You presented me a copy of “Magazine of American History,:
date May 1884; which contains an article by Cyrus Thomas, Ph.D.
who attempts to prove that the Cherokees are the ancient mound
builders, etc. The Cherokees did build towns and town houses. Just
the Same as the other Southern tribes did. A thing peculiar with
the Cherokees was that they used a deal of Shells in ornamenting
their town houses with which the other towns of Southern Indians
did not; except the Coweta town of the Creek Nation. The Shells of
the Coweta town mentioned above was held by them as trophies of
war. They having captured them from a Cherokee town house.
Another thing peculiar to both the Cherokees and Creeks was
that they renewed the Furniture of the town houses once every year
(excepting trophies of war). A thing more peculiar to the
Cherokees was that all of this town house furniture such as seats,
mats, dance rattles, drums and sticks, medicine blow-canes, etc,
were burned with the old fire in use and this old fire thrown away
and extinguished. And a new fire kindled by friction and new
furniture provided in place of the old furniture destroyed by fire
by the fire priests, known as the a-cha-la-tagheh (medicine men).
The Shells, earthen vessels, and clay floor were broken and swept
to outer verge of the Sacred Limits of the town house yard once a
year. (Just before the Green Corn dance). Thus accumulating a
narrow ridge of two Semi-circles above the yard of the town house
never exceeding 4-5 feet high and most generally 2-3 feet high. In
these semi-circle ridges can be found the Shells and broken
crockery mentioned and wherever found are known as Cherokee shell
mounds. They extend from the Kanawha River, Virginia down to Cape
Florida. This Custom of destroying public utensils once a year by
fire, prevailing among these Ke-to-waa-Kee band (Since known as
Cherokees) gave them the name of Au-Cha-land-Kee, or Fire Towns.
Hence the name Cherokee.
The Creeks built the same kind of Semi-ridges by sweeping the
town house each year with broken Earthenware, the remains of
medicine vessels, hence the name Muskogee (named after their
medicine). They did not burn any furniture. They threw away the
old fire, and renewed a new fire annually.
Thus the Creek Semi-circle ridges contained no Shells or Clay
flooring and were not quite as high as the Cherokee Shell Mounds.
And in either case, after the lapse of a few Score years would
become very near obliterated by the Elements; excepting the larger
ones.
Beyond the above mentioned Shell Mounds, I am thoroughly
Convinced that the Cherokees are not the Mound builders Cyrus
Thomas refers to. Those large Mounds Mr. Thomas speaks of extend
down to remote antiquity by Creek and Cherokee Traditions with
Corroborating evidence within the Structure of these mounds
themselves. That Mr. Thomas’ theory is but a lost speck in an
ocean of facts. First: these large mounds are so vast in Extent,
with all possible conditions considered, is positive proof of
Slave labor fully as much as does the Pyramids of Egupt prove
Slave labor. They used Copper metal, quarried mica, wove cloth,
cultivated great quantities of Corn. The Skulls of the Skeletons
buried in these mounds indicate a race vastly inferior in
energetic manhood to the North American Indian. They were the
Antochthonous race of the American Continent. The Indian was an
intrusive race vastly superior to the Mound Builders. The skulls
of the mound builders indicate a low type of humanity who could
hardly have been capable of deep passions, good or bad, and were
fit Subjects of tyranny and Slavery who could have been easily
imposed upon and destroyed by a more turbulent cruel, treacherous
people.
The Skull of the North American Indian is a total reverse being
of a very high order of persistent manhood. They are totally above
and beyond being made Slaves of. The Wild North American Indian
has developed mental powers far superior to the semi-civilized
Toltecs of Mexico and Central America, Far Superior to the
Peruvian Incas of South America; The Equal of the Free and Great
Romans.
The Indian skull is typic of Scipio, of Julius Caesar, of the
British Veteran. Square skulled with the Corners rounded. Known in
Science as the Brachycephali skull. Some of the best types are
found among the Algonquin, Iroquois, Cherokees, Aztecs, Natchez,
Creeks, Seminoles, Osages, and Northern Dacotah tribes. None of
them would entertain for one moment, digging and carrying wet clay
by thousands of tons by hand and building firm clay mounds a
hundred feet high, 400 feet long by sixty feet wide, time and
again in different styles and types to be found all over the
United States, British America, down into South America. The
Evident use of which was funeral sepulcher for their best and
ruling types at which they offered human sacrifices. No Sir! No
North American tribe has done these things. Creek traditions tell
that they Slew an Evil People whose practices and presence was
abominable. Who were witches, with whom no man could have
pleasure, who had heads like frogs, and were called the frog
people, who covered the Earth in multitudes and delighted to
build.
James Roane Gregory
