Sam, Archie Sam, White Tobacco Sam and others within the historic period.

History

The Natchez Nation was a powerful Native American people in the early days of European colonisation. Located in about nine separate towns along St. Catherine's Creek (east and south of modern Natchez, Mississippi), they had a highly stratified and theocratic government led by a male leader referred to as 'The Great Sun'. The royal bloodline was matrilineal, meaning 'The Great Sun' achieved his office through kinship to a woman; a man did not pass his titles to his son, but rather they were inherited by his nephew (his sister's son).

The Natchez were a formidable force when they first made contact with Spanish explorers and then French colonists. Diseases and warfare took their toll; after three wars with the French - in 1716, 1722 and 1729 - Natchez society collapsed and the peoples scattered. In 1729, perhaps one-half of the population remained of the pre-1716 era. Most survivors settled with the Creek, with English colonists or in Chickasaw towns; the latter two groups ended up with the Cherokee within fifty years due to subsequent intraethnic conflict. Those living with the Upper Creek fled with these peoples after the Red Stick War ended in 1814 and also took refuge with the Cherokee.

Language

The Natchez language is a language isolate, although a distant relationship to the Muskogean languages has been posited. Its two last fluent speakers were Watt Sam and Nancy Raven who spoke it up until the 1930s. Although there are current speakers, the language exists primarily as a ceremonial language. Efforts are being made to reintroduce it into common usage.

See also

• Avoyel, a small extinct tribe