4/5/2017 OketeyeconneIndianVillage

OketeyeconneIndianVillage

ByElizabethKingFolger
(Allrightsreserved)

IttookthewhitemanyearstounderstandhowatribeofIndians,inprofoundsilence,couldalerttheirvillagesto
goonthewarpath.Inwhatappearedtobeasimultaneousactivity,suddenlythewholetribe,scatteredinseveral
villagesremovedfromeachother,wouldbeginpreparingfoodforbattle.Atamysteriouslydesignatedtime,the
warriorswouldassembleonthesquareofeachvillage.Silentlyandinsinglefiletheywouldleaveforbattle.

AccordingtotheeyewitnessaccountgivenbyCaptainHughYoung,CorpsofTopographicalEngineersU.S.A.,
themessagesweresentthroughasetofprecontrivedsignals.Theheadchief,upondecidingtogotowar,would
sendabundleof"redsticks"toeachofthetribalvillages.Thenumberofstickssignifiedthenumberofdays,and
everydaythewarchiefofthevillagebrokeastick.Onthedayofthelastbrokenstick,alleyesinthevillagewere
watchingthecouncilhouseforthesignal.Achainofwood,ingeniouslywhittledoutofasinglecedarbough,was
placedovertheentrancetothecouncilhouse,anditcommunicatedtwomessagestothevillagers:tothewarriorsit
meantthetimehadcometogotobattletothosewhowaited,itwasasignofgriefavisualreminderoftheirneed
tosustainoneanotherthroughthelongdays.Thewoodenchainremainedonthecouncilhouseuntilthebattle
ended,thenitwasreplacedbygarlandsofsmilax,thesymbolofjoyandfestivity.Duringtheearlyhistoryofthe
lowerChattahoocheevalley,thereweremany,manyoccasionsforhangingthechainofwoodonthecouncilhouse
atthevillageofOketeyeconne.

NestledonthesunrisesideoftheChattahoochee,twoandahalfmilesabovetheChemochechobeeCreek,
Oketeyeconnevillagebelongedtoatribeknownas"Hitchetees".TheHitcheteeswereSeminoles,andtheirloyalties
werewiththeMiccosukeeTribe.Also,theywerecloselyalliedtotheBritish.

ThevillageofOketeyeconnewasbuiltaroundasquareoccupiedbyfourcabins.Builtforsessionsofcouncil,
thecabinswereoccupiedonlywhenthechiefcalledforconsultationonasubjectofpublicnature.Onecabinwas
fortheoldmen,oneforwarriors,onefortheyoungmen,andoneforwomen.Thepositionofhonorwasalwaysin
themidstoftheoldmenandthevillagechiefsatthere.

Onthemeetingofthecouncil,achiefparticularlydesignatedpreparedthe"BlackDrink"astrongteamade
fromcassinaleavespreviouslydriedinthesunandparchedinaclaypotoverthefire.Thetea,believedtohavea
purifyingeffect,wasservedinalargegourd:first,tothechiefmenthen,tothewarriorsandyoungmenwhowould
viewitheachotherinthequantitiestheycoulddrink.Pipesweresmoked,eachmanofferinghistobaccopouchto
hisneighbor.Theonlypiecesoffurnitureinthecouncilhousewerebenchesforsittingandutensilsforpreparing
the"BlackDrink".Theonlyornamentswerethepaintedscalpsoftheirenemies,whichduringwarweresuspended
onaredpoleinthesquare,andinpeacedecoratedthewallsofthehouses.Threesidesofthecabinswerebuiltof
lighttrellisworkofcaneandsplitpiecesofwood.Thefourthsidewasopenandfacedthesquare.

LikemostoftheIndiansofthesoutheast,theSeminolesbelievedinoneSupremebeingtheMakerofBreath,or
"Hesakketemass".However,theyseldomhadworshipritualsbutreliedheavilyonsorceryandmagic.Their
sorcererswereattributedattributedwithdivinepowerssuchascontrollingtheelements,curingdiseases,and
killingtheirenemies.

