|
|
Native American and Scots-Irish, our older cultures are not so different, are they? Imagine, if you will, in an extremely similar setting, a darker-skinned Indian maiden in a hollowed-out canoe, covered in hides and blankets. We've seen that picture a thousand times.
What most people are unaware of is that the Cherokee and the Scottish people share a VERY similar history, with tribes and clans being taken over by other tribes and crusaders. They, too, had to give up homelands, their traditional or religious ways, their tartan kilts, weapons, their language, and even their family names in some cases, such as the Clan "Gregor", whose name was considered illegal to bear and was outlawed by the Clan Campbell after their campaign for many decades. That's why they were so very well recieved by and married easily into the old Cherokee tribe. There was a kinship, of sorts, already. Therefore, you will see so many fair-skinned, red-haired, light-eyed Cherokee people today. Look at our principal chief of the Eastern nation, John Ross, back in the mid 1800's. He, too was of Scottish blood. Those of our ancestors, who did not participate in the actual removal and hid out in caves and the mountains, in some cases also became landowners and took on slaves during and after the encroachment of the white society in order to survive, and also married into the Black race, so there are also many Dark-skinned Cherokees among us! We are all ONE race! We are Mixed-bloods! This is why I have these pages up to educate people who are unaware of these historical facts and should be made aware, so we can put an end to prejudice, and respect ALL that was created!
WE ARE WHAT WE ARE, AND NOT BY OUR OWN CHOICE!!
Ho wa!
King Robert the Bruce gave the barony
of Loch Awe to the Campbells for their aid in
raising him to the throne.
Locha Awe was MacGregor land and the Bruce
left it up to the Campbells how they would
take possession of this area.
The Campbells built the castle of Kilchurn
and the MacGregors were forced to retreat
deeper into their lands until they were
eventually restricted to Glenstrae.
Iain the Black died in 1519 without
a male heir. The Campbells supported Eian MacGregor
as chief since he was married to the daughter
of Sir Colin Campbell of Glenorchy.
Eian's son, Alistair, fought the English at
Pinkie Cleugh but died shortly after.
In 1560 Gregor Roy MacGregor fought the
Campbells as an outlaw after Sir Colin Campbell
of Glenorchy refused to recognise his claim to his estates.
In 1570 he was captured and killed by the Campbells.
His son, Alistair, took over as chief but
was unable to stop the Campbell persecution,
of the MacGregors.
A Royal forrester, John Drummond,
was murdered after hanging a band
of MacGregors for poaching. The King then
issued an edict aboloshing the name MacGregor.
What this essentially meant was that
MacGregors had to renounce their name
or suffer death.
The chief and 11 of his chieftaines
were hanged in Edinburgh.
The rest of the Clan scattered many taking
other Highland names to conceal their lineage
and thus avoid being hunted like animals.
Despite this treatment 200 men the Clan
fought against Cromwell during the civil war.
In gratitude King Charles II repealed
the proscription on the name MacGregor
but it was re-imposed when
William of Orange took the throne.
This is the time of the legendary
Rob Roy MacGregor.
Born in 1671 he had to assume
his mother's name of Campbell.
He fought on the Jacobite side at the
Battle of Sheriffmuir but after
the battle he began a life of plundering
and was a thorn in the side of the
government until his death in 1734.
The proscription was again repealled,
this time for good, in 1774.
At this time there were 826 MacGregors
who wanted to claim the chiefship
but it was finally awared to General John Murray
and descendant of Duncan MacGregor of Ardchoille
who died in 1552.
|
| Gathering of Clans | Electric Scotland
| |
