Lyrics
Yellow Bear of the Cherokee Reservation — Historical Context
Yellow Bear was an Eastern Cherokee man who appears in early federal reservation records and is linked to a land grant under the Treaty of 1817.
Early Life and Family
According to genealogical sources, Yellow Bear Cherokee was born around 1775 in the Cherokee Nation (East) and died about 1825
. He was married to Nancy Cherokee in Buncombe, North Carolina, and had at least one child named Aya‑ge‑me‑la
. Very little is documented about his early life, but his name appears in official reservation rolls.
1817 Treaty and Reservation Grant
The Treaty of July 8, 1817 allowed Cherokee families who chose to remain in the East to apply for 640‑acre life estates that included their improvements
. Yellow Bear is recorded in the 1817 Cherokee Reservation Roll as the head of a family entitled to such a reservation
According to the 1819 Cherokee Reservation List, Yellow Bear was awarded land along Burning Town Creek in North Carolina.
. This tract was a life estate under the treaty terms — if he left or died, the land would pass to his heirs or revert to the U.S.
Later Claims and Disputes
In 1804, Yellow Bear was wounded, and one of his children was killed by a white man named James Woods
. His wife Nancy and children, including Aya‑ge‑me‑la, later filed a claim for the lost reservation, but were never compensated
. This reflects the broader pattern of disputes and unfulfilled treaty provisions during this period.
Historical Significance
Yellow Bear's case is part of a larger story of Eastern Cherokees who:
Chose to remain in the East under the 1817 treaty.
Received formal land grants recorded in federal rolls.
Faced later challenges in securing or retaining those lands due to political, economic, and legal pressures
Sources
1817 Cherokee Reservation Roll — federal list of Eastern Cherokee heads of household applying for 640‑acre life estates
.1819 Cherokee Reservation List — confirms Yellow Bear's Burning Town Creek grant
In summary: Yellow Bear was an Eastern Cherokee head of household who, under the 1817 Treaty, received a 640‑acre life estate along Burning Town Creek, North Carolina. His name appears in early federal reservation rolls, and his family later sought compensation for lost lands, but without success. His story reflects the broader tensions and legal struggles of Cherokee families in the early 19th century.
Comments2