People of One Fire Collections – Page 6 of 6

Eastern Woodland Wigwam

Although as was discussed in an earlier article on the Apache wickiup, some indigenous tribes still lived in very primitive shelters up until the late 1800s, most had long developed larger, sturdier houses that could be heated in the winter. One of the most common types of native houses in the Midwest and New England was the wigwam. It had obviously evolved from the wickiup type shelter, but was far more spacious and durable. A buffalo or bear skin door could seal the opening to block cold winds and rains. It was large enough for occupants to stand or build … Read more

Earth Lodges of the Mandan, Arikara and Hidatsa

Earth Lodges of the Mandan, Arikara and Hidatsa

Early Slave Raid Period 1657-1684

In 1567 Captain Juan Pardo explored an extensive area of what is now the Carolina Piedmont & Highlands. He probably also traveled through sections of the upper Tennessee Valley and northeastern Georgia – possibly even SW Virginia. Licenciado (attorney) Juan de la Bandero recorded names of indigenous communities that he visited and gave some geographical descriptions of certain important towns; but gave incomplete information as to the locations of these communities. All but one of the political titles that Bandero recorded, are words in Muskogee or Hitchiti. Scholars are not aware of any other detailed accounts of the region for … Read more

Early European Explorers

Throughout the late 17th century and first 2/3 of the 18th century, Great Britain and France competed for control of North America. Some have called this period, the Second Hundred Years War. Although the European troops were not always fighting each other, their Indian allies were. Spain had challenged Great Britain’s colonization efforts in the 1600s, but by 1705 its mission system in what is now Georgia had been wiped out by Native American and English raiders. English fishermen established camps and villages on the coast of Newfoundland and Nova Scotia the 1490s. It is quite possible that they had … Read more

Early Colonization of La Louisiane

During the late 1600s and early 1700s, English explorers and colonists primarily stayed within the Piedmont and Coastal Plain, east of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Meanwhile, anonymous French traders and trappers were exploring the rivers of the Upper South then reporting back information to French officials in Quebec. The combination of expeditions sponsored by the French government and dozens of journeys by civilians, enabled France to map and claim all of North America from the eastern edge of the Blue Ridge Mountains to the headwaters of the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers. This vast province, France named La Louisiane – Louisiana. … Read more

Creeks became Creeks 1717-1755

This is the era when the Creeks became the Creeks. During the late 1600s the English colonial records described dealings with several Muskogean ethnic groups in South Carolina (which include the future states of Georgia and Alabama.) Their English names were the Oconee, Sawakee, the Cusabo, Soque, Hillabee, Pee Dee, Cusa, Santeetly, Ochese, Yamasee, Tamatly, Caskenampo, Tallassee and Apalachicola. By the time, that the Colony of Georgia was founded n 1732, several more proto-Creek groups were known, but the Coweta were dominant. Generally, both the Georgia and the French colonial governments called most proto-Creeks, Cowetas. The French spelled the word, … Read more

Creek Indian Warehouses

Creek food reserves were stored in large warehouses in the capital of the province. Subordinate villages furnished food reserves to their district administrative center’s warehouse that was known as a talula in Itsati and a talufa in Mvskoke.

Creek Ancestors from the Carolinas

Persons, who have family traditions of Creek Indian ancestry often become confused when they trace their probable Creek ancestors to either South Carolina or North Carolina.

Cherokees in Nacoochee Valley

People of One Fire

Brief History of the French and Indian War

Most histories of the French and Indian War make little mention of events in the Southeast during this period. The primary reason is that European armies did not battle each other in the South. The bulk of the bloodshed in the Southeast occurred in battles between colonial militias and Great Britain’s former ally, the Cherokees. In contrast, the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia lost over 90% of its population during the French and Indian War, while the British settlements in northern New York temporarily ceased to exist. While the European settlers of what was to become the states of Georgia, Alabama, … Read more

Biltmore Mound, Asheville, North Carolina

During the 1980s American scholars suddenly became interested in Spains efforts to colonize the North America. For 200 years American history books had generally ignored the Spanish and French presence in North America prior to the English colonies winning their independence. Generations of students here were under the impression that no white man had set foot on the continent until brave Englishmen founded a short-lived colony on Roanoke Island, NC in 1585. Well, while all the history books were being printed in Boston, probably most students had the impression that the first colony was founded by the Pilgrims in 1621 … Read more

Basket House of the South Atlantic Coast

When the Spanish arrived on the coast of South Carolina, Georgia and Florida, they observed small houses near the beaches which were woven like baskets. In, what is now South Carolina and Georgia, these basket houses were only used in the warm months as fishing camps. However, the Tequesta People living in the coastal areas of far southeastern Florida lived in them year round. The houses were literally woven from dry palmetto fronds like they were over-sized baskets. They functioned much like a screened porch today – air could circulate, but insects and rain drops couldn’t penetrate the walls. Very … Read more

Apache Wickiup

During the late 1800s, certain bands of the Apache Indians of Arizona and New Mexico were able to tie down large numbers of United States and Mexican soldiers while living in the most primitive of dwellings the wickiup. What is particularly interesting about their huts is that its appearance was probably identical to the housing used by most Native Americans 5000 years ago. In fact, the indigenous people of New England were still living in very similar huts when the Pilgrims arrived on the Mayflower. One can not imagine how cold those huts were in the winter. Unlike more … Read more

Adena Mounds of the Ohio River Valley

Around 1000 BC a stocky, broad headed people migrated into the Upper Ohio Valley. Their original home was probably in the Southeast since their physical appearance was identical to that of the peoples who built the platform village at Poverty Point, LA and the shell rings on Sapelo Island. (See previous articles on those locations.) Another hint about their place of origin was that unlike their new neighbors, they knew how to make pottery. The oldest known pottery in the Western Hemisphere was found in the Savannah River Basin of Georgia. Ceramic technology spread very slowly elsewhere. It did not … Read more

Achese: Birthplace of the Creek Confederacy

The four versions of the de Soto Chronicles say very little about this American Indian town, whose ruins are now known as “the Lamar Village Component of Ocmulgee National Monument.” This is surprising, since the town figures prominently in Creek Indian history. In fact, the chroniclers could not even agree on the town’s name. The Gentleman of Elvas called the town, Achese. Other versions called it Ochese, Ichese and Uchese. English colonists, 200 years later, would call it Ochese. That name stuck.

Achese Moves to Florida

In 1690 Scottish traders built a fort and trading post on the plaza of the ancient Ocmulgee acropolis. This development influenced towns located on the Chattahoochee River that were members of the People of One Fire, to move to the Ocmulgee River. The English and Scottish traders called the Ocmulgee River, Ochesee Creek. They mispronounced Achese as Ochesee. From this geographical name, the Creek Indians get their modern identity. The “Creek” village that located closest to the fort was called Oka-mole-ke, which in a Georgia dialect of the Muskogee language means “swirling water.” English speakers mispronounced it as Ok-mul-gee and … Read more

Achese becomes the first capital of the Creek Confederacy

Achese apparently became the most important town in what archaeologists label the Lamar Culture. The Lamar Culture is named after the Lamar Village, which is the name given the site by archaeologists. Lamar Culture towns built smaller mounds that previous phases of the Creek Indian culture. The mounds were oval and faced west. The principal temple mounds of earlier towns were usually pentagonal and extremely large, some of the largest built in North America. By not devoting so much labor into mound-building, the Lamar Culture people were able to grow more food and obtain more game or fish. It was a very prosperous time in the region.