The Yuchi Indians of Southwest Virginia and the 1857 Intertribal Roll
Author: Dr. Jim Glanville
Published: 2018 | Archive Download For Free Below
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1857 Roll of the Appalachian People
The featured roll names 49 heads of household and lists over 300 individuals from six tribes, including the Monacan, Saponi, Yuchi, Tutelo, Cherokee, and Shawnee. Bound with abalone shell buttons and preserved under tribal guardianship, this document stands as sacred testimony to resistance and unity following the Trail of Tears. It represents a post-removal alliance that refused cultural erasure.
Figure 1: The 1857 Roll, held by the Remnant Yuchi Nation, documents a united Appalachian confederation across tribal lines.
Yuchi Legacy in Virginia
The article recounts encounters with Spanish expeditions in 1541 and 1567, highlighting the Yuchi’s longstanding presence in Appalachia. Despite the absence of official recognition in Virginia, the roll and related oral histories affirm their deep roots in the Holstonia region—where rivers, caves, and ceremonial sites shaped a distinct Mississippian-Yuchi identity.
Dr. Glanville challenges Virginia’s east-centric historical narrative, calling for wider academic and cultural acknowledgment of the western tribes—especially the Remnant Yuchi, whose language and traditions survive despite centuries of displacement and denial.
Acknowledgment & Protection
This archive is a call to honor and protect the memory of the Remnant Yuchi. It invites scholars, tribal members, and the public to view this roll not just as a historical list—but as a living act of remembrance, sovereignty, and defiance.
Thank you for honoring what was nearly lost. Your awareness matters more than you know.
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