VONORE, Tenn. — The state of Tennessee is named after the Cherokee town of Tanasi, which sat in current day Vonore.
“In the 1720s, Moytoy was elected to be the emperor of the Cherokee. He relocates the capital to here and sets up his capital here at Tanasi,” said Sequoyah Museum Director Charlie Rhodarmer.
It’s been said that the word “Tanasi” is Cherokee for “bend in the river,” but the true meaning may still be unknown.
“I've talked with a number of the Cherokee speakers over North Carolina, and some in the Cherokee Nation. They have no idea of what the meaning is. It's been lost in time to what Tanasi actually meant,” Rhodarmer said.
Even the correct spelling is debated.
“The Cherokee, when I show them the English spelling of Tanasi, they pronounce it ‘Tanshi,” Rhodarmer said.
Tanasi remained the Cherokee capital until it was moved to the larger, more developed town of Chota in 1740.
Fast forward over two centuries, and with the completion of the Tellico Dam, the city of Tanasi was washed away.
“The Tellico Lake was impounded in 1979. The town was right beside the river. So, the village of Tanasi has completely covered,” Rhodarmer said.
In 1989, a monument was dedicated in remembrance of the once Cherokee capital, and our state’s namesake.
“This would have been one of the most important parts of the Cherokee Nation in the 18th century and from their history and their culture, it's become part of our history and culture,” Rhodarmer said.