CHEROKEE – The Natchez Trace Parkway Association this past weekend held the Second Annual WAR of 1812 commemorative reenactment celebration at Chief George Colbert’s Ferry on the Tennessee River.
200 years ago there was a meeting between the Shawnee of the North and the Southern Tribes. They were to decide what, if anything, they were going to do with the white Europeans who came and ran roughshod over their lands. Were they going to join forces and fight? Well, that was the question. Shawnee Chief Tecumseh had made a pact with the British to carve out a land of their own east of the Mississippi, but he needed the cooperation of the Creeks, Chickasaws, Choctaws and Cherokees. And so, he made the journey down from present-day Indiana to recruit the great tribes of the South. But his efforts were fruitless. Indeed, when the tribal meeting ended, there was a great deal of animosity between the tribes.
This meeting was portrayed by American Indians from those tribes at the Ferry site. It was a remarkable thing to witness.
Chickasaw Elder, Robert Perry of Tuscumbia wrote this account of the historical meeting and its aftermath:
“As numerous writers have noted, places possess a marked capacity for triggering acts of self-reflection, inspiring thoughts about who one presently is, or memories of who one used to be, or musings on who one might become.” [Keith H. Basso in Wisdom Sits in Places.]
The Indians at Colbert’s Ferry left 177 years ago, but returned in force this last weekend to re-enact events that changed American history. Real Indians from the Shawnee, Cherokee, and Creek, Choctaw and Chickasaw tribes told how Tecumseh brought the idea of joining forces to defeat the Americans who were over-running their country. The English had promised weapons and the return lands to the tribes. Yet, the Choctaws & Chickasaws were friendly with the Americans and against what they believed would be needless bloodshed. The Creeks, led by William Weatherford, the Truth Speaker, was on the fence. Even though the Americans were inciting trouble that caused his people to fight among themselves, Weatherford sided with the Americans.
Rather than read a hundred books to extract information, this event was staged in quick bursts through the day interspersed with speakers who added details. The audience heard passionate voices and true-to-history arguments that would go back and forth between the characters who were trying to draw a reasonable conclusion to a very complicated problem. Pushmataha threatens death to any Choctaw following the Shawnee. When the Shawnees are told to go home, Tecumseh concedes, but they will know he spoke the truth. How? The legend holds that by Tecumseh stamping his foot, the earth would shake. History tells that when the New Madrid earthquake struck, it caused the Mississippi River to flow backwards. Nonetheless, the Southern tribes remained with the Americans and helped General Andrew Jackson defeat the British in the War of 1812.
In jest, after the Act finished, the Chickasaw who portrayed Chief George Colbert spoke in a stage voice, “I’ve changed my mind.” The comment was unrehearsed, but startling. Had the Southeast tribes known that despite their support of the Americans, Jackson, in a very few years, would have them removed from their ancient homelands…the decision might have favored the British!”
