preview

The History and Culture of the Cherokee Civilization Essay example

Decent Essays
Open Document

Introduction
The Cherokee, a very large tribe, lived in the region of the Smokey Appalachians Mountains. The Cherokee were forced to relocate to the Appalachian Mountains after they were defeated at war by the Delaware. The tribe was divided into seven clans. The tribe’s men were not allowed to marry within there tribes, this was a great taboo in the Cherokee society. The seven tribes inhabited North and South Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama, Virginia and Georgia. Once the man married he left his tribe and went to live with his wife’s tribe. They spoke the Iroquoian language.
Way of living
The Cherokee had the highest standards of living and level of education among the tribes living in Sothern East United States (Perdue 115). They lived …show more content…

They also had there own published newspaper, the Cherokee Tribune.
Rhythm of the Seasons
The Cherokee people were not time conscious they did not have specified time for rituals and ceremonies. However, despite their laid back nature, the Cherokee people had fours seasons (Perdue 3). Each of the four seasons represented different rituals and ceremonies. The first season was winter; it was associated with cold and sadness. It was symbolized by the color blue. Winter belonged to the north. Spring which has its heritage in the East is represented by the color red. Spring time symbolized victory. It was a new beginning occasioned by warm weather festivities and merry making. Summer was time for happiness where every thing was peaceful and serene. There was plenty of harvest during this season. Summer was symbolized by the color white, the color of peace. Finally autumn which was the end of the cycle symbolized death. Autumn was symbolized by the color black, the color of death. During autumn the Cherokee people did not engage in many festivities each household remained isolated.

Gender Roles
According to Perdue (135), in the Cherokee community women were associated with the bounty that comes from the earth. The women were mostly concerned with cultivation of land and ensuring that there families had enough crop to sustain them even during dry seasons. The women could take up leadership just like there male counter parts. The leadership positions

Get Access