[1] Son of Cherokee leader Junaluska, Salonitah was born in 1796 and later on married Sali (Sally), daughter of Yonaguska, and were the parents of at least five children.
[4] The justification given was that Salonitah was very suspicious of whites who claimed to speak for the Cherokees, especially William Holland Thomas.
[5] In 1868, U.S. Congress officially recognized the Eastern Band Cherokee as a separate entity from their brethren in Oklahoma.
On December 1, the council convened, approving the new constitution for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and electing Salonitah as Principal Chief and John Jackson as second Chief.
[5][6][7] According to the mortality schedule of the 1880 U.S. Census, Salonitah died of typhoid in April, 1880.