The Battle for Nickajack Town '98
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The Battle for Nickajack Town '98
The struggle began when the monolithic TVA (Tennessee Valley Authority)
decided to sell off lands containing all that remains above water of old
Nickajack Town. A little background here might be helpful especially for
those who believe the stereo type of the "peaceful Cherokee". Dragging Canoe
(173? - 1792) removed from the more peaceful elements of the Cherokee Tribe
hoping to prevent innocent bloodshed, yet knowing the encroachment on Cherokee
hunting grounds needed to be stopped. For awhile, he and the warriors that
followed him with their families moved to the area of Chickamauga Creek in
Chattanooga Tennessee. From current day 'Hooters' to Lovell Field Airport.
From this location the warriors staged lightning swift raids on the illegal
settlements that were springing up on Cherokee land. Soon the location of
Chickamauga Town was found out and the village was burned in an act of revenge
for punishing the white squatters on our lands. This sequence of events was
repeated several times, & every time, the villages on the Chickamauga
were rebuilt. Finally more secure habitations were secured from an alliance
with the Redstick Creek. One of these habitations is called in our tongue
"Anicoosawetiyi" or Old Place of the Creeks, which is known to whites as
Nickajack Town.
It is now the Twentieth Century seven generations since our forefathers
the People of the Lightning fought to save the sovereignty that the Cherokee
Chiefs were so quick to abdicate. The TVA in the sixth generation, built
dams that flooded most of those habitations that were obtained from the
Creek.
It is now the '90s and TVA, having used the law of Eminent Domain to
acquire the land of the People of the Lightning, is in a financial bind because
of mismanagement. They wanted to sell Nickajack Town and its associated burials.
But they did not count on the Children of the Lightning confronting them.
And confront them we did. On July 5, 1997, The Tennessee River Band of
Chickamaugan Cherokees staged a march in downtown Chattanooga, TN in front
of the TVA complex. This was followed by other demonstrations, organized
by the Chattanooga Inter Tribal Association, in which Children of the Lightning
also participated. Finally, in the Spring of '98, the TRBCC hosted a powwow
to save Little Cedar Mt. at nearby Marion County Park. It was well attended
by Native people but there were not many 'tourists' and I fear many vendors
went away unhappy. At the same time, E. Raymond Evans informed us, AIM was
staging a protest in front of Hines Ltd., Little Cedar Mt. project office
in Atlanta, GA. Soon intelligence reports from Mr. Evans confirmed that Hines
LTD had closed their Atlanta "project" and moved it to Chicago IL.
We also had reports that the Eastern Band of Cherokees chief Dugan was
going soft on us. Secretly agreeing with TVA to remain silent on LCM in exchange
for a small piece of shell midden downstream from Nickajack Dam. Mr. Evans
and Mr. James Bumpas discovered this in a fund-seeking trip to the N. C.
reservation. It must be said here that the Council EBCI knew nothing of the
soft position and in Mr. Evans words were "willing to cut a check right then."
But the "director of Cultural Resources" cleared her throat and said "the
Chief has a plan."
And now, months after TVA's formal abdication announcement, on March
15,1999, we are still celebrating our well-deserved victory over the TVA.
Chalk March 15 on your calendars, Children of the Lightning, as the day of
a major political coup for the TRBCC and Native America as a whole.
WE ARE NOT YET CONQUERED!!!
David Brown
Click here to visit the TRBCC
website
PO Box 21293
Chickamauga Station, TN 37424-0293
TRBCC - SCN
WE ARE NOT YET CONQUERED!!!
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