Dakota, Natchez and Cherokee Traditions and Practices of the Ohio Hopewell Mound Builders

Dakota, Natchez and Cherokee Traditions of Living on the Ohio River and Building the Mounds

There are many similarities with the religion of the historic Natchez and the anient mound builders in the Ohio Valley. The Natchez performed ritual human sacrifice upon the death of a Sun. When a male Sun died, his wives were expected to accompany him by performing ritual suicide. We find men and women buried together in the Ohio mounds; did they die together ot was the woman sacrificed?Pictured above are 8 people who are being sacrificed at the death of the Natchez Sun King. The number reoccurs within the earthworks in the Ohio Valley.  Were these places of sacrifice of the Sun King?

Were subjects sacrificed at the 8 gateways of the Newark Ceremonial Center at the death of the Sun King?

Prehistoric America, Stephen Peet, 1903

First, let us consider the traditions of the Indian tribes as to their migrations.

1. The Cherokee were a tribe situated, at the opening of history, among the mountains of East Tennessee and perhaps as far east as North Carolina. There is a common tradition that the Cherokee were at one time in the Ohio Valley.

2.) The Dakotas; this tribe or stock was, at the opening of history located west of the Mississippi River, in the State that bears their name.  The Dakotas have a traditon they they were once on the Ohio River, and that they migrated from their to the west.

3.) The Natchez were a tribe formerly situated near the city of Natchez.  They were sun-worshippers.  It is supposed by some that the Natchez built the sun temples in Ohio, but they changed their methods and adopted the pyramid as their typical work afterwards.

4.0 The Tetons, a branch of the Dakotas, were probably once in the region, though their home was afterward in the northern part of Georgia.