This painting, “Put Your Mark Here!” has two of my best
friends in it. Adam Owl, portrays the Cherokee Mankiller of
Tellico and Lowell Plum, portrays the French spy, Antoine
Louis Chevalier de Lantagnac. During the late 1700’s the
French tried to convince the Cherokee’s they needed to
fight for the French against the British.
Mankiller, also called Antossity Ustoneeka, was a Cherokee
warrior who despised everything about the British. I have not
been able to find out why he despised them so much. He was
very prominent in Cherokee Culture and Cherokee History.
The
hate he had for the British rivaled that of Magua the Huron in
the Last of the Mohicans.
Mankiller was Oconostota’s Chief of Staff and close friend,
but served the French interest until
Oconostota’s trip to England in 1762 with Lt. Henry Timberlake
This painting depicts the setting of events in motion that
would eventually lead to the taking of Ft. Loudoun (Aug. 8,
1760) in Tennessee by the Cherokee and the death of most of
the garrison. This is the only British Fort to fall to an
Indian tribe.
Adam Owl in the painting speaks fluent Cherokee and there is
sort of a joke behind this painting that translates “Put Your
Mark Here” to “No Damn Way!”.
