As Told By The Grand Chief of the Yamassee Nation Of Florida, Sekhu Hidden Eagle Thunderbird -
The "Yamassee War of 1715", started for several different reasons, well to be exact hundreds of years of reason(s), much of the simplified answer given is true but does not out line the heart of the start of the war nor the in between. We the Yamassee encountered various settlers over the centuries, and we were very hard working Gentle people and attempted and succeeded in sharing our knowledge of life, farming & battle.
Our gentle nature and fierce battle techniques made us formidable allies (and) enemies to those we encountered. Untold stories does not reveal that the war that became known as the "Yamassee War" was the aftermath of other wars fought with blood descendants, we call family, like the Tuscarora, Apalachee, Guale and more against the settlers!
It was the attempt of the settlers to try and divide and conquer us, for we never gave ourselves the names the settlers used to describe us, until they convinced us of the advantage of being able to identify each tribe located by regions separated by them creating boarders, from their maps of territory they planned on inhabiting!
They also utilized the facts that each , clan, tribe or band that made up our nation, was overseen by different Chiefs, this is also a known formula they used to setup the current governments that are in place by the US today!
The "Yamassee War of 1715", started for several different reasons, well to be exact hundreds of years of reason(s), much of the simplified answer given is true but does not out line the heart of the start of the war nor the in between. We the Yamassee encountered various settlers over the centuries, and we were very hard working Gentle people and attempted and succeeded in sharing our knowledge of life, farming & battle.
Our gentle nature and fierce battle techniques made us formidable allies (and) enemies to those we encountered. Untold stories does not reveal that the war that became known as the "Yamassee War" was the aftermath of other wars fought with blood descendants, we call family, like the Tuscarora, Apalachee, Guale and more against the settlers!
It was the attempt of the settlers to try and divide and conquer us, for we never gave ourselves the names the settlers used to describe us, until they convinced us of the advantage of being able to identify each tribe located by regions separated by them creating boarders, from their maps of territory they planned on inhabiting!
They also utilized the facts that each , clan, tribe or band that made up our nation, was overseen by different Chiefs, this is also a known formula they used to setup the current governments that are in place by the US today!
The advantage of us being separated by distance, allowed the colonist to put into motion their plan for dissemination by using gossip and slander, they would attest the information came from other tribal members.
We knew that to have too many, living in one area would off set the balance of nature which is why we was distanced from each other in various places!
This can be talked about more, but that is for later discussion.
Further more, our war was about respect for us, and for them not allowing other Colonist such as, Spain and France to become allies with us, for fear of them the Europeans being outcast-ed and defeated in their attempt to populate the "NEW WORLD" by other nations.
But through the Europeans, attempt to cheat us in wages for transporting equipment, food, furs & more, through our territory to their new settlements, and then further insult us, by raising the cost of Trade Items we agreed to barter with them, and putting us in debt, started reminding us of previous wars fought with tribal families that had experienced the same treatment.
To add insult to injury, as the strong men and warriors of our tribes would travel on the missions, they introduced rum, and what we called fire water to our younger warriors, to befriend, rape some the men and create an arena of trust by them!
Leaving our children mostly the younger girls and women of the tribe venerable, for persecution and Rape by the Europeans "Allies?" We with stood the blatant disrespect because children were being born unto our women, and much like history shows once in our blood, you became family through the mother of the tribe. That mistake led to mix blood descendants creating Treaty without Right to do later on in history! (Another topic for another time)
There is much more to be said, but this war was not as fast and quick as his story would tell. It took them centuries to divide and attempt to conquer us, and did most of the conquering on paper, for we could not write their language to dispute their claims. What added salt to the wound before the day of the war was a meeting of over a 500 Chiefs, and tribal prophets as they were called of different towns , villages of Upper and lower Yamassee, in which we were told by a blood Descendant, whom had children before his death with several Yamassee Women named "John Wright" that the Europeans would surely kill the Yamassee and take our land , women and Children for their own, and make them slaves because we, looked so much like the African Slaves they bought over from the conquest in Africa, and described the Yamassee men as (women), which was the highest form of disrespect!
We could not believe this statement because of the so few men they had to fight wars that had already been created by them and the Spaniards & French!
We led them to believe all would be OK, but knew they Europeans had forked tongues and could not be trusted. That night later in private council and Sacred tongue, we voted on annihilation of our sneaky Enemy.
To show them , we are not women as Warriors but descendants of Great Warriors before!
It was a success, and word of our uprising against them, traveled over the North American Country.
Craven (Governor) found out about this, and wrote to the King at the time " George " and described to him how more than 9-15,000 maybe more attacked , and he needed help, for fear of lost of the territory to the French and Spaniards, but more than anything he had to save face to the
" Proprietors" whom invested in the creation of the townships, land & property they were too own!
Because of the lack of military forces and help, from the crown, Craven took , a letter that verified to him, we the " Yamassee" looked at him as a brother and he would be spared from death, this letter dictated to an English writing boy, by the Huspah king, found governor Craven and reconfirmed his safety!
Craven with very few white settlers, for the rest was leaving as letters show in his story, took, Yamassee, who were told of one of our tribes disrespect, and was not privy to the meeting before hand, negro Slaves that were told they would be free, and a couple hundred white men, and attacked Our Elders, women and children, that was sent to the Saltkechie area for protection and killed them, and proclaimed victory , to save face to the proprietors.
This Document is in British and American History, Please research to verify!
The War did not end as history shows through our defeat, but by the " Coweta Resolution" .
For More Info go to - yamasseenation.org
On Sept. 18th, 2011 in Los Angeles, Calif. The Nations of the Spainish and Native American decent headed to the streets of LA to promote there very own culture and nations. There was an amazing turn out from the crowds, the streets were packed with spectators from all nations.
