Yûñ'wiya'--This word is compounded from yûñwi (person) and ya
(real or principal). The assumption of superiority is much in
evidence in Indian tribal names; thus, the Iroquois, Delawares,
and Pawnee call themselves, respectively, Oñwe-hoñwe, Leni-lenape',
and Tsariksi-tsa'riks, all of which may be rendered "men of men,"
"men surpassing other men," or "real men."
Kitu'hwagi--This word, which can not be analyzed, is derived from
Kitu'hwa, the name of an ancient Cherokee settlement formerly on
Tuckasegee river, just above the present Bryson City, in Swain county,
North Carolina. It is noted in 1730 as one of the "seven mother towns"
of the tribe. Its inhabitants were called Ani'-Kitu'hwagi (people of
Kituhwa), and seem to have exercised a controlling influence over
those of all the towns on the waters of Tuckasegee and the upper
part of Little Tennessee, the whole body being frequently classed
together as Ani'-Kitu'hwagi. The dialect of these towns held a middle
place linguistically between those spoken to the east, on the heads
of Savannah, and to the west, on Hiwassee, Cheowah, and the lower
course of Little Tennessee. In various forms the word was adopted
by the Delawares, Shawano, and other northern Algonquian tribes as a
synonym for Cherokee, probably from the fact that the Kituhwa people
guarded the Cherokee northern frontier. In the form Cuttawa it appears
on the French map of Vaugondy in 1755. From a similarity of spelling,
Schoolcraft incorrectly makes it a synonym for Catawba, while Brinton
incorrectly asserts that it is an Algonquian term, fancifully rendered,
"inhabitants of the great wilderness." Among the western Cherokee it
is now the name of a powerful secret society, which had its origin
shortly before the War of the Rebellion.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account