552 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1956 



Howard Payne's time (1830) information regarding the traditions 

 was gleaned by the missionary, D. S. Butrick, from Nutsawi Pinelog, 

 Awayu, Corn Tassel, Deer-in-the-water, Nettle, Nutsawi Saddler, 

 Rain, Raven, Thomas Smith, T. Smith, Jr., Shortarrow, Situegi, Ter- 

 rapin Head, and Toleta. 



In Mooney's time (1890-1910) , the principal informants were Swim- 

 mer, John Axe, Suyeta, Catawba-killer, Chief N. J. Smith, Salali, 

 Jessan Ayasta, and James and David Blythe. 



In recent years of the twentieth century there were Will West 

 Long, Deliski Climbing Bear, Morgan Calhoun, and others. The tend- 

 ency of medicine-making to run in families was noted by Olbrechts 

 (1932, p. 106). 



A detailed study of the matrilineal pedigrees among the Cherokees 

 would reveal much of the background of the prominent personalities 

 of the band. This is true both of the earlier period and the later his- 

 tory of this group. The science of human genetics is only in its in- 

 fancy, yet a brilliant future may be forecast for it in the study of groups 

 like the Eastern Cherokee. The tracing of clan descents, together with 

 historical notices of the personalities and the lineages achieving con- 

 tinued distinction in the Cherokee tribe, is of the greatest importance. 

 Whether the distinction was socially inspired or biologically trans- 

 mitted is of little account in our present state of knowledge. The 

 important thing is to trace the genealogy of achievement within the 

 group. 



The famous Atakullakulla or Little Carpenter was a nephew of 

 Old Hop of Chote, who was principal chief in the early eighteenth cen- 

 tury. Little Carpenter was noted as a man of superior abilities who 

 was peace chief of the tribe through many difficult years. One of his 

 sisters was said to have been the mother of the famous Nancy Ward, 

 who was described by William Martin as "One of the most superior 

 women I ever saw." Since Nancy Ward is described as having been 

 of the Wolf Clan, we may assume that her mother and Little Carpenter 

 were also of this clan and possibly Old Hop also. Little Carpenter's 

 son, Dragging Canoe, was another famous Cherokee leader. Also of 

 the Wolf Clan was Charles R. Hicks, principal chief, and son of 

 Nancy, a daughter of Chief Broom, and a white man, Nathan Hicks. 



Still another lineage development is suggested in the case of Old 

 Tassel, principal chief of Chote, and of the Twister Clan, a lineage 

 noted for its pride and haughtiness. John Watts was a nephew of Old 

 Tassel and son of a white trader, John Watts, and a sister of Old 

 Tassel. He was a headman of the Cherokees and a chief of the 

 Chickamaugas. It is said that Nathaniel Gist, a Pennsylvania Ger- 

 man, married another of the sisters of Old Tassel and became the 

 father of George Gist, the famous Sequoia, inventer of the Cherokee 