ThemostimportantholidayforthevillagewastheGreenCornFeast,or"Boosketah".Thistookplacewhenthe
cornwasripe,usuallythelatterpartofJune.Acleansingritual,itbeganbyfirstservingthe"BlackDrink"atthe
councilmeeting.AlltheoldfireswereextinguishedandnewfiresbroughtdownfromHeavenbyrubbingtwosticks
together.

LiketheCreeksandSeminoles,theOketeyeconnesburiedtheirdeadintheearth,inasquarepit,underthebed
wherethedeceasedlayinhishouse.Thecorpse,beforeitbecamecold,wasdrawnupwithcordsandmadeto
assumeasquattingposition.Inthismanneritwasplacedinthegraveandcoveredwithearth.Thegun,tomahawk,
pipe,andotherarticlesofthedeceasedwereburiedwithhim.

Asformarriage,therewerenoceremonialrites.Application,accompaniedbyappropriategifts,wasmadetothe
relationsofthegirlwhograntedthesuitorpermissiontomakethetrial.Theloverthenwentatnight,tothecorn
housewherehewasjoinedbythebrideifsheapprovedthebridegroom.Ifnot,theloverpassedalonelynight.
Thiswastriedthreenightssuccessivelyandifallfailedtheyoungmanwasconsideredasultimatelyrejected.If
successful,thebridewascarriedtothecabinofherhusbandandsetaboutherdomesticduties.

http://www.thegagenweb.com/gaclay/oketeyeconneindianvillage.htm 1/3
4/5/2017 OketeyeconneIndianVillage

Althoughthetribesweredefinedthroughmatriarchialkinships,thewomenhadnoinfluenceorrank.Theywere
regardedasservantsobligedtoperformallthedrudgeryofagriculturalanddomesticduties.

Itwasquitedifferentwiththemen.Iftheywereeloquentandpersuasivetheirpowersincreasedaccordinglyand
theywerenamedchief.Alltribeshadawarchiefandapeacechief.Warwasconsideredamanlyexercise.

Chiefformsofrecreationwereballplayinganddancing.Likewar,ballplaywasalsoconsideredamanly
exercise.Thewarriorsofonetownchallengedthoseofanother,andwhentheydecidedthetimeandplaceboth
teamsreadiedthemselvesforbattlebytakingthe"BlackDrink".Thegamewasplayedwithracketssimilarto
Lacrosse.Thedeathofoneortwoplayerswasnotanunusualoutcome.Alwaysprecedingaballplay,aspartof
theceremony,wasdancingaccompaniedbymusic,bothvocalandinstrumental.Ratherprimitiveinstrumentswere
usedthetambour,rattlegourd,andflutemadefromthejointofacaneorthetibiaofthedeer'sleg.

TheOketeyeconneswereadvancedincivilizationtheycouldspinandweaveandusetheplough.Becausetheir
landwaseasilycultivated,theyproducedanabundanceofcorn,beans,squash,cucumbersandpeas.

LikemostoftheIndiansontheChattahoochee,theyhaddevelopedtraderelationswiththehouseofForbes&
Co.(formerlyPanton,LeslieandCompany).RegulartradingexcursionsweremadedowntheChattahoocheeand
AppalachicolawaterwaytothehouseofForbes&Co.whomadeanimmensefortunebythistradewiththelower
CreeksandSeminoles.SomeoftheitemsexchangedbytheIndianswiththefactorsontheAppalachicolawere:

Deerskins.....................................$0.25perlb.
Raccoonskins...............................121/2each
Foxskins......................................183/4each
Ottersbest.....................................3.00each
Cowhides..........................................1.00each
Wildcatskins......................................25each
Tigerskins...........................................25each
Corn............................................75perbushel
Pease..........................................75perbushel
Rice..........................................1.50perbushel
Bacon...........................................121/2perlb.
Cowandcalf.............................................10.00
Cow...........................................................8.00
AgedSteer...............................................10.00
Threeyearold.............................................8.00
Twoyearold...............................................6.00
Yearling......................................................4.00
Fowles............................................3.00perdoz.
Beeswax..............................................25perlb.

