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The Native Americans Who Owned Slaves: The “Five Civilized Tribes” of the southeast also participated in the institution of slavery.
Intellectual Takeout ^ | 07/05/2019 | By Peter Partoll

Posted on 06/17/2020 8:52:31 AM PDT by SeekAndFind



Did you know that the 13th Amendment abolishing slavery did not apply to ALL slaves?

Most see slavery as a simple black-vs.-white issue. But those who do may not realize that the “Five Civilized Tribes” of the southeast — Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole — also participated in the institution of slavery.

Because these tribes were located outside the sovereignty of the United States, constitutional amendments did not apply to them.

In the period before the arrival of the Europeans, the Natives practiced flexible forms of slavery that often allowed slaves avenues to freedom through intermarriage. That all changed with the arrival of the Europeans, who introduced Native Americans to a system of permanent bondage based on race.

According to journalist Aliana E. Roberts, this switch occurred after the Yamasee tribe lost a war against the English Carolina colonists in 1717. The Europeans began turning from Native slavery to African slavery, and the Native Americans followed their lead. Many Natives, especially those in the “Five Civilized Tribes” (so-called because they embraced the ways of American settlers) picked up on the trend. By 1800, they had developed “plantations that rivaled those of their white neighbors.”

Roberts states that like most average Americans, many Natives did not own black slaves. Most slaveowners were part of the upper-classes, and were those who had the most influence in society.

In spite of this she also notes that the percentage of black slaves in the population was not insignificant:

In 1860…Cherokee Nation citizens owned 2,511 slaves (15 percent of their total population), Choctaw citizens owned 2,349 slaves (14 percent of their total population), and Creek citizens owned 1,532 slaves (10 percent of their total population). Chickasaw citizens owned 975 slaves, which amounted to 18 percent of their total population, a proportion equivalent to that of white slave owners in Tennessee, a former neighbour of the Chickasaw Nation and a large slaveholding state.

While many Native American nations allowed white slaves to earn their freedom through intermarriage, the tribes also had strict laws forbidding any intermarriage between a Native and a black slave, often punishing those who married their slaves with banishment from the tribe.

The Native slaveowners could also be horrifyingly brutal towards their black slaves. This is illustrated by the case of Lucy, a black slave burned alive for the murder of her native master. She had no part in the murder but was executed anyway at the request of the murdered warrior’s wife.

During the Civil War, the “Five Civilized Tribes” fought on both the Union and Confederate sides. After the war, the Treaties of 1866 freed the slaves. Even after that, blacks still faced discrimination in the Indian territories, with many tribes passing laws similar to the infamous “Black Codes” in the South.

This often-overlooked part of American history takes on new significance in light of today’s debates over slavery reparations and monuments to those who owned slaves or fought to keep them.

Do the descendants of the “Five Civilized Tribes” owe reparations for slavery? Should monuments to their leaders be taken down? The institution of slavery was rightfully eradicated with the passage of the 13th Amendment. But any debate over how to deal with the legacy of this evil institution must remember that the phenomenon was much more complex than is often portrayed or remembered.


TOPICS: History; Society
KEYWORDS: nativeamericans; slavery
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To: trublu

10 Facts about Chief Seattle

Thursday, December 3rd 2015. | History

Another prominent Native American figure is explained on Facts about Chief Seattle. He was also recognized as Dkhw’Duw’Absh or Duwamish chief. He was born circa 1786 and died on 7 June 1866. Chief Seattle had a close relation with David Swinson Maynard due to his accommodation to the white people. Get other interesting facts about Chief Seattle below:

Facts about Chief Seattle 1: the city of Seattle

If you hear the name Chief Seattle, you must be reminded with the city of Seattle. Actually the name of the city was taken from the name of the chief.

Facts about Chief Seattle 2: the parents

Let’s talk about the parents of Chief Seattle. His father was the chief of Dkhw’Suqw’Absh tribe or Suquamish tribe. His mother was from Dkhw’Duw’Absh tribe. Her name was Sholeetsa.

