Junaluska (Cherokee: ''Tsunu’lahun’ski'') (c.1775 – October 20, 1868), was a leader of Cherokee who resided in towns in western
North Carolina
North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...
in the early 19th century. He fought alongside
Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson (March 15, 1767 – June 8, 1845) was an American lawyer, planter, general, and statesman who served as the seventh president of the United States from 1829 to 1837. Before being elected to the presidency, he gained fame as ...
, and saved his life, at the
Battle of Horseshoe Bend
The Battle of Horseshoe Bend (also known as ''Tohopeka'', ''Cholocco Litabixbee'', or ''The Horseshoe''), was fought during the War of 1812 in the Mississippi Territory, now central Alabama. On March 27, 1814, United States forces and Indian a ...
during the War of 1812/Creek War. Reportedly later in life, he regretted having done so.
Although he was removed with most Cherokee on the
Trail of Tears
The Trail of Tears was an ethnic cleansing and forced displacement of approximately 60,000 people of the "Five Civilized Tribes" between 1830 and 1850 by the United States government. As part of the Indian removal, members of the Cherokee, ...
, Junaluska returned to North Carolina in the late 1840s. The state legislature granted him citizenship and some land near present-day
Robbinsville. He was among the Cherokee who lived in North Carolina from the 19th century, and were ancestors to the federally recognized tribe of
Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians
The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI), (Cherokee language, Cherokee: ᏣᎳᎩᏱ ᏕᏣᏓᏂᎸᎩ, ''Tsalagiyi Detsadanilvgi'') is a Federally recognized tribe, federally recognized Indian Tribe based in Western North Carolina in the U ...
. This group organized in the 20th century.
Name and noms de guerre
Junaluska was born around 1775,
[''Junaluska''](_blank)
McCulloch, Maude; Book; (1916); via Internet Archive.com; digitized by University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; August 13, 2012; contributor: University Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States ...
; retrieved October 11, 2022[''Junaluska'']
Thomaslegion.net; retrieved on July 2008 approximately south of
Franklin, North Carolina
Franklin is a town in and the county seat of Macon County, North Carolina, United States. It is situated within the Nantahala National Forest. The population was reported to be 4,175 in the 2020 census, an increase from the total of 3,845 tabula ...
near present-day
Dillard
Dillard may refer to:
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Arts, entertai ...
,
Georgia
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. A few days after his birth, the cradle-board holding him fell over. He was called ''Gu-Ka-Las-Ki'' or ''Gulkalaski'' in the
Cherokee language
200px, Number of speakers
Cherokee or Tsalagi ( chr, ᏣᎳᎩ ᎦᏬᏂᎯᏍᏗ, ) is an endangered-to-moribund Iroquoian language and the native language of the Cherokee people. ''Ethnologue'' states that there were 1,520 Cherokee speaker ...
,
[NC.us]
retrieved July 2008 meaning "one who falls from a leaning position".
Later as an adult, after an unsuccessful military venture, he was named ''Tsu-Na-La-Hun-Ski'' or ''Tsunulahunski'' ("one who tries but fails"). Junaluska described this warfare events by the term, ''Detsinulahungu'' (meaning "I tried, but could not").
[
]
Allies and enemies
Oral tradition has it that Junaluska met with Tecumseh
Tecumseh ( ; October 5, 1813) was a Shawnee chief and warrior who promoted resistance to the expansion of the United States onto Native American lands. A persuasive orator, Tecumseh traveled widely, forming a Native American confederacy and ...
in Soco Gap
Soco Gap (el. ) is a mountain pass between the Plott Balsam Range, to its south, and the Balsam Mountains, to its north. Also known as Ahalunun'yi (), meaning "Ambush Place" or Uni'halu'na (), meaning "where they ambushed;" named after the occa ...
in 1811. This has not been verified. Junaluska is known to have informed Tecumseh that the Cherokee
The Cherokee (; chr, ᎠᏂᏴᏫᏯᎢ, translit=Aniyvwiyaʔi or Anigiduwagi, or chr, ᏣᎳᎩ, links=no, translit=Tsalagi) are one of the indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States. Prior to the 18th century, t ...
in his region would not join an Indian confederacy against the European-American settlers.
In 1813, when the Cherokee raised up 636 men against the Red Stick
Red Sticks (also Redsticks, Batons Rouges, or Red Clubs), the name deriving from the red-painted war clubs of some Native American Creeks—refers to an early 19th-century traditionalist faction of these people in the American Southeast. Made u ...
faction of the Creek Indians in Alabama, Junaluska personally recruited over a hundred men to fight at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend. The Cherokee unit was incorporated into the combined Creek-Cherokee-Yuchi-Choctaw army under the command of Brig. General William McIntosh
William McIntosh (1775 – April 30, 1825),Hoxie, Frederick (1996)pp. 367-369/ref> was also commonly known as ''Tustunnuggee Hutke'' (White Warrior), was one of the most prominent chiefs of the Creek Nation between the turn of the nineteenth cen ...
, a "friendly" Creek from Georgia. Junaluska's actions turned the tide when he swam the Tallapoosa River
The Tallapoosa River runs U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed April 27, 2011 from the southern end of the Appalachian Mountains in Georgia, United States, southward and wes ...
, retrieving Redstick canoes in order to ferry the Cherokee to the rear of the Creek. He is also credited with saving Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson (March 15, 1767 – June 8, 1845) was an American lawyer, planter, general, and statesman who served as the seventh president of the United States from 1829 to 1837. Before being elected to the presidency, he gained fame as ...
's life during this battle.
