A Satisfying Death: Eighteenth Century Creek Spiritual Traditions

Abstract

A Satisfying Death, Eighteenth Century Creek Spiritual Traditions, by Margaretta Gabriela Báez, is above all a fascinating story. I found this paper compelling in part because I am a history major focusing on American and Native American history, and in part because its focus on the custom of “Blood Law” has played a role in my family’s past. Some of my Cherokee ancestors (The Boudinot/Ridge faction) were executed on the grounds of “Blood Law” for signing away what remained of our ancestral homelands in North Georgia in the illegal treaty of New Echota in 1835. They signed it without the consent of the Cherokee people, and without the consent of Principal Chief John Ross, who later ordered their execution. This paper reminded me of the fracturing of my Cherokee people, and all other Native tribes, due to white encroachment, treaty-breaking, violence, and outright deceit. –Terrence Robertson