Chief Seattle Book

Chief Seattle Book

Facts about Chief Seattle 3: the birth date and birthplace

Chief Seattle was born near Blake Island, Washington in 1780. If you check the Duwamish tradition, it is stated that Chief Seattle was born on the Black River at the village of his mother. People believe that present day of the location is at City of Kent.

Facts about Chief Seattle 4: the language

Chief Seattle mastered two languages when he grew up in the area. He knew to speak Dkhw’Duw’Absh and Dkhw’Suqw’Absh dialects of Lushootseed.

Chief Seattle

Chief Seattle

Facts about Chief Seattle 5: as a chief

Chief Seattle became a chief of Duwamish tribe because of his inheritance from his maternal uncle. At that time, the inheritor was seen from the mother’s side for it did not employ the patrilineal culture.

Facts about Chief Seattle 6: Chief Seattle at young age

When Chief Seattle was young, he was recognized by the people as a warrior or a leader. He was known for attacking the S’Klallam and Chimakum tribes. He also defeated the enemies who arrived from Cascade foothills to reach Green River.

Chief Seattle Statue

Chief Seattle Statue

Facts about Chief Seattle 7: slaves

During the raids, there were several slaves captured. Therefore, the chief also had his own slaves. Find facts about Chief Powhatan here.

Facts about Chief Seattle 8: the nickname

Chief Seattle was often called Le Gros of The Big one. He received this nickname from Hudson’s Bay Company traders due to his broad and tall appearance.

Chief Seattle Facts

Chief Seattle Facts

Facts about Chief Seattle 9: a famous orator

Chief Seattle was also known as a great orator due to his loud voice. His voice can be heard with the distance of 1.2 kilometer. Get facts about Chief Tecumseh here.

Facts about Chief Seattle 10: the family life

La-Dalia was the first wife of Chief Seattle. She died when giving birth to a baby. His second wife was Olahl who gave him four daughters and three sons.

Facts about Chief Seattle

Facts about Chief Seattle


21 posted on 06/17/2020 9:20:27 AM PDT by SeekAndFind (look at Michigan, it wil)
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To: SeekAndFind

The Choctaws and Chickasaws sent representatives to the Confederate Congress. The last Confederate general officer to surrender was Stand Watie, a Cherokee, at Doaksville near Fort Towson in the Choctaw Nation.


22 posted on 06/17/2020 9:22:20 AM PDT by Oklahoma
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To: SeekAndFind

No no No NO!! ONLY white people enslaved, oppressed, and murdered everybody who didn’t look like them! Stick to the narrative now..


23 posted on 06/17/2020 9:22:42 AM PDT by jughandle (Big words anger me, keep talking.)
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To: SeekAndFind

This often-overlooked part of American history.

Indeed to many are still working on rewriting it.


24 posted on 06/17/2020 9:27:58 AM PDT by Vaduz (women and children to be impacIQ of chimpsted the most.)
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To: SeekAndFind

https://archives.frontpagemag.com/fpm/islamic-slavery-and-racism-daniel-greenfield/


25 posted on 06/17/2020 9:32:01 AM PDT by ChinaGotTheGoodsOnClinton (Go Egypt on 0bama)
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To: trublu

That one and the one of V.I. Lenin...


26 posted on 06/17/2020 9:34:22 AM PDT by shotgun
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To: SeekAndFind

AND they had their own slave rebellion in 1842.

https://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry.php?entry=SL002


27 posted on 06/17/2020 9:35:16 AM PDT by Ruy Dias de Bivar
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To: SeekAndFind

Some one should do a piece on all the Blacks that owned slaves - including the first black slave owner in America, William Ellison.


28 posted on 06/17/2020 9:36:01 AM PDT by PIF (They came for me and mine ... now its your turn)
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To: PIF

Actually, there was a black man who owned slaves earlier than William Ellison -— Anthony Johnson.

