Five By Five-Author’s book helps keep family history alive

By Max Bowen

“Five By Five” is the name for our series of written Q&A interviews with writers and musicians. The name actually refers to audio signals, which ties in with our regular podcast. Five By Five is another way to say “good signal strength” or “loud and clear,” but can also mean “exceptional quality,” which certainly lines up with the artists we speak with. 

Debra Yates’ new book, “Woman of Many Names,” takes the history of Nancy Ward, Yates’ seventh-great-grandmother, and brings it to new life. The book is centered on Ward, who had ties to Daniel Boone and George Washington, including having saved the latter's life (and, it's believed, vice versa). Ward has been memorialized in Benton, Tennessee, by a federal historical marker. Also known as Nanyehi, she also foretold one of the great American tragedies, the Trail of Tears.

In this interview, Yates talks about how she learned about her ancestor and what led to her writing the story, as well the research she did and family she spoke to. Yates also goes into what she learned during this time and the message she hopes to convey.

What about Nancy Ward’s story inspired you to write this book?
The novel “Woman of Many Names” was originally written down to assure me that my family would know the story of Nancy Ward from a descendant that heard her story through the Cherokee way of the oral tradition. When I had my writings transposed to a disk from a friend of mine, she encouraged me to share the story with the world by writing a novel.

Her story is worthy of being told, as she not only was a valuable member and leader of the ancient Cherokee, but she also made an impact on the white settlers that came to the lands where we lived for thousands of years. As I began to research writings that were previously written about Nancy, I became enamored by the way she ruled.

Nancy was trained as a child to become a ruler of the Cherokee. She garnered respect amongst the Cherokee as well as the colonialists and those that came to the Americas to live as well as visit.

How much of her story did you know?
The stories imparted on me from family members – written as well as unwritten – would encompass approximately one third of the writings. I spent a few years procuring all the books I could find on the life and times of Nancy Ward. These resources are actually how I got the title “Woman of Many Names.” As I read, I accumulated many names of many of my relatives, so as I got farther into writing and compiling the information I made a comment, “boy that woman had so many names.” Then I decided that the book would be called “Woman of Many Names.”

Did anything about Nancy’s story surprise you?
Yes, there were many things about Nancy that have inspired me as well as surprised me. The first being that she was three to four months pregnant when she went to war at Ballground, Georgia. It was also called the Battle of Taliwa. I also learned that her next husband was positioned to watch the battle ensue.

As I studied this battle, I came to know there were several tribes of Indians present as well as British soldiers. As to what they were all doing in this area can’t positively be known. I suspect they were there planning a surprise war on us as well. The Muskogee were constantly infringing on our hunting grounds as well as participating in many skirmishes with hunting and scouting parties of the Cherokee.

How did this change from initial idea to finished product?
I am not a writer by trade, so I had no idea how to disseminate the formula of putting pen to paper and telling such an important story.

It began as an outline of sorts for my family and turned into a whole project. Multiple times I would read my writings and have more questions than answers; through reading dozens of materials that had maybe only a few sentences about her or even just a few pages, to entire books from fiction to nonfiction. Then I re-read all my materials and added new information, changed some information, and a time or two deleted information.

What do you hope people take from reading this?
Striving to take the reader back in time to see, feel and live in the 18th century. To be an Indian woman in a time where women had little or no impact in a white man's eyes.

To remind the Cherokee what those days were like. To inform our conquerors’ descendants what we were thinking about, our ways, and how the ancient Indians thought. The Cherokee were and are a simple and complicated people. In our belief system the Creator places us and our ancestors here to take care of the land and all that dwelled within it. For thousands of years, we resided here with little to no interference. Our stories that have been told for many generations spoke of people from far-off lands long before the days of Christopher Columbus.

The stories tell of days that the people were stolen from their homes, some to never be seen again. These people from far away came to take our resources — furs, wood, copper, silver, gold and even our own people to be used in their bidding. Our society viewed a woman’s place as whatever she wanted to be. Whether that was a farmer, a hunter or even a leader of war. Women earned respect even among men for their prowess or all that we were capable of.

Nanyehi (Nancy Ward), exhibited so many of these qualities. From a curious child who wanted to learn all she could about the ways of war and peace. How to help and lead her people through such a contentious time in our early American history. Nanyehi loved her family and people so dearly she risked her life on countless occasions to assume the Cherokee and her family would survive long into the future.

Her memory lives on today.