Thursday, September 27, 2012

Clans of the Cherokee, part 7 -- The Blue Holly Clan



7 clan chiefs
accompanied Sir Alexander Cumming to England in 1730
 representing every region in which the Cherokee then lived
So where did the notion of “clans” come from?  Here is an interesting explanation from Deputy  Principal Chief Hastings Shade of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma:
“… there was of a time when there were 14 Cherokee clans. Over the centuries, the Cherokee combined clans and opened them to captives and non-Indians. The tribe settled on the number seven to honor the seven directions: north, south, east, west, up, down, and center.  Before European contact, the clan was the most important affiliation of Cherokees which gave them their place in the tribe and in their world. Clan was passed from a Cherokee mother to her children. In the matrilineal kinship system, a Cherokee woman decided when and whom to marry. She could not marry a member of her mother's clan, who were considered blood relations, no matter how distant. After marriage, a man took his wife's clan.”
 
Some say that at one time there were over 80 clans.  Other accounts hold that there were less.  But, most accounts admit that there were once more than seven clans and the Chicamauga set up an extra bench at their dances to honor the missing clans that they consolidate under the “Lost Bear” clan. 
 
This account also comes from the Chicamauga website:
 
“One of the clans did not form into one of the tribes, but vanished completely. This was the Ani-Tsaguhi (People who-disappeared), which many believe were some of our people who went into the forest and willingly became bears in order to feed the people during a time of famine.
 
"It is taught among the Chickamauga that ALL Clans are part of the Bear Clan.
 
"Two other groups of relatives, the Susquehanna and Tuscarora, joined the Iroquois. The Iroquois moved north into the cold country and to the great lakes of the north.
 
The seven clans that remained became known as Ugaya (Seven clan Society.)”
 
Each of the seven remaining clans of the Cherokee has unique responsibilities in the tribe.   The Anisahoni , or the Blue Clan or Blue Holly Clan,  represented the Sky.   They taught the ways of the panther and wild cats and were sometimes also called the Panther or Wild Cat Clan.  Or, in some cases, the Panther, Wild Cat, and Bear were thought of as subdivisions of the Anisahoni. 
 
They taught  the importance of the ability to balance power,  truth, intention, physical strength, and grace in  pursuit of the seven levels of life achievement and fulfillment.  Their color is blue, their wood is ash and their flag is blue with white stars.
 
They were known for a children’s medicine that they produced from a bluish colored plant called the Blue Holly – hence the name.  They took care of medicinal gardens and specialized in children’s medicines.
 
According to “cherokeeregistry.com”, these are notable Surnames: A: Ableman, Alberty B: Baker, Ballard, Ballew, Bannon, Bear, Bearfield, Bearstriker, Beartracker, Bent Leg, Berrymann, Big Fellow, Blood, Blue, Blue Horse, Boling, Bradberry, Brown (Mary), Burns, Burns (Aky), Bushy, Buzzark C: Canaughkutt, Cane (Mary), Casteel, Chembers, Chiltoskie, Cornseen, Cowin Crouch D: Daniels, Dardiene, Dare, Deehee, Dog, Drowing Bear, Duck, Dull Knife F: Fawling (Nellie), Foreman G: Gains, Gates, Geegah Nundah, Gilideehee, GoForth, GoodPasture, Gray Horse, Green, Griss, Grundy H: Hair, Hamby, Hare (Jas), Heard, Highfield, Hobbs I: Inlow K: Kenoteta, Kickupp, Kinder, Kitchen, Kofft L: Lame Arm, Lewis, Lock, Long, Loudermilk, Lowery (Geo) M: Mackintyre, Mankiller of Settico, Marlin, McCoy, McKenney, McKinnley, Miller N: Niven O: Oconastota, Ooloostah, Oolutsa P: Peters, Pohatan Oolashela, Poor, Proper Q: Quatisis R: Rains, Raven (Collanagh), Ray, Red Hand, Revels, Roap (Sallie), Rogers, Rose, Ross, Roy S: Sagoni, Shallelock, Silver, Skallelock, Sriver-Walker (Elizabeth), Starr T: Tacitie, Talontaskee (Jenny), Thunduski Guneega, Toon, Turner W: Wadichacha, White Beaver Y: Yansa Gatoga, Yates, Young Z: Zillioñ, Zion

 
 
 

23 comments:

  1. I am Cherokee paint clan and I know my Cherokee ways I come from the hole in the ground where all natives come from in the beginning

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  2. chief running black bear Cherokee paint clan

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  3. Absolutely fascinating! Great summary of the history of these clans.