See here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_Johnson_(colonist)


29 posted on 06/17/2020 9:39:01 AM PDT by SeekAndFind (look at Michigan, it wil)
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To: Wuli

The slave trade began with the Portuguese selling firearms to the various costal African tribes. The muslims continued the practice later on of selling firearms, but in exchange for slaves who were then resold to waiting slave transports - most of the salves went to Brazil with only a retaliative few coming to America to be sold into hereditary chattel slavery, a muslim invention condoned by the koran


30 posted on 06/17/2020 9:42:00 AM PDT by PIF (They came for me and mine ... now its your turn)
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Slavery got started everywhere there was warfare and a winning side [either the attacking side or the defending side] that decided killing everyone who surrendered was not the best solution to deal with the problem of captives. Early societies didn’t have the resources to maintain useless captives and if released, the captives could potentially return again as attackers. So something had to be done and the choice was between killing every enemy even if they begged for mercy, or to put them to work to support their upkeep, or sell them to a far off people so they could never attack you again. For some tribes it was an act of mercy to avoid the dishonor of killing a defeated foe, and eventually some of those slaves could even be adopted; for others it was profitable, so much so that they would go to war to obtain more to use themselves and to sell. And some rulers got the idea of consolidating their own power by selling their potential rivals , even brothers, early and often.

At first the far off buyers enabled a lot of lives to be saved that otherwise would have been snuffed out due to fear and inconvenience of keeping prisoners. But when the demand for slave labor grew larger than the usual territorial skirmish or two could provide, there was an incentive to routinely raid weaker tribes just to get captives.


31 posted on 06/17/2020 9:45:39 AM PDT by piasa (Attitude adjustments offered here free of charge.)
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To: SeekAndFind

Going back over history, I believe Spaniard Cabeza de Vaca was held as a slave by several tribes across the continent.


32 posted on 06/17/2020 9:46:11 AM PDT by Ruy Dias de Bivar
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To: marktwain

There are various forms of slavery - not all are the same.

Hereditary chattel slavery was invented by the muslims and condoned by the koran, the type seen in the Americas.

Captive slavery is different in that a war was involved and prisoners taken, so becoming a slave was better than being slaughtered.

Indentured servitude is when a person volunteers to be a slave in return for food, shelter and care. The ancient Egyptians, the Romans and the Greeks practiced variation of this type along with captive slavery but even captives could rise in society.


33 posted on 06/17/2020 9:51:03 AM PDT by PIF (They came for me and mine ... now its your turn)
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To: Migraine

obama surrounded hisself with his own ilk... ben Rhodes, Valerie Jarrett etc etc etc
8 years of embedding his players.


34 posted on 06/17/2020 9:56:50 AM PDT by himno hero (had'nff)
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To: Wuli

Go and collect it from the muslims.
Their slave trade made America pale in comparison.
AND they are still at it today in Africa and other places.


35 posted on 06/17/2020 9:58:24 AM PDT by himno hero (had'nff)
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To: himno hero

36 posted on 06/17/2020 10:02:02 AM PDT by Bratch (If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear.)
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To: PIF

In re:

“The slave trade began with the Portuguese selling firearms to the various costal African tribes. The muslims continued the practice later on of selling firearms, but in exchange for slaves who were then resold to waiting slave transports - most of the salves went to Brazil with only a retaliative few coming to America to be sold into hereditary chattel slavery, a muslim invention condoned by the koran”

I think your first sentence would be more correctly stated this way: “The European slave trade began.............”.

There already existed a slave trading culture, centuries old, between the Middle East and Africa, before Europeans got involved. The Arab slave trade originated before Islam and lasted more than a millennium. The concept of slaves and slave owners is acknowledged in the writings of the new testament, and of course it was not “racial”, it was class. Even within Africa itself, slavery went on and there as well it was a class and status matter, not “race”.


37 posted on 06/17/2020 10:02:41 AM PDT by Wuli (Get)
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To: himno hero

preaching to the choir


38 posted on 06/17/2020 10:03:38 AM PDT by Wuli (Get)
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To: SeekAndFind

Cherokees had agreements with King George 2 pertaining to slaves being returned as escapees—detailed bondage requirements too.


39 posted on 06/17/2020 10:03:40 AM PDT by Scram1
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To: SeekAndFind

bkmk


40 posted on 06/17/2020 11:21:57 AM PDT by Sergio (An object at rest cannot be stopped! - The Evil Midnight Bomber What Bombs at Midnight)
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