Native American – The Kaintuckeean

Recognizing Kentucky American Indians beyond November

By Helen Danser, Chair, Kentucky Native American Heritage Commission

American Indian Heritage Month has been observed in Kentucky each November since 1998, designated again recently by Gov. Steve Beshear. According to the gubernatorial proclamation, “American Indians have lived in Kentucky for more than 12,000 years… Kentucky’s American Indian heritage enriches the lives of Kentuckians and is worth preserving.”

This coincides with the national observance which, according to the Bureau of Indian Affairs, started at the turn of the 20th century as an effort to gain a day of recognition for the significant contributions the first Americans made to the establishment and growth of the U.S.

President Barack Obama noted in his 2014 proclamation, “As we celebrate the rich traditions of the original peoples of what is now the United States, we cannot forget the long and unfortunate chapters of violence, discrimination, and deprivation they had to endure… but as we work together to forge a brighter future, the lessons of our past can help reaffirm the principles that guide our Nation today.”

These are sobering words I take very seriously as chair of the Kentucky Native American Heritage Commission, established in 1996 to promote awareness of significant Native American influences within the historical and cultural experiences of our Commonwealth. The commission is attached to the Kentucky Heritage Council/State Historic Preservation Office (KHC) and made up of 16 appointed members, eight of Native American heritage, representing institutions of higher learning, the preservation or archaeological communities, the arts community and the public at large.

The commission has been working hard to fulfill our mission of advocacy, having met recently with the Education and Workforce Development Cabinet and the Cabinet for Health and Family Services to raise awareness of American Indians residing in our state and help link these individuals to services they may need, given particular health and social issues associated with their ancestry.

But education is our main focus, especially the need to refute pervasive myths and stereotypes that continue to be perpetuated in modern culture, to an alarming degree. We have made it a priority to address these through presentations at public schools and put tools into the hands of teachers so they can do so, as well. The commission’s education committee is working on a curriculum about Kentucky Native Americans geared to Common Core standards, which would enhance history curriculum already in place. And we are working actively with several school-related sports teams to encourage them to do away with inappropriately themed mascots.

Recently we were successful in having a commission representative appointed to the Governors Interstate Indian Council, which met recently in conjunction with the National Congress of the American Indian. The commission has also recently been accepted into the Southeastern caucus of the council, thus officially recognizing us as the Indian commission for Kentucky. This is important because the commission is not a tribe, as are most other members, and this gives us a voice at the national level to bring forth issues those of us in Kentucky face related to tribal or social service needs.

Many Kentucky American Indians are descendants of those who marched along the Trail of Tears, which forced tribes west as part of the Indian Removal Act of 1830.This tragic chapter in American history resulted not just in the eradication of Cherokees from our state, but also others including original Kentucky tribes Shawnee, Chickasaw and Yuchi. Some returned in later years, and today according to the Census Bureau, more than 30 tribes are integrated in Kentucky’s population. A number of these individuals are recognized as members of either federally or state-recognized tribes living off reservation.

Advocating for legislative approval of a legal definition of “American Indian” has been a longstanding effort by the commission, and we have made the case that Kentucky should simply adopt the federal Census Bureau language, which defines an American Indian as someone having origins in any of the original peoples of North, Central and South America, who maintains tribal affiliation or community attachment, and is a legal resident of the United States.

Adopting a definition would serve as acknowledgement and validation that American Indians do, in fact, reside in Kentucky, and reinforce that we have, indeed, been an integral and distinguished part of its history, and now represent a vital part of the present and future of our Commonwealth.

Helen Danser

If you would like to become involved in our work, contact KHC staff coordinator Tressa Brown at [email protected], or 502-564-7005, ext. 125, or visit www.heritage.ky.gov.

Helen Danser, of Tyner, is chair of the Kentucky Native American Heritage Commission and is of Cherokee descent.

The foregoing post is adapted from a press release issued by the Kentucky Heritage Counsel/State Historic Preservation Office on December 3, 2014.