According to the provisions of an 1819 treaty with the United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
, Junaluska applied for of land at Sugar Creek near Franklin, North Carolina
Franklin is a town in and the county seat of Macon County, North Carolina, United States. It is situated within the Nantahala National Forest. The population was reported to be 4,175 in the 2020 census, an increase from the total of 3,845 tabula ...
. When his land was usurped by white settlers, he moved to the remaining portion of the Cherokee Nation
The Cherokee Nation (Cherokee: ᏣᎳᎩᎯ ᎠᏰᎵ ''Tsalagihi Ayeli'' or ᏣᎳᎩᏰᎵ ''Tsalagiyehli''), also known as the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, is the largest of three Cherokee federally recognized tribes in the United States. It ...
.
Contention with Jackson
Jackson reportedly met with Junaluska regarding the Indian Removal Act
The Indian Removal Act was signed into law on May 28, 1830, by United States President Andrew Jackson. The law, as described by Congress, provided "for an exchange of lands with the Indians residing in any of the states or territories, and for ...
, but the president said, "Sir, your audience is ended. There is nothing I can do for you."
During the infamous Trail of Tears
The Trail of Tears was an ethnic cleansing and forced displacement of approximately 60,000 people of the "Five Civilized Tribes" between 1830 and 1850 by the United States government. As part of the Indian removal, members of the Cherokee, ...
in 1838, Junaluska and many other Cherokee people were incarcerated and held in nearby stockades prior to the march. Fort Montgomery was located near present day Robbinsville, North Carolina
Robbinsville is a town in Graham County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 620 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Graham County, county population 8,861.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town h ...
. From this stockade, Junaluska and thousands of other Cherokee were forced to walk overland to the Indian Territory
The Indian Territory and the Indian Territories are terms that generally described an evolving land area set aside by the Federal government of the United States, United States Government for the relocation of Native Americans in the United St ...
, in present-day eastern Oklahoma
Oklahoma (; Choctaw language, Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the nor ...
. Junaluska was assigned to a detachment led by Jesse Bushyhead.
About seven weeks into the journey, Junaluska and approximately 50 other Cherokee escaped. He and his band were soon captured and returned to the journey. After several years, Junaluska returned to North Carolina on foot. In 1847, after a plea by Col. William Holland Thomas
William Holland Thomas (February 5, 1805 – May 10, 1893) was an American merchant and soldier.
He was the son of Temperance Thomas (née Colvard) and Richard Thomas, who died before he was born. He was raised by his mother on Raccoon Cr ...
, a white man who had been adopted into the Cherokee tribe, the state legislature rewarded Junalaska for his service. It granted him state citizenship and land near present-day Robbinsville, North Carolina
Robbinsville is a town in Graham County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 620 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Graham County, county population 8,861.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town h ...
.
Personal life
Junaluska married ''Ni-suh'' and had three children, boys ''Jim-my'' and ''Sic-que-yuh'', and daughter ''Na-lih''.
Junaluska died October 20, 1868,[ and was buried in Robbinsville. His grave was originally marked, in traditional Cherokee style, with a pile of stones.][ In 1910 the General Joseph Winston Chapter of the ]Daughters of the American Revolution
The Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) is a lineage-based membership service organization for women who are directly descended from a person involved in the United States' efforts towards independence.
A non-profit group, they promote ...
(Winston-Salem
Winston-Salem is a city and the county seat of Forsyth County, North Carolina, United States. In the 2020 census, the population was 249,545, making it the second-largest municipality in the Piedmont Triad region, the 5th most populous city in N ...
) erected a monument at his grave site.[
]
Legacy
During the American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...
, the Confederate States Navy named one of its ships, the CSS ''Junaluska'' for him.CSS ''Junaluska'' at Naval History & Heritage Command
/ref> It had persuaded most of the Cherokee and other nations of the Five Civilized Tribes in Indian Territory
The Indian Territory and the Indian Territories are terms that generally described an evolving land area set aside by the Federal government of the United States, United States Government for the relocation of Native Americans in the United St ...
to become allies of the Confederacy. Not all Cherokee people agreed to this. The CSA leaders promised the Native Americans to give them their own state if they were successful in the war.
Numerous places and physical features have been named for this leader: Lake Junaluska, Junaluska Creek, Junaluska Gap, Junaluska Ridge, the Junaluska Salamander, and Mount Junaluska (now known as North Eaglenest Mountain
North Eaglenest Mountain is a mountain located less than south of Maggie Valley, North Carolina, US, in Haywood County. It is part of the Plott Balsams, a range of the Appalachian Mountains, and less than a mile north of Eaglenest Mountain. It ...
).
A giant sculpture was installed honoring him, along the ''Trail of the Whispering Giants
The ''Trail of the Whispering Giants'' is a collection of sculptures by Hungarian American, Hungarian-born artist Peter Wolf Toth. The sculptures range in height from , and are between in diameter. In 2009, there were 74 ''Whispering Giants'', wi ...
'' in Metro-Kiwanis Park in Johnson City, Tennessee
Johnson City is a city in Washington, Carter, and Sullivan counties in the U.S. state of Tennessee, mostly in Washington County. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 71,046, making it the eighth largest city in Tennessee. John ...
.
A museum and memorial in his honor were erected in Robbinsville in the late 20th century.
References
* The entry may be foun
here
External links
Georgia Tribe of Eastern Cherokee page
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Junaluska
1770s births
1868 deaths
Eastern Band Cherokee people
People from Robbinsville, North Carolina
Native American people of the Indian Wars
Cherokee Nation people (1794–1907)
18th-century Native Americans