The article by Michelene E. Pesantubbee Nancy Ward: American Patriot or Cherokee Nationalist features the life story of Cherokee’s beloved woman peacemaker Nanye’hi, also known as Nancy Ward. As Nancy dedicated her life to being a peacemaker, nowadays, there are various opinions on whether she is an American Patriot or Cherokee Nationalist. The author of the article explores various aspects of Nancy Ward’s life which correspond to both statements. The article states that Nancy Ward’s actions come from her understanding of changes that Cherokee had to face, and her will to adapt to the changes rather than commit to American Patriotism or Cherokee nationalism.
The author starts the article with an introduction of Nancy Ward and her impact on the American-Cherokee relationships. The article notes multiple opinions on people’s perception of Nancy Ward, emphasizing the statement that Ward desired to be more like white people (Pesantubbee 177). The author states that Nancy Ward’s actions were not due to this desire, her marriage to a white man, or because she felt that American society was superior.
According to the author, Nancy Ward carried her functions as a beloved woman and ‘sought new ways for Cherokee to thrive in a changing world’ (Pesantubbee 177). The article lists arguments regarding different aspects of Nancy Ward’s personality to prove that her actions were majorly impacted by her inner nature rather than as a commitment to American patriotism and Cherokee nationalism.
The arguments proposed by the author starts from Nancy Ward’s origins or her relations to the Cherokee Wolf Clan. In the author’s opinion, Nancy Ward’s actions were connected to her affiliation to the Wolf Clan, one of the most important clans of Cherokee that was responsible for helping captives during the war (Pesantubbee, 181). The text of the article implies that the help that Nancy Wards provided to American soldiers was a part of her Clan’s traditions.
The author entails that Nancy Ward’s responsibilities as a beloved woman defined her commitment to peacemaking. Ward’s duties and power were broadened by her additional title of war woman that she earned in the battle in Muscogee Creek. The author states that due to her responsibilities as a beloved woman and a war woman, Ward was the one to decide Lydia Bean’s fate, and due to these circumstances, she chose to protect Bean’s life.
Ward’s sense of patriotism is emphasized in a designated part of the article where the author addresses the issue that Ward is frequently perceived in American history as the only beloved woman. The article notes that war was a part of beloved people, both men, and women that dedicated their lives to the white path. According to the author, Cherokee people were able to balance white and red, where white symbolized peace brought by peace leaders and red symbolized warriors (Pesantubbee 189).
As an example, the author describes that Ward’s initial concern when she sent warnings about the Cherokee assault was to protect the warriors who engaged in the combat. Therefore, despite the action being perceived in American culture as Ward being a ‘traitor’ to the Cherokee people, it had another motivation (Pesantubbee 178). Ward’s relationship with her father, Attakullakulla, another famous Cherokee peacemaker, is also listed by the author as an argument that Ward’s personality is the reason for her actions.
The article lists valuable arguments supporting the statement that Nancy Ward’s actions were influenced majorly by her perception of the piece and her responsibilities as a beloved woman. The author provides a perspective that was not previously explored in a concise and organized way. With the article, the author achieved the stated purpose of determining whether Nancy Ward was an American Patriot or a Cherokee Nationalist and made a significant contribution to an existing body of knowledge.
Work Cited
Michelene E. Pesantubbee. “Nancy Ward: American Patriot or Cherokee Nationalist?” American Indian Quarterly, vol. 38, no. 2, 2014, pp. 177–206. JSTOR. Web.