This article contains interesting facts, pictures and information about the life of the Yuchi Native American Indian Tribe of the Southeast cultural group.
The Yuchi Tribe Summary and Definition: The Yuchi tribe originally lived in the eastern Tennessee River valley but moved across the southeast to escape devastating epidemics and inter-tribal warfare. The tribe became allied to the Creek Nation in the early 1700's and fought against the United States in 1813. The Yuchi tribe was removed to Oklahoma in the 1830's with the Creek people and became absorbed into the Creek and Seminole tribes.
Facts about the Yuchi Native Indian Tribe This article contains fast, fun facts and interesting information about the Yuchi Native American Indian tribe. Find answers to questions like where did the Yuchi tribe live, what clothes did they wear and what food did they eat? Discover what happened to the Yuchi tribe with facts about their wars and history.
Picture of the Yuchi Native Indian The above picture depicts Eteh-ée-fix-e-co, meaning Deer without a Heart, who was a Yuchi chief. It was painted by the famous artist George Catlin (1796-1872) at Fort Moultrie in 1838. George Catlin had traveled to Fort Moultrie on Sullivans Island, outside Charleston, South Carolina to make paintings of Seminole and Yuchi Native Indians who were being held as prisoners following the Seminole Wars.
They had been forcibly deported from Florida. The proud chief wore a striking vermillion red matchcoat, basically a blanket that was wrapped around the body, and this instance was hung over his shoulder. He also wore a shirt, leggings and moccasins. His headdress consisted of a strip of cloth wrapped around his head adorned with and eagle feather.
The Yuchi Tribe Members of the Yuchi tribe were known to live in widely scattered villages that ranged from Illinois to Florida, and from the Mississippi River to the Carolina coast. The Yuchi tribe spoke their own language (Euchee) and it is not known to be related to any other language. The name Yuchi is believed to derive from their word "Yudjiha" meaning a 'people of significance'. The Yuchi tribe, ravaged by disease and warfare, eventually joined with the Creek nation and included in the people known as the Five Civilised Tribes. The Creek tribe, with members of the Yuchi were forced to relocate to Oklahoma in the 1830's.
Where did the Yuchi tribe live? The Yuchi are people of the Southeast Native American cultural group. The location of their tribal homelands are shown on the map. The geography of the region in which they lived dictated the lifestyle and culture of the Yuchi tribe.
The Southeast region extended mainly across the states of Louisiana, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia and Florida
Land: River Valleys, mountains and swamps
Climate: The climate was hot and humid in the summer and mild in the winter
Animals: The animals included rabbit, wild hog, turkey, opossum, raccoon, squirrel and deer
Crops: The crops grown in the area were corn, beans, squash
Natural resources: Fruit, seeds, pumpkins and nuts
Map showing location of the Southeast Native American Tribes
Who was a famous Yuchi chief? One of the most famous leaders of the Yuchi was Timpoochee Barnard (c.1776 - c.1834). Timpoochee Barnard was a Yuchi military leader who led his warriors to fight for the United States during the Creek Civil War and the First Seminole War in the early 1800's.
The picture of Timpoochee Barnard shows him wearing a turban style headdress that was worn by many of the southeastern tribes. The turban was made with strips of cloth, such as calico, wool, or even silk, wrapped around their head like a turban. The turban style headdress was often decorated with a feather plume which was considered to be of spiritual significance holding great power.
What clothes did the early Yuchi wear? The above pictures clothes show how the Yuchi were greatly influenced by the Europeans and the availability of trade cloth. Prior to this time the Yuchi men were breechcloths made from deer skin or bark fabric. The early Yuchi women wore a knee-length skirt, also made from deerskin or a bark fabric. Both early Yuchi men and women painted their faces for special occasions and also decorated their bodies with piercing and elaborate tattoos. For special rituals and ceremonies the ancient Caddo wore beautiful feather cloaks and feather headdresses.
What weapons did the Yuchi use? The weapons used by the Yuchi tribe included axes, war clubs, maces, knives, pikes and bows and arrows.
What did the Yuchi tribe live in? The Yuchi tribe lived in highly organised villages consisting of grass huts. Each village had a temple, which in ancient times, was located on top of an 8 feet high mound (see Natchez Tribe for more facts about ancient grass houses). The grass houses were built by using a framework of beams and poles that were covered with wattle and daub. The interior and exterior walls were covered by cane mats and the roof was made of tightly clipped thatched grass. The later Yucci adopted the grass thatched 'Beehive' house commonly associated with the Caddo tribe.
