Nancy Raven facts for kids

Nancy Raven (also known as Nancy Taylor) was a special storyteller from the Natchez people, a Native American tribe. She was born on December 25, 1872, in Braggs, Oklahoma, and passed away on March 25, 1957. Nancy Raven was one of the very last two people who spoke the Natchez language as their first language.

Her father was Cherokee and her mother was Natchez. Because of her mother, Nancy learned to speak Natchez at home. She never learned English, but she was amazing because she could speak three different languages: Natchez, Cherokee, and Creek.

Helping to Preserve a Language

Nancy Raven played a very important role in helping to save information about the Natchez language and culture.

Working with Experts

In 1907, she worked with a researcher named John R. Swanton. He was an anthropologist, which means he studied human societies and cultures. Nancy helped him learn about the Natchez religion and traditions.

Later, in the 1930s, she worked a lot with Mary Haas, a linguist. A linguist is someone who studies languages. Nancy shared many stories and helped Mary Haas understand how the Natchez language worked. She told stories like "The Woman Who was a Fox." Nancy used an interpreter to help her communicate with these researchers.

Family and Life

Nancy Raven had a few marriages during her life. She had one son named Adam Levi. She sometimes used the last name Taylor, which she got from her second husband.

She was also related to the other last speaker of the Natchez language, Watt Sam. They were biological cousins. Among the Natchez people, the language was usually passed down from mothers to their children. Sadly, Nancy Raven's only son, Adam Levi, passed away when he was young in 1915.

Nancy Raven's efforts helped researchers learn and record valuable information about the Natchez language and culture before it was lost.