Maggie Axe Wachacha facts for kids

Maggie Axe Wachacha (1892–1993) was a very important member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. She was well-known for helping to bring back and celebrate Cherokee culture. She also knew a lot about plants and how they could be used as medicine.

Growing Up

Maggie Axe was born in 1894 in Snowbird Gap, Graham County, North Carolina. Her parents were Will and Caroline Cornsilk Axe. Her family's home was quite far from most other Cherokee people. They lived about 50 miles away in the Qualla Boundary of Swain County.

When Maggie was young, many European Americans tried to make Cherokee people live like them. For example, Maggie went to a Christian church every Sunday. There, she learned that God created the mountains and valleys. Maggie liked learning about the Bible. But she still felt a strong connection to her traditional Cherokee culture.

Cherokee was Maggie's first language. She reportedly taught herself to read and write in Cherokee when she was just seven years old. She used chalk and wrote in the dirt. She also went to an English-speaking school for four months each year. She attended until she reached the fourth grade.

Maggie's grandson remembered her talking about the Trail of Tears. This was a very difficult journey for many Cherokee people. They were forced to leave their homes and move far away. Not many Cherokee people wrote about this journey. But the story was kept alive through oral histories, which are stories passed down by speaking. Maggie's ancestors were among the Cherokee who managed to stay in Western North Carolina. They avoided being forced to move to Indian Territory.

Her Work

Maggie Wachacha worked as a clerk for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Tribal Council. She did this important job for almost 50 years, starting in 1937. She recorded the official meeting minutes. Maggie spoke Cherokee, and she also spoke English.

She taught a Cherokee Indian class at Zion Hill Baptist Church. She also taught Cherokee culture and language in other places. These included the Robbinsville school system and Tri-County Technical College. She also taught in the Adult Education Program of Graham County.

Maggie Wachacha was also known for her skills as a midwife. A midwife helps women when they are having babies. Maggie helped deliver over 3,000 babies during her life. To help mothers feel less pain, she would give them tea. This tea was made from the inner bark of the wild black cherry tree. She often walked long distances to help any woman who needed her services.

As a Cherokee council member, Maggie attended special Cherokee singing ceremonies. She wore a traditional red Cherokee woman's handkerchief. One of these events was the annual Trail of Tears Singing. The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians started this tradition. It helped bring the different Cherokee groups together. It also helped them remember and celebrate their Cherokee identity.

Beloved Woman

In Cherokee culture, a "Beloved Woman" is a very respected person. They have a lot of influence in the tribe. They speak in tribal meetings. They also connect with Beloved Women from other Native American nations.

Maggie Wachacha was honored as a Beloved Woman in 1978. This honor came from the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and the Cherokee Nation. It was for her important work as a clerk in the tribal council. She was only the second woman to receive this special honor.

In 1986, she also received the North Carolina Distinguished Women Award. Governor Jim Martin gave her this award. She was one of only five women to win the award that year, out of 91 people nominated.

Her Family

In 1935, Maggie met and married Jarrett Wachacha. Jarrett was a member of the Deer Clan. Maggie and Jarrett had their first child, a daughter named Winona, in 1936.