YUKI INDIANS IN ALABAMA

THE YUKI MAY BE SPELLED UCHEE OR EUCHEE AND ARE A NATIVE AMERICAN INDIAN TRIBE LIVING IN THE TENNESSEE RIVER VALLEY. IN THE 1960'S THE YUKI MOVED TO ALABAMA, GEORGIA, AND SOUTH CAROLINA. THEY SUFFERED MANY FATALITIES DUE TO EPIDEMICS AND WARFARE. THEY WERE MOVED TO INDIAN TERRITORY ALONG THE MUSKOGEE CREEK. SOME WENT TO THE FLORIDA WITH THE SEMINOLES.

TODAY THE YUKI LIVE IN NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA WITH THE MUSKOGEE TRIBE. YUKI MEANS "SITUATED OVER YONDER", OR CHILDREN OF THE SUN. THEIR ORIGIN IS A MYSTERY. THEIR LANGUAGE IS DIFFERENT THAN ANY OTHER. ARCHAEOLOGICAL EVIDENCE DOCUMENTS SEVERAL YUKI TOWNS OF THE 18TH CENTURY IN SOUTHEAST
TENNESSEE. IN 1714 THE CHEROKEE DESTROYED THIS VILLAGE. THE GOVERNMENT OF SOUTH CAROLINA KEPT THE CHEROKEE FROM DESTROYING ANYMORE YUKI LAND. THE YUKI HAD TOWNS IN GEORGIA AND IN SOUTH CAROLINA. THEY MIGRATED TO SAVANNAH TO ESCAPE CHEROKEE. IN 1750 THE FIRST YUKI TOWN WAS MOUNT PLEASANT AND THEY ESTABLISHED A BRITISH TRADING POST THERE.

THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE OF FORT BENNING GEORGIA WAS ON THE NATIONAL HISTORIC REGISTER LIST. SOME HAD THRIVING POPULATION IN 1770'S. SOME OTHER YUKI TOWNS ON THE OCONEE RIVER IN GEORGIA AND SOUTH CAROLINA. THE YUKI ALLIED WITH THE BRITISH AND TRADED FURS AND HIDES AND INDIAN SLAVES. BY 1830'S THE U.S. GOVERNMENT MOVED THEM FROM ALABAMA TO INDIAN TERRITORY IN OKLAHOMA. TODAY THEY HAVE THREE TOWNS. DUCK CREEK, POLECAT, AND SAND CREEK. MOST ARE INTERMARRIED AND MUSCOGEE NATION. THEY STILL PRACTICE GREEN CORN FESTIVALS. THEY ARE NOT RECOGNIZED FEDERALLY. YOUNG PEOPLE ARE LEARNING THEIR LANGUAGE.

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