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Ah-ni-ku-ta-ni or Ah-ni-gu-ta-ni (Cherokee: ᎠᏂᎫᏔᏂ) (pronounced Ah-nee-koo-tah-nee/Ah-nee-goo-tah-nee) were the ancient priesthood of the Cherokee or Ah-ni-yv-wi-ya people. According to Cherokee legend, the Ah-ni-ku-ta-ni were exterminated during a mass uprising by the Cherokee people approximately 300 years prior to European Contact.^[1] This uprising was sparked by the fact that the Ah-ni-ku-ta-ni had become despotic and oppressive to the people.^[2] The ancient structure of Cherokee Society and the Cherokee Clans were closely linked to the beliefs of the Ah-ni-ku-ta-ni.

This group of priests were believed to have created and maintained the first writing system of the Cherokee people, predating Sequoyah's Syllabary.^[3]

From the writings of James Mooney Myths of the Cherokee section 108 The Massacre of the Ani'-Kuta'ni. Among other perishing traditions is that relating to the Ani'Kuta'ni or Ani'Kwata'ni, concerning whom the modern Cherokee know so little that their very identity is now a matter of dispute, a few holding that they were an ancient people who preceded the Cherokee and built the mounds, while others, with more authority, claim that they were a clan or society in the tribe and were destroyed long ago by pestilence or other calamity.

Fortunately, we are not left to depend entirely upon surmise in the matter, as the tradition was noted by Haywood some seventy years ago (from the mid 1800s), and by another writer some forty years later, while the connected story could still be obtained from competent authorities. From the various statements it would seem that the Ani'Kuta'ni were a priestly clan, having hereditary supervision of all religious ceremonies among the Cherokee, until, in consequence of having abused their sacred privileges, they were attacked and completely exterminated by the rest of the tribe, leaving the priestly functions to be assumed thereafter by individual doctors and conjurers.

Mooney does mention that the family name for the group was Ni-go-ta-ni (implying a permanent condition of possession, as in "keeping" or "holding" something -- the closest exact translation is "keeping" something "as it is"). This group was described as much despised, corrupt abusers of their religious power (Mooney compared this power position to be on par with the Brahmins of India). Mooney stated they where so completely wiped out that even at the mention of them by Chief John Ross and Dr J. B. Evans in 1866 the story and legend where stated to be a century old and must have (due to the dimness of detail) been even older then a century even then.

"The people long brooded in silence over the oppressions and outrages of this high caste, whom they deeply hated but greatly feared. At length a daring young man, a member of an influential family, organized a conspiracy among the people for the massacre of the priesthood. The immediate provocation was the adduction of the wife of the young leader of the conspiracy.His wife was remarkable for her beauty, and was forcibly abducted and violated by one of the Nicotani while he was absent on the chase. On his return he found no difficulty in exciting in others the resentment which he himself experienced. So many had suffered in the same way, so many feared that they might be made to suffer, that nothing was wanted but a leader. A leader appearing in the person of the young brave whom we have named, the people rose under his direction and killed every Nicotani (Ni-go-ta-ni), young and old. Thus perished a hereditary secret society, since which time no hereditary privileges have been tolerated among the Cherokee."^[4]

(alphabetical by title)

• Ancient Cherokee Scribes in the 1500s
• Cherokee by David Fitzgerald and Robert J. Conley; Graphic Arts Center Publishing, 2002 (ISBN 1-55868-603-7)
• Tell Them They Lie: The Sequoyah Myth by Traveller Bird. Westernlore Publishers, 1971. excerpts on line
• Moundbuilders
• Warrior Scribes
• Warrior Scribes 2
• Wilma Mankiller, Former Chief Cherokee Nation, Ani-kutani Society
• Who were the Ani-Kutani? An Excursion into Cherokee Thought. by Raymond Fogelson in Ethnohistory 31 (1984), pp. 255-263.

1. ^  Autobiography of Wilma Mankiller as quoted in this site; also in Moundbuilders by James Catron
2. ^  Same source as in previous note, and Cherokee by Fitzgerald & Conley, page 29 (in the references section above)
3. ^ Tell Them They Lie by Bird, p24.
4. ^  Writings and history of An-ni-ku-ta-ni (see references section)
5. ^  Writings and history of An-ni-ku-ta-ni (see references section) (Oct 2002 newsletter)
6. ^  Writings and history of An-ni-ku-ta-ni (see references section) (Oct 2002 newsletter)
7. ^  James Mooney's History, Myths, and Sacred Formulas of the Cherokees ISBN 0-914875-19-1