3rd Grade - Native Americans
Place - Charles S.
The Cherokee Indians

Long ago the Cherokee Indians, pronounced Chair-uh-kee, were called Ani Yunwiya, which means "principal people". Today they call themselves Cherokees. Cherokee comes from a Muskogee word which means "speakers of another language." I choose this tribe because I learned from my parents that my grandfather was half Cherokee Indian. His name was Andrew Hedgepeth. That makes me part mixed blood Cherokee.

Cherokee Indians are from the Southeastern part of the United States, mostly Georgia, North and South Carolina, Virginia, Kentucky, and Tennessee. The Cherokees live in the mountain area like the Blue Ridge and the Great Smoky Mountains. The mountainsides were high lands, which made it difficult for much hunting. The mountains were surrounded by rivers and trees. This environment was perfect for this tribe because the tribe had a great appreciation for nature. The rivers made soil good for growing crops. This was good because the Cherokees were agricultural. Sweet gum, hickory, oak, and blue ash trees covered the mountain. The most important to the Cherokees was the red cedar because it was a strong wood that didn't decay. This was particularly good because the mountain climate was damp.

In 1830's the Cherokee Indians found gold on their land. President Andrew Jackson found out about the gold and wanted to force the Cherokees to leave their land. The Cherokees asked the Supreme Court to help protect their land. Although the Supreme Court ruled that the Cherokees could keep their land, President Andrew Jackson still sent his army to move the Cherokees further west to Oklahoma. This journey was called the Trail Of Tears. In Oklahoma they formed new villages. The Cherokees built both winter homes and summer homes called asi. The winter homes had cone shape thatched roofs. The walls were made of a thick clay mixture to keep the warm air in. They made fires in the middle of the house to keep it warm too. There was a hole at the top for the smoke to escape. They put deerskin in the front of the door to keep warm also. The summer homes were rectangular shape. They had three large rooms. The summer homes had clay walls and thatched roofs. They had a single doorway, but no windows. The homes held several people. The village had between thirty to sixty homes. The more important villages had about a hundred homes. In the middle of the villages there was a town council house. Next to the town house was a town square. This is where the ceremonies, dances and games were held.

The Cherokee men hunted for meats to feed their families they hunted rabbits, squirrels, deer, wild turkeys, bears, and elks. They also fished in the rivers. The women harvested squash, corn, pumpkin tobacco, sunflowers, and beans. Corn was a main crop. They boiled and roasted corn for meals they also ground corn into cornmeal for cornbread. The women roasted, boiled, and fried the meats and fish. Women kept soups and stews hot over the fire all day. The crops were shared by the entire village. Food was dried and stored for cold months. Families only took food as they needed, so the village had plenty of food. The women gathered wild nuts, roots, and fruits from the countryside. Deer was a main meat source for the Cherokee Indians. Today Cherokees still enjoy some of the same foods.

In the mountains the weather got very cold. Cherokee men wore breechcloths and leggings made of leather and deerskin. Breechcloths flapped in the front and the back similar to a skirt without the stitching on the sides. Cherokee men wore capes and robes of fur or feathers, with the fur turned on the inside for the warmth. Moccasins were also worn in the winter, unless the men were going hunting, then they wore long deerskin boots with fawn hooves and turkey feet hanging from them. In the summer the men only wore breechcloth and went barefoot. The women wore wrap around skirts or apron type leather skirts and poncho styled blouses made of deerskin. They also wore capes of fur in the winter with the fur inside. When trade began with the Europeans, Cherokees dressed fancier wearing long braided or beaded jackets. The women wore full skirts decorated with ribbon applique, cotton shirts and feathered turbans. The Cherokee men wore feathered headdress decorated in leather and beads. Often they decorated their face with war paint and tattooed their bodies. They wore earrings to make their earlobe hang longer. Cherokee children wore hardly anything until they were eleven, then they dressed like the adults. Although deerskin was Cherokees main material they also used bear fur, mountain lions, panther, raccoon and beaver to make clothes as well.

The responsibilities of the Cherokee tribe was shared between the men and the women. Men were in charge of the hunting and fishing for the tribe. They made the important decision about the government for the village. Although the women were allowed to speak at the town council meetings, the Cherokee men were responsible for the important decision about the government of the village. Women were the landowners in the tribe. They were in charge of the important decision for the families in the village. Women were also in charge of the farming and crops for the village. They cooked and prepared meals for their families. Along with harvesting the crops, the women maintained the villages food supply for the winter months. The women cared for the children while the men went off to hunt or to war. Children learned about the tribe and their customs by listening to the elders stories at the ceremonies. When they were old enough they were taught to appreciate nature and respect animals and the land. They were taught to ignore hunger and pain. Respecting adults was very important to the Cherokees. When the boys got older they helped the men hunt and fish.

The Cherokee had many ceremonies and customs. Some are still celebrated today. There was six major ceremonies a year. The main ceremony was the Green Corn Dance. The Green Corn Dance was a celebration of harmony and renewal. During this celebration the Cherokees would give thanks for the abundant harvest. The tribe also believed that all crimes (except murder) from the past year would be forgiven at this time. The Cherokees held dance ceremonies before they went hunting or to war. The Buffalo Hunt Dance and the Bear Dance was to show respect before the animals were killed. The tribe also held birth ceremonies. Two days after a baby was born, a priest would pass the baby over a fire four times for blessings. Four to seven days after birth a priest would take the baby to the river or a creek and offer the baby to the creator and pray for a long and healthy life. The priest would then plunge the baby into the water seven times. The elder women of the village would name the baby. Cherokees had other rituals and ceremonies for funerals. They believed that they should mourn for the dead person for seven days. Wives had to mourn for many months until her friends said it was okay to stop mourning. During this time, women could not groom themselves. Cherokees made many musical instruments for the ceremonies. They made water drums, gourd rattles and turtle shell rattles.

The Cherokee Indians today are located mostly in Oklahoma. There is still some