Nancy Ward the musical

Descendant pays tribute to Nancy Ward with musical

By Tesina JacksonThe stories of Cherokee Beloved Woman Nancy Ward have been told many times. Some tales glorify her as a hero when she took the place in battle of her husband, Kingfisher. Others mark her as a traitor for warning white settlers of approaching Cherokee attacks. For songwriter Becky Hobbs, she tells those stories through music.

Hobbs first came up with the idea of telling Ward’s story via a musical production after writing some of the songs now in the production back in the 1990s. Today, the production contains 17 songs.

Nancy Ward, a member of the Wolf Clan, was born in Echota, Ga., and was named Nancy Ward, a member of the Wolf Clan, was born in Echota, Ga., and was named Beloved Woman after taking the place of her husband in battle. She later married white trader Bryant Ward. In 1776, after the illegal sale of lands in Tennessee, Nancy Ward’s cousin, Dragging Canoe, organized a series of attacks against white settlers. She sent runners to warn the whites of the approaching attacks. Dragging Canoe was wounded and three of the attacks were unsuccessful. She died in 1822.Comment:  I don't know if this is the same play described in Cherokee Play About Warrior Woman. It seems to be different.

For more on the subject, see Native Plays and Other Stage Shows.

P.S. This story was originally published by the Cherokee Phoenix.