Next in order comes the name of Itagû'nahi, better known as John Ax,
born about 1800 and now consequently just touching the century mark,
being the oldest man of the band. He has a distinct recollection of
the Creek war, at which time he was about twelve years of age, and
was already married and a father when the lands east of Nantahala
were sold by the treaty of 1819. Although not a professional priest
or doctor, he was recognized, before age had dulled his faculties, as
an authority upon all relating to tribal custom, and was an expert in
the making of rattles, wands, and other ceremonial paraphernalia. Of
a poetic and imaginative temperament, he cared most for the wonder
stories, of the giant Tsul`kalû', of the great Uktena or of the
invisible spirit people, but he had also a keen appreciation of the
humorous animal stories. He speaks no English, and with his erect
spare figure and piercing eye is a fine specimen of the old-time
Indian. Notwithstanding his great age he walked without other
assistance than his stick to the last ball game, where he watched
every run with the closest interest, and would have attended the
dance the night before but for the interposition of friends.
Suyeta, "The Chosen One," who preaches regularly as a Baptist
minister to an Indian congregation, does not deal much with the Indian
supernatural, perhaps through deference to his clerical obligations,
but has a good memory and liking for rabbit stories and others of
the same class. He served in the Confederate army during the war as
fourth sergeant in Company A, of the Sixty-ninth North Carolina,
and is now a well-preserved man of about sixty-two. He speaks no
English, but by an ingenious system of his own has learned to use
a concordance for verifying references in his Cherokee bible. He is
also a first-class carpenter and mason.
Another principal informant was Ta'gwadihi', "Catawba-killer," of
Cheowa, who died a few years ago, aged about seventy. He was a doctor
and made no claim to special knowledge of myths or ceremonials, but
was able to furnish several valuable stories, besides confirmatory
evidence for a large number obtained from other sources.
Besides these may be named, among the East Cherokee, the late Chief
N. J. Smith; Salâ'li, mentioned elsewhere, who died about 1895;
Tsesa'ni or Jessan, who also served in the war; Ayâ'sta, one of the
principal conservatives among the women; and James and David Blythe,
younger men of mixed blood, with an English education, but inheritors
of a large share of Indian lore from their father, who was a recognized
leader of ceremony.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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