Inexchange,theIndiansreceivedmoney,woolens,coarselinens,calicos,cutlery,farmingutensils,axes,
hatchets,hoes,powderandshot,sugar,coffee,salt.Agallonofrun,or"tafia"donatedbythehouseofForbes&
Co.,usuallyconsummatedtheagreement.ThispracticeprovedsuccessfulinhelpingthehouseofForbes&Co.
developoneofthemostpowerfultradinghousemonopoliesinthecountry.

Knownfortheirfierceness,theOketeyeconneswereinveteratelyhostiletoAmericansandalliedtotheBritish.In
thesummerof1814,theBritishlandedatDeerIslandatthemouthoftheAppalachicolabriningwiththemalarge
supplyofarmsandmilitarystoreswhichtheydistributedamongtheCreeksandtheSeminoles.Oketeyeconne's
shareoftheBritishmunitionswasfourkegsofcartridges,ofonehundredpoundseach,plussomeshortmuskets
withslings,andotherarticles.

HearingthattherewasaheavilyarmedvillagehostiletoAmericansintheheartofthelowerCreekswas
disturbingnews,indeed,toGen.AndrewJacksonasheproceededtoFortJacksonduringthesummerof1814.
Consequently,indrawingupthetermsofthetreatywiththeCreeksatFortJackson,Gen.Jacksonplacedthelineof
limitsbetweentheUnitedStatesandtheCreeknation,twoandahalfmilesbelowthevillageofOketeyeconne,then
orderedtroopstotheChattahoocheetocutoffanyfurthercommunicationbytheOketeyeconneswiththeBritish.

InthespiritoftheSeminoleswhofightbrieflyandwellthenrunawaytofightagainanotherday,the
indomitableOketeyeconnesfledtheirvillagesontheChattahoocheeandslippeddownstream.Resettlingnearthe
forksoftheChattahoocheandtheFlintrivers,theyjoinedforceswiththeMiccosukeeTribe.Togetherthey
continuedtofighttheAmericans,andintheirtraditiontheyneversurrendered.Remnantsoftheirforcesareliving
todayintheFloridaEverglades.

http://www.thegagenweb.com/gaclay/oketeyeconneindianvillage.htm 2/3
4/5/2017 OketeyeconneIndianVillage

AsforGen.AndrewJackson'sfortificationontheChattahoocheeriver,itbecameknownlaterasFortGaines.

Bibliography

Citationstooriginaldocumentshavebeen
omittedfromthispublicationbecausethey
seembothpedanticandsuperfluous.
Extensiveusewasmadeofthefollowing
sources:

Bartram,JohnandWilliam,JohnandWilliamBartram'sAmerica,SelectionsfromtheWritingsofthePhiladelphia
Naturalists,editedwithanIntroductionbyHelenGereCruickshank,forewardbyB.BartramCadbury,illustratedby
FrancisLeeJacques.NewYork:TheDevinAdairCompany,1957.

Hawkins,Benjamin,"UnpublishedLettersofBenjaminHawkins17961815".GeorgiaDepartmentofArchivesand
History.Atlanta.

Young,Capt.Hugh,"ATopographicalMemoironEastandWestFloridaWithItinerariesofGeneralJackson'sArmy,
1818",RecordsofReports,July3,1812October4,1823,OfficeoftheChiefofEngineers,U.S.A.

AmericanStatePapers.U.S.Congress,LegislativeandExecutiveDocuments.Fromthefirstsessionofthefirstto
thesecondsessionoftheFifteenthCongress.SelectedandeditedundertheauthorityofCongressbyWalterLowrie
andMatthewSt.ClairClarke.Vol.III.Washington:GalesandSeaton,1832.

"TheHistoryofClayCounty"
ChapterII,pages1719

SubmittedbyDonnaEldridge

HOME

ClayCo.,GAGenWebProject
CountyCoordinator: GeorgiaStateCoordinator:
EdGordon EdGordon

Copyright2007

http://www.thegagenweb.com/gaclay/oketeyeconneindianvillage.htm 3/3