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  5. My ancestors last name was Panther near Murphy North Carolina so I am thinking their Clan was the Blue Holly or Panther Clan does this this sound correct to anyone?

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    1. We have never left only misclassified and renamed by force. The earth our mother will correct the evil liars and reveal all her true children.

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  6. Alberty name is where we come from, and been in practice with herbals / medicine for generations.

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    1. So you are from Eliza Missouri Bushyhead. Can you tell me her mother’s correct birth date. Katherine Katie Bushyhead Gunter. .

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  7. It is great that you are preserving your heritage.

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  8. I am a descendant of Oo Loo Tsa and The Lowerys. With respect, will anyone inform me about the 7 levels of achievement and fulfillment or refer me to some text or another path to this knowledge?

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    1. I am also a decent of this family. Have you found anymore info? micadmeier@gmail.com

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    2. I am also a descendant of Betsy Pack Lowery

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    3. Johnjohnsoniv7@gmail.com

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  9. Thank you for your comment, I discuss the levels that each clan was responsible for in this series. For more reference Myths of the Cherokee, James Mooney, and Cherokee People by Thomas E. Mails.

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  10. Siyo dohitsu my clan is the Anisahoni Blue Clan aka Panther Clan. My Grandmother made sure we knew who we were despite the paper genocide of many of the true people.

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  11. this is a very interesting article. I have a Cherokee in my family,and very proud to learn more about my family history.

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  12. I am from the Bear Clan through my Grandfather. I have been attacked by and insulted by other Cherokee people. This is my blood and trivialized by others. My family was given 6 different white names. Two of them are Meadows and Meador. The other names are so much different than those. I am hurt and disgusted by our people to turn their backs to the Bear Clan!! I have been told that because the EU government doesn't recognize our Clan that makes us nothing!!!! It has thrown away all of Our Pride As Cherokee People!!! This Should Never Happen Between The Same PEOPLE'S!!!!!

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  13. 2nd Lt. Billy Walkabout, a Cherokee of the Blue Holly Clan. looks so much like my son that I wondered if they were related..his grandpa was given the name William Bailey ..Cherokee and his gramma was Agnes Zornes..Cherokee/Blackfoot...his grandpa was adopted from a tribe that went to No.Carolina instead of Oklahoma...not sure about his gramma..but neither are registered in Oklahoma...??

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  14. I'm told by the ancestors I am bear clan. I have yet to find the proof but I have known it all my life deep inside. It's a knowing I cant experience by just seeing or hearing. For those looking for proof the answer is within.

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    1. Yes this is true and I have this same truth given to me by my own instinct and then later by my ancestors. I recognize you. Power in your vision and words. Be still and shiver as u listen it is beautiful. Peace to you brother in this dimension and the next one.

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  15. Siyo Kia Ora (be well in Maori) a split Totara tree will fall. One drop of Tsalagi blood makes us Tsalagi. Loving our neighbour as ourselves makes us human. I cried out in my heart to know my clan. In a dream I was with a child and a voice asked me what colour would heal the children. Completely confused I randomly said red. The voice said 'Blue'. When my little book on Cherokee clans arrived from Qualla Boundry shop more than 30 years ago, I was stunned to find within its pages, the Blue Clan, named after a blue medicine plant that healed the children. My Cherokee mother from Virginia told me about my full-blood Cherokee great, great grandmother. My Cherokee grandfather chose to identify as 'White'. No one would talk about it. I live in Aotearoa, New Zealand. When I married we did the shawl ceremony. It's really hurtful to make judgements on someone's Cherokee identify based on blood quantums and paper registration. Paper genocide is the right term. Whanaugatanga, relationships and Aroha, love are far more important. Kia kaha. Be strong.

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  16. I am very happy today thanks to reading this post. i found my family name on the list of "notable surnames". i am Doug Highfield. I am 72 yrs old. I am a pipemaker and have always known in my heart that i am descended from Native Americans. My grandfather said that his father, Calvin Highfield , said that we were black Ductch. Where can i learn more about this surname listed here? Thank you.

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