NoD: Alanant-O-Wamiowee

Historic Marker #84; Maysville, Ky.

Kentucky Historic Marker #84 states that

Ancient buffalo trace carved in the wilderness by prehistoric animals seeking salt. Trace was later used by buffaloes, mound builders, Indians and pioneer settlers. Also known as Warrior’s Trace.

There are a couple of conflicting reports regarding the path of this particular trace. The historic marker, as well as Filson’s 1784 map, identify this trace as the “Warrior’s Trace” which generally heads south from Limestone n/k/a Maysville southeast before cutting through the Cumberland Gap; this is likely correct. But there are other sources, including the Kentucky Encyclopedia, labeling the Alanant-O-Wamiowee as the which have it going through what is now Big Bone Lick and crossing the Kentucky River near Leestown. This buffalo trace is located near and lends its name to what is now the Buffalo Trace Distillery. A third trace nearly paralleled the first until it reached the Blue Licks to turn southwest toward Lexington.

Regardless of the course, these traces were wide swathes of land cut into forest and leaving permanent paths where the large bison (and their now-extinct sister-species) would migrate. The paths were later used by armies and settlers, and more recently as road beds.

NoD: Shannoah

Shannoah Historic Marker, Greenup Co., Ky.

Following a flood destroying the Shannoah community on the north bank of the Ohio River, the Shawnee Indians came into Kentucky in 1750 and established a village by the same name. [*] At the time, the French laid claim to what would become central Kentucky as it claimed the entire Ohio River basin. Obviously, this would become one of the disputes between the French and the British which led to the French & Indian War.

Kentucky historic marker #31 reads:

First village in Kentucky built by Shawnee Indians and French traders. Visited in January 1751 by Christopher Gist, George Croghan, Andrew Montour, Robert Kallendar and a servant. Located on the site of an earlier Fort Ancient settlement, it stood 500 yards northwest of these Hopewell earthworks.

The journal of Christopher Gist is a significant resource that tells of the 1751 visit to Shannoah by Gist and his colleagues. He “killed a fat Bear” on March 6, 1750. Gist would later guide Major George Washington on missions during the French & Indian War.

At the time of Gist’s visit, inhabitants of Shannoah numbered 300 men in about 40 houses. [*]

No Destination: Choctaw Indian Academy

Choctaw Indian Academy, Scott County, Ky.

I’m realizing that photographs of historic markers probably aren’t as enjoyable for you as pictures of buildings, landscapes, etc. So I tried to make this one a little more artistic. And if I for a minute actually thought that the old academy still existed, I would have trekked the two miles to find it. That said, I figured it was long gone. I may be mistaken as I was able to find pictures at www.thepeopleofthehuntingground.com.

The History of Scott County, Kentucky provides an account of the indian school:

Lafayette in his tour of the country in that year, (1825) visited it at Blue Springs, and a great feast was prepared for him by the neighborhood, the ladies making a cheese for the occasion weighing 500 pounds. In 1831 the school was removed from Blue Springs to White Sulphur Springs, which was also on a farm owned by Col. Johnson . . . There were generally from two to three hundred Indian boys in attendance, and it brought a considerable revenue to Col. Johnson’s exchequer. Some of the boys afterward filled prominent positions in the country—several became preachers of the Gospel.

Several other of the indian boys would becomes chiefs of their respective tribes. The Col. Johnson mentioned above was Col. Richard Mentor Johnson who would serve as Vice President from 1837-1841 during the administration of President Martin Van Buren. There is some controversy surrounding Johnson’s establishment of the school and his intentions; it seems that he was quite good as securing government contracts, including the establishment of the school.

An 1838 student log shows students from several tribes: Choctaw, Potawatomi, Chickasaw, Cherokee, Seminole, Creek, Prarieduchien, Chicaga, Miami, and Quapaw. The school ultimately closed when financial support from the tribes dried up (they were being forced west into Oklahoma). The OSU Digital Library is a tremendous source of information about the Academy.

My flickr for Choctaw.