The Cherokee Indian Culture

Chelsea Carriere Professor Ferruccio Trabalzi Introduction to Anthropology October 13, 2015 The Seven Clans of the Cherokee With over 314,000 recorded members, the Cherokee Nation is the largest federally recognized Native American tribe in the United States. In ancient times, this tribe was just as formidable, having conquered over 135,000 square miles of territory throughout eight states; North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, and West Virginia. Much of the traditional culture remains the same in today’s world though some things have evolved out of necessity to fit modern society (Reese). Despite some of these changes however, the Cherokee nation is working hard to preserve their native traditions

The writings of Columbus and Bradford and the Cherokee Creation Myth each gives a glimpse into the beliefs, attitudes, values and shared patterns of behaviors that form the cultures of the Native Americans, Imperialists and Pilgrims. Interestingly, their cultures overlap and blend. Some key Native American religious beliefs resembled those of the Imperialist and Pilgrims. For instance, the Creation Myth of the Cherokees depicts a Creator God and describes an afterlife. There is also evidence that in each of the cultures there was reliance on the providence of God.

One Native American tribe in the southeastern region is the Cherokee tribe. The Cherokee tribe was the largest tribe in the southeastern region. They lived in log cabins instead of tee pees the cabins were circular they were made from various materials including cane, plaster, and sticks.. They were mostly farmers. they ate corn, squash, and beans the men however, hunted deer, bear, and turkeys The men of the tribe wore leggings and breechcloth. A breechcloth is a long rectangular piece of clothing. The women wore wraparound skirts made from fiber and deerskin. Men covered themselves with tribal tattoo art and painted themselves bright when they were in a war, but the women did not paint themselves. The Cherokee believed that certain beings created the Earth, moon, and stars, when the fruits of the Earth were

Cherokee Indians were found in the south and southeast commonly in these states North Carolina, South Carolina, Kentucky, Georgia, West Virginia/Virginia, Alabama, and Tennessee. Old artifacts show that they lived in this region about 11,000 years ago to the present day and that they had very natural reliable resources that they used on a daily basis. The Cherokee Indians had a well-managed system in which they had villages of 60 or less for housing, the women did the cooking, cleaning, farming/harvesting and the men did the hunting and gathering. In the region where the Cherokee’s were known to live at they modified their own weapons, arts/crafts, and clothing also using trees and plants for medicinal uses. The Cherokee Indians were one of

Around the 1800s, the Cherokee began taking up the economics and politics of the white settlers around them. Some owned plantations and even kept slaves. Many Cherokee’s embraced “white” names. They developed gradually and became one of the successful tribes in the United States. They form a system by which they were controlled called the Cherokee Nation, which was similar to the United States of America government, which included a Chief , a vice-Chief and 32 Council members. A constitution of code laws also in place. The principal chief is the equivalent to the President, the legislative branch of the tribal council to the supreme court and the house of representatives, and the judicial branch called the tribunal is made up of the three tribal

Most of the displaced Cherokee walked west on the roads, although some went by boat. Rounded up into assembly centers, sent to emigration depots, and then herded west, most Cherokee followed the overland route of Lieutenant B.B. Cannon. Cannon led a group of Cherokee who voluntarily relocated west in 1837. Armed soldiers flushed the Cherokee out of their homes and stripped them of valuable possessions. Tightly packed in holding centers, they found that food and water were scarce and disease and death were common. From those assembled at Rattlesnake Springs, for example, 13 organized detachments made the journey west. While most walked, the infirm and mothers with young children traveled in wagons. Space was limited because food, blankets, and other supplies occupied most of the room. Those who were still alive five months later found

European settlements in the new world had a number of impacts on Cherokee Native Americans. It led to them dying or being pushed onto reservations.

Most of us have learnt about the Trail of Tears as an event in American history, but not many of us have ever explored why the removal of the Indians to the West was more than an issue of mere land ownership. Here, the meaning and importance of land to the original Cherokee Nation of the Southeastern United States is investigated. American land was seen as a way for white settlers to profit, but the Cherokee held the land within their hearts. Their removal meant much more to them than just the loss of a material world. Historical events, documentations by the Cherokee, and maps showing the loss of Cherokee land work together to give a true Cherokee

The people dwelt in "towns" located in scattered autonomous tribal areas related by kinship throughout the southern Appalachian region.

There was a time in history about two hundred years ago when the white settlers wanted to expand further into America. The government of this time wanted only the white settlers to live on their newly independent land. Though as the white settlers started to expand, the land was already occupied by the Native Americans, but the white setter less did not like that because they only wanted the land for farming or gold hunting. The Cherokees call this event the Nunadautsun’s or “the trail where we cried.” The Trail of Tears seems to be more focused on the Cherokee Nation who suffered most because of Jackson. The journey the Cherokees took was caused by the government and they suffered most during the journey and after, though it did make our country

Gabriel Arthur, to the Cherokee Overhill capital at Echota in 1673, but the following year

Removed Cherokees initially settled near Tahlequah, Oklahoma. When signing the Treaty of New Echota in 1835 Major Ridge said "I have signed my death warrant." The resulting political turmoil led to the killings of Major Ridge, John Ridge, and Elias Boudinot; of the leaders of the Treaty Party, only Stand Watie escaped death.[47][48][49] The population of the Cherokee Nation eventually rebounded, and today the Cherokees are the largest American Indian group in the United States.[50]

The Trail of Tears is a very significant part of American history, whether you think it is right or wrong, it was a huge impact on the United States America. This movement particularly involves the Cherokee Indians. The Cherokee were removed forcefully, but also violently from their cherished lands. This obviously had a tremendous effect on the Cherokee and would change their entire culture forever. Everything for this great country of the United States of American came at the expense of a lot of innocent people and the Trail of Tears is a fine example of that.

Have you ever heard of the Cherokee Indians? Sure you have! Just as a reminder, they are the biggest tribe, and most known of out of all the Indian tribes there has ever been in the southeast. They are very important to American History and helped shaped us to be the Americans we are today, which is clearly what I 'll be explaining in this paper. Throughout the paper, I 'll tell you everything you need to know about the Cherokee Indians and continue to relate to the thesis.

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