Nancy Ward

One Who Goes About:

One of the early figures of Georgia history was Nancy (Nanye-hi) Ward, a Cherokee "beloved woman" of the Wolf Clan. She earned the title by picking up her husband's rifle during a fight, and leading the group to victory.

Under Cherokee government of the day, a "beloved woman" was one who had the right to sit in council with the men; but, as a group, these women also had the duty of deciding on pardons from the harder parts of Cherokee law. The exercise of this power to save an Englishwoman introduced the arts of weaving and dairy cattle to the Cherokee, changing their society quite a bit.

A statue of Nancy Ward has a story of its own, nearly as interesting as that of the woman it symbolizes.