I feel it is time for me to give back.
Although I only have about 1/16 Cherokee blood in me and I am in no way, shape or form considered Cherokee, but a Blond Viking king who came to Scotland and Ireland~Ha~ My family has a very long history with the tribe. I imagine by today's standards my family would seem quit evil. Nevertheless, it is a piece of history and one can only hope to learn from it.
My GGrandfather, Andrew Pickens was small in stature, measuring about 5'3 with a large
prominent nose. He was a quiet man who wrote little, despite the assumption that he would be bold and loud when one met him.
Although, General Pickens began his military career by fighting the Cherokee in the Anglo-
Cherokee war, he was well respected by tribal leaders. They called him "Skyagunsta" or Wizard Owl.
Andrew Pickens fought against the Cherokee Indians and in his final battle with them,
called the "Ring Fight," he was outnumbered 7-to-1, but still defeated them. They came to
revere and respect him, and indeed he chose to live only one mile from the site of this
battle, and among the Cherokee.
From what I can tell ...
The Cherokee named him Skyagunsta ("Wizard Owl") in honor of one of the greatest
Cherokee warriors and chiefs, who was the head warrior of Tassaetchie in the early
1700s.
This earlier Skyagusta (usually spelled Skijagusta, and who was also known as
Kittagusta) was said to be a man worthy to be the king (according to the British way of
thinking) of all the Cherokee tribes when the English conquered the Cherokee.
This earlier Skyagunsta was taken, along with several other chiefs, across the ocean to
This earlier Skyagunsta was taken, along with several other chiefs, across the ocean to
London by Sir Alexander Cumming (who had led the fight against them), where the group
presented the conquered crown of the Cherokee nation to the King of England. The king
then made a treaty with these chiefs, and Skyagunsta made a famous speech when
presenting the feathers to the king:
This earlier Skyagunsta returned to America and lived to be very old, dying in 1768, so he
was fresh in the memory of the Cherokee nation when Andrew Pickens came along.
I have doubts, as many do, if things indeed went down as recorded and are either flawed
or hyperbole. I am aware though that my GGrandmother started what would be known as
a "safe house" these days for "displaced" Cherokee women and children. She was often
a target of the British and much of the time feared for her life.
With all this being said, this is one of the reasons why The Cherokee Rainbow House is of
great importance to me.
The other reason being is my more recent Grandmother, Sally, as she was called, was
1/2 Cherokee and died from poverty and substance abuse. She was found almost a week
later in a motel room, naked, and under a fan where she had passed out after drinking.
It is an image that I cannot rid myself of and causes great pain for me.
The Cherokee "Rainbow House" is filled with clothes, dishware, paintings, and other
household items for the poor and needy Cherokee. It is run by an all volunteer staff,
sometimes in temperatures over 100 hundred degrees. The elders are adamant on seeing
that the whole tribe is taken care of. It is a place where no questions are asked, and only
In comes, the wonderful actor, and elder tribal member, Jim Beaver, who has put his
handsome mug on this Tshirt ,which proceeds will go directly to help out the Cherokee
Rainbow House. https://represent.com/jumblejim You can find more on the link here.
I do hope you can find time to look over the videos and links and see where you fit in and
how you can help! Thank you for your time!
More soon!
Chief Bill John Baker