What did the Yuchi tribe eat? The people of the Yuchi tribe ate included their crops of corn (maize), beans, squash, seeds and pumpkin. They also hunted for meat from bear, fox, deer, turkey, rabbit, rodents and other smaller game. They also gathered wild plant foods. Food was cooked into cornbread, soups and hominy. The people also grew tobacco and a grain-bearing grass.
Yuchi History: What happened to the Yuchi tribe? The following Yuchi history timeline details facts, dates and famous landmarks of the people. The Yuchi timeline explains what happened to the people of their tribe.
Yuchi History Timeline
700AD: The Yuchi people moved north from the ancient Mexican empire and the Mississippian culture began
1542: The Hernando De Soto expedition encounter the Yuchi and other hostile tribes in Tennessee which end in violence
1567: The Juan Pardo Spanish expedition also results in conflict with the Native Indians
1542: The Europeans bring diseases such as smallpox and measles. Many Native Indians die
1600's: Violent conflicts with the Cherokee and Shawnee tribes force the Yuchi to move to Georgia and Alabama. Some move even further south to Florida.
1630's: Yachi warriors attacked Spanish settlements in Florida
1729: The Yuchi ally themselves with the Creek Confederacy
1758: The Anglo-Cherokee War (1758–1761)
1776: Timpoochee Barnard, great Yuchi chief, was born
1813: The Creek War (1813–1814) erupted in Alabama and Georgia. Timpoochee Barnard led his Yuchi warriors to fight for the United States against the Creeks
1814: August 9, 1814. Timpoochee Barnard was present at the treaty of Fort Jackson to end the Creek War, signing the treaty as “Captain of the Uchees.”
1817: First Seminole War (1817–1818) erupted in Florida as the Seminole Indian tribe, together with some Yuchi allies, defended their lands and runaway slaves.
1817: Timpoochee Barnard and his band of Yuchi fighters again fight on the side of the US
1821: The first Treaty of Indian Springs was signed January 8, 1821. The Creek ceded land to the state of Georgia in return for cash payments totaling $200,000 over a period of 14 years. The Yuchi are considered part of the Creek Tribe by the United States Government
1825: The second Treaty of Indian Springs was signed on February 12, 1825 but is denounced by the Creek National Council. Timpoochee Barnard opposed the terms of the treaty and was part of a delegation to Washington to have the treaty revoked
1826: The Treaty of Washington was negotiated but it was not honored and the Creeks, and the loose confederation of tribes including the Yuchi, would lose their lands
1830: The Indian Removal Act of 1830
1830: Several Yuchi (Euchee) bands moved farther into Florida and became incorporated within the Seminole Tribe
1834: Timpoochee Barnard died at his home near Fort Mitchell
1834: Members of the Yuchi tribe, with the Creeks, are forcibly marched to Oklahoma. They begin to lose their identity as they are assimilated into the other tribes
1835: Second Seminole War (1835–1842) in Florida. Under Chief Osceola, the Seminole resumed fighting for their land and were decimated as a result
1893, President Grover Cleveland appoints Senator Henry L. Dawes, to negotiate land with the Cherokee, Creek, Choctaw, Chickasaw and Seminole tribes
1893: The Dawes Rolls, or the Final Rolls of the Five Civilized Tribes, entitled an allotment of land to tribe members, in return for abolishing their governments and recognizing Federal laws. The Dawes Commission politically devastated the Euchee (Yuchi) people as it legally classified them as Creeks for the purposes of land allotment.
1934: The individual allotment policy of the Dawes Act was terminated by the Indian Reorganization Act
Yuchi History Timeline
Yuchi
Interesting Facts and information about the way the Yuchi people lived
The clothes worn by men and women
Description of the homes and the type of food the Yuchi would eat
Fast Facts and info about the Yuchi
Names of famous chiefs and leaders
Interesting Homework resource for kids on the history of the Yuchi Native American Indians
Pictures and Videos of Native American Indians and their Tribes The Yuchi Tribe was one of the most famous tribes of Native American Indians. Discover the vast selection of pictures on the subject of the tribes of Famous Native Americans such as the Yuchi nation. The pictures show the clothing, war paint, weapons and decorations of various Native Indian tribes, such as the Yuchi tribe, that can be used as a really useful educational resource for kids and children of all ages. We hope you enjoy watching the video - just click and play - a great social studies homework resource for kids .