In 1755, during a war between the Cherokee and Creek, a woman named Nanye’hi followed her husband into battle to provide him with ammunition and encouragement.
During the battle, her husband was shot. Without a moment’s thought, Nanye’hi reached over his body, snatched his weapon, and took his place in the fight as she sang out a Cherokee war song to inspire her fellow warriors.
Because of her courage, the Cherokee honored Nanye’hi with the title Beloved Woman. As a Beloved Woman, Nanye’hi was able to go to meetings of the Cherokee Council, which was usually only attended by men. She was also given the vital duty of preparing Black Drink, the power-giving tea that men drank during ceremonies. Several years after the death of her Cherokee husband, Nanye’hi married an Irish trader named Brian Ward.
Trusted by both Cherokees and whites (who knew her as Nancy Ward), she became a celebrated peacemaker between the two groups. Today, Cherokees still honor Nancy Ward as a Beloved Woman who provided their people with sound and sane counsel.
Related Posts
-
Why was Sequoyah’s written language important and How did the Cherokee use writing?
Sequoyah's writing system was so simple that a Cherokee speaker could master reading and writing in a few days. Almost overnight, the Cherokee became a literate people. Suddenly, they could write down their…
-
Where Did Medicine Come From According To Cherokee Mythology?
When people and animals first lived on the earth, they greeted each other and spoke together often. But when people began to kill animals for food, the animals grew angry. The bears gathered…
-
How Did Deer Get His Horns In Cherokee Mythology?
Originally, Deer had a smooth head with no horns. One day, the animals decided to have a contest between Rabbit and Deer to determine who was the fastest. They would race through a…
-
Who was Sequoyah and How did George Gist invent the Cherokee syllabary?
Born in about 1770, Sequoyah (also known as George Gist) was a Cherokee man who invented a way of writing down the Cherokee's spoken language. The task was very difficult: He worked for…
-
What was the Booger Dance and How did the Cherokee ceremony originate?
In the winter, the Cherokee enjoyed a rowdy ceremony called the Booger Dance. After guests arrived at the host's home, four masked dancers ran into the house. The dancers, called boogers, made crude…
-
Why Did Zeus Create the First Woman and What Does the Name Pandora Mean In Greek Mythology?
Zeus was furious when he saw men with fire and vowed revenge. This time, Zeus ordered Hephaistos to create a person who would use deceit and trickery to disrupt the society of men,…
