James Adair was a trader born in Ireland who lived with southeastern tribes for forty years. His book The History of the American Indians; Particularly Those Nations adjoining the Mississippi, East and West Florida, Georgia, South and North Carolina, and Virginia (1775) shed light on Cherokee culture. Like John Haywood and Daniel Butrick, Adair believed Cherokees descended from the Jews.

In 1736, he was a trader among the Cherokees. Evidently, he moved to northern Mississippi to live with the Chickasaw Nation in 1744.

In the following excerpt, Adair describes the ways in which Cherokee women’s menstrual retreats resembled those of the ancient Hebrews and Mosaic laws regarding uncleanness.

The Indians have customs consonant to the Mosaic Laws of uncleanness. They oblige their women in their lunar retreats, to build small huts, at as considerable a distance from their dwelling-houses, as they imagine may be out of the enemies reach; where, during the space of that period, they are obliged to stay at the risk of their lives. Should they be known to violate that ancient law, they must answer for every misfortune that befalls any of the people, as a certain effect of the divine fire; though the lurking enemy sometimes kills them in their religious retirement. Notwithstanding they reckon it conveys a most horrid and dangerous pollution to those who touch, or go near them, or walk anywhere within the circle of their retreats; and are in fear of thereby spoiling the supposed purity and power of their holy ark, which they always carry to war; yet the enemy believe they can so cleanse themselves with the consecrated herbs, roots, etc. which the chieftain carries in the beloved war-ark, as to secure them in this point from bodily danger, because it was done against their enemies.

The non-observance of this separation, a breach of the marriage-law, and murder, they esteem the most capital crimes. When the time of the women’s separation is ended, they always purify themselves in deep running water, return home, dress, and anoint themselves. They ascribe these monthly periods, to the female structure, not to the anger of Ishtohoollo Aba.¹

ENDNOTES

¹ James Adair, History of the American Indians (London: Edward & Charles Dilly, 1775), 123–24. Ishtohoollo Aba has been translated as meaning “holy, exalted, sacred Fire Father” (or “Great Spirit”), who lived in the Heavens.