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Creeks stage peace ritual for Spanish
Source: Invention of the Creek Nation #95
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In form the Yamacraws’ performance before Oglethorpe is reminiscent of the ritual that the Creeks had staged before the Spanish in April of 1717.As the Creeks had done on that previous occasion, the ceremony began with a reciprocal exchange of gunfire. Soon after, the Yamacraws commenced their march toward Oglethorpe’s tent, preceded by a leading (and in this case lone) warrior who had adorned his head with white feathers, a sign of peace. While shaking rattles the warrior sang and danced, thereby preparing the way for Tomochichi, his chief attendants, and the rest of the people, all of whom marched toward Oglethorpe in a formation according to their respective ranks. Conspicuous among Tomochichi’s attendants was Senaukey, his wife, who could often be found at her husband’s side whenever the Yamacraws and Georgians held rituals of peace and even joined her husband on his pioneering voyage to London. Though Senaukey typically played a silent role in most proceedings, her very presence at the first talks suggests that the Yamacraws, like many Indian groups in eastern North America, at certain times used women to demonstrate in a more conspicuous fashion their peaceful intentions. Once ensconced with Oglethorpe in Oglethorpe’s tent, Tomochichi delivered his first formal speech, the contents of which emphasized peace and Oglethorpe’s obligations as protector of the Yamacraw community. As was common among the Creeks, Tomochichi began first by presenting Oglethorpe with a gift: a buffalo robe painted with the head and feathers of an eagle. That Tomochichi used the imagery of the eagle to decorate his buffalo robe is of special significance, for the Creeks regarded the eagle as the king of all birds, the ruler of the upper World, and a symbol of peace. As Tomochichi explained, “the eagle signified speed and the buffalo strength. That the English were as swift as the bird, and as strong as the beast; since, like the first, they flew from the utmost parts of the earth over the vast seas, and, like the second, nothing could withstand them.” Having portrayed the English in such a flattering light, Tomochichi reminded Oglethorpe that this strength also entailed certain obligations, proclaiming that “the feathers of the eagle were soft, and signified love; the buffalo’s skin warm, and signified protection.” “Therefore,” added Tomochichi, he “hoped that we would love and protect their little families.”
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