HISTORY
This history will begin with the separating fron the main body of the Tribe. The complete history of the AhNiYvWiYa People will not be told out side our language until the prophetic Council Lodge is rebuilt. The prophecy is with the true AhNiYvWiYa ah-ni-gu-ta-ni and not with other groups building council lodges.
The complete history intact and has been keep without dilution. The beginning of our people, where we came from, how we arrived on this continent, our prophecies, ect. have never been lost.
Upon the arrival of the AhNiYvWiYa on this continent, spirit voices told of a time when the true people wold separate from the main body. As acculturation increased, oppostion to the culture from both the Christian Cherokees and the European society increased. The traditional lifestyle was changing, slavery was becoming a part of the social structure and a stratified society was emerging in the Tribe. The wealthy were dominate over the Traditional AhNiYvWiYa and were in total opposition to our belief that we all were equal with all other part of the universe.
As the removal became imminent, the prophetic separation was nearing its fulfillment. The tragic events implemented by the Federal and State Governments upon our people resulting in the infamous "Trail of Tears was and still is unforgivable.
Much which is written in the Military and Government reports concerning the forced march are so written to keep many things from being recorded. Unbelievable atrocities were suffered by our people.
The cold, hunger, death, pain were not the thing which hurt them the most. It was knowing they had been totally abandoned by the human race hurt them more than anything else.
Contrary to military reports, the crossing at Cape Girardeau, Missouri did  not take place until the spring of 1839 after the ice had stopped floating downriver. A white man let them camp on his farm on the west side of the river. It took several days to get everyone across.
The ancient prophecies told of this time. According to the ancient plan, the AhNiYvWiYa ah-ni-gu-ta-ni began separating. Each night several escaped under the cover of darkness and traveled south. The means of identifying each other was told them long ago.
They traveled about 40 miles south, regathered in the swamps in a place they called "tla-da-tsa-yi" meaning "the place of the panther." The traditional government was reestablished. A Chief was selected according to ancient prophecies. In secret, the complete culture of the AhNiYvWiYa ah-ni-gu-ta-ni was preserved in its entirety.
Missouri had passed a law in 1825 that no "Indian" lands could exist in the state. In time, the swamps were drained and purchased by large land owners and turned into plantation type of farming. Our people became share cropper dirt farmers.
Meetings were held in secret. Ceremonies were kept according to cultural traditions but often with great danger. Other AhNiYvWiYa people would come from surrounding areas as they could to participate.  It was often dangerous for people to gather. "Indian" Native people were still removed to Indian Territory for many years.
The Tribe became public in the early 1990's. They organized into a 501 C3 Non-Profit and became a legal corporation. A Tribal Membership was organized. Because it was dangerous for so long to have identity as "Indian" unless you were part of a Federally Recognized Tribe living on Reservations or Tribal Lands, such identification was never done. Ancient prophecies told of the time when the Tribe would come back to the area where they originally separated from the main body of the Tribe. In 2001 the Tribal Office was located in Cape Girardeau, Missouri close to the river crossing in 1839. With the financial help of a wonderful benefactor, 52 acres were purchased in Bollinger County about 40 miles west of the Mississippi River and 10 miles west of Marble Hill, Missouri. The Tribal Office was moved to the Tribal Lands. The Chief's residence is on the land. Others are locating as they can and in the future our village will again exist as told in the ancient prophecies.
Traditional ceremonial areas have been prepared. As finances become available, all true cultural areas, buildings, etc. will exist again for our people.
                             ni-go-di-sge-sdi   ha 
  
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