"B” is for Blue, Samuel Taylor, Jr.

“B” is for Blue, Samuel Taylor, Jr.,  Catawba leader. Blue was born in 1872 on the Catawba Indian Reservation near Rock Hill. He served for three administrations as Chief of the Catawba Tribe. His Indian name was Namé Patki, which means “Big Bear.” He spoke the Catawba language, although not fluently, and was an authority on tribal history. He married twice and was the father of twenty-three children. His second wife, Hester Louisa was reputed to be the last full-blood Catawba. Chief Samuel Blue was the driving force behind the political revival of the Catawba Tribe. It was during his second administration that the Catawba finally became a federally recognized tribe and recovered parts of their original reservation. Because of his character and charisma, Samuel Taylor Blue, Jr. was referred to as “Chief” for much of his life.