Attacullaculla
Encyclopedia
Attakullakulla or Atagulkalu (Cherokee
, Ata-gul' kalu, meaning Little Carpenter)(ca. 1708–ca. 1777), adopted as an infant into the Cherokee
tribe, became their First Beloved Man, serving from 1761 to around 1775. His son Dragging Canoe
became the war leader of the Cherokee during the Chickamauga wars
.
, Attakullakulla's Cherokee name could be translated "leaning wood", from ada meaning "wood", and gulkalu, a verb that implies something long, leaning against some other object. His name "Little Carpenter" derived from the English meaning of his Cherokee name along with a reference to his physical stature.
Nipissing
to the North. He was captured as an infant during a raid and adopted by a minor Cherokee chief, making him a member of the Cherokee. He married Nionne Ollie, a Natchez
captive adopted as the daughter of his cousin Oconostota
. The marriage was permissible because they were of different clans; he was Wolf Clan and she was Paint Clan.
He was a member of the Cherokee delegation that traveled to England in 1730. In 1736, he rejected the advances of the French, who sent emissaries to the Overhill Cherokee
. Three or four years later, he was captured by the Ottawa
, allies of the French, who held him captive in Quebec until 1748. Upon his return, he became one of the Cherokees' leading diplomats and an adviser to the Beloved Man of Chota.
In May 1759, following a series of attacks between colonists and Cherokee, Attakullakulla joined a delegation that went to Charleston
to try to negotiate with South Carolina
authorities for peace. The colonial governor William Henry Lyttleton seized the delegates as hostages until the Cherokee responsible for killing white settlers were surrendered. Having raised an expeditionary force of 1700, Lyttleton set out for Fort Prince George
with the hostages in tow and arrived on December 9, 1759.
Freed soon after, Attakullakulla returned to Fort Prince George to negotiate for peace, but his efforts were thwarted by the hawkish Oconostota. The Cherokee gave up two individuals and negotiated the release of a few hostages, including Oconostota. He lured Lt. Richard Coytmore out of the fort; waving a bridle over his head, the chief incited Cherokee warriors hiding in the woods to shoot and kill Coytmore. The garrison in the fort killed all the Cherokee hostages. Hostilities continued between the Cherokee and Anglo-Americans.
Attakullakulla is believed to have died in 1775/1777. He was succeeded by his cousin Oconostota (who was also his father-in-law).
Cherokee language
Cherokee is an Iroquoian language spoken by the Cherokee people which uses a unique syllabary writing system. It is the only Southern Iroquoian language that remains spoken. Cherokee is a polysynthetic language.-North American etymology:...
, Ata-gul' kalu, meaning Little Carpenter)(ca. 1708–ca. 1777), adopted as an infant into the Cherokee
Cherokee
The Cherokee are a Native American people historically settled in the Southeastern United States . Linguistically, they are part of the Iroquoian language family...
tribe, became their First Beloved Man, serving from 1761 to around 1775. His son Dragging Canoe
Dragging Canoe
Tsiyu Gansini , "He is dragging his canoe", known to whites as Dragging Canoe, was a Cherokee war chief who led a band of Cherokee against colonists and United States settlers...
became the war leader of the Cherokee during the Chickamauga wars
Chickamauga wars
The Chickamauga Wars were a series of raids, campaigns, ambushes, minor skirmishes, and several full-scale frontier battles which were a continuation of the Cherokee struggle against encroachment by American frontiersmen from the former British colonies...
.
Names
According to the anthropologist James MooneyJames Mooney
James Mooney was an American ethnographer who lived for several years among the Cherokee. He did major studies of Southeastern Indians, as well as those on the Great Plains...
, Attakullakulla's Cherokee name could be translated "leaning wood", from ada meaning "wood", and gulkalu, a verb that implies something long, leaning against some other object. His name "Little Carpenter" derived from the English meaning of his Cherokee name along with a reference to his physical stature.
Biography
Attakullakulla was born to a subtribe of the Algonquian-speakingAlgonquian languages
The Algonquian languages also Algonkian) are a subfamily of Native American languages which includes most of the languages in the Algic language family. The name of the Algonquian language family is distinguished from the orthographically similar Algonquin dialect of the Ojibwe language, which is a...
Nipissing
Nipissing First Nation
The Nipissing First Nation consists of first nation people of Ojibwa and Algonquin descent who have lived in the area of Lake Nipissing in the Canadian province of Ontario for about 9,400 years. Though in history known by many names, they are generally considered part of the Anishinaabe peoples,...
to the North. He was captured as an infant during a raid and adopted by a minor Cherokee chief, making him a member of the Cherokee. He married Nionne Ollie, a Natchez
Natchez
Natchez may refer to:* Natchez people, a Native American nation* Natchez language, the language of that Native American tribe* Natchez, Mississippi, United States* Natchez, Louisiana, United States* Natchez, Indiana, United States...
captive adopted as the daughter of his cousin Oconostota
Oconostota
Oconostota was the Warrior of Chota and the First Beloved Man of the Cherokee from 1775 to 1781.-Meaning of the name:...
. The marriage was permissible because they were of different clans; he was Wolf Clan and she was Paint Clan.
He was a member of the Cherokee delegation that traveled to England in 1730. In 1736, he rejected the advances of the French, who sent emissaries to the Overhill Cherokee
Overhill Cherokee
The term Overhill Cherokee refers to the former Cherokee settlements located in what is now Tennessee in the southeastern United States. The name was given by 18th century European traders and explorers who had to cross the Appalachian Mountains to reach these settlements when traveling from...
. Three or four years later, he was captured by the Ottawa
Ottawa (tribe)
The Odawa or Ottawa, said to mean "traders," are a Native American and First Nations people. They are one of the Anishinaabeg, related to but distinct from the Ojibwe nation. Their original homelands are located on Manitoulin Island, near the northern shores of Lake Huron, on the Bruce Peninsula in...
, allies of the French, who held him captive in Quebec until 1748. Upon his return, he became one of the Cherokees' leading diplomats and an adviser to the Beloved Man of Chota.
In May 1759, following a series of attacks between colonists and Cherokee, Attakullakulla joined a delegation that went to Charleston
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
to try to negotiate with South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
authorities for peace. The colonial governor William Henry Lyttleton seized the delegates as hostages until the Cherokee responsible for killing white settlers were surrendered. Having raised an expeditionary force of 1700, Lyttleton set out for Fort Prince George
Fort Prince George (South Carolina)
Fort Prince George was constructed in 1753 in northwest South Carolina, on the Cherokee Path. It was named for the Prince of Wales, who would later become King George III of the United Kingdom...
with the hostages in tow and arrived on December 9, 1759.
Freed soon after, Attakullakulla returned to Fort Prince George to negotiate for peace, but his efforts were thwarted by the hawkish Oconostota. The Cherokee gave up two individuals and negotiated the release of a few hostages, including Oconostota. He lured Lt. Richard Coytmore out of the fort; waving a bridle over his head, the chief incited Cherokee warriors hiding in the woods to shoot and kill Coytmore. The garrison in the fort killed all the Cherokee hostages. Hostilities continued between the Cherokee and Anglo-Americans.
Attakullakulla is believed to have died in 1775/1777. He was succeeded by his cousin Oconostota (who was also his father-in-law).
Sources
- Entry from the Tennessee Encyclopedia
- Kelly, James C. "Notable Persons in Cherokee History: Attakullakulla." Journal of Cherokee Studies 3:1 (Winter 1978), 2-34.
- Klink, Karl, and James Talman, ed. The Journal of Major John Norton. (Toronto: Champlain Society, 1970).
- Mooney, James. "Myths of the Cherokee" (1900, reprint 1995).
- Litton, Gaston L. "The Principal Chiefs of the Cherokee Nation", Chronicles of Oklahoma 15:3 (September 1937), 253-270 (retrieved August 18, 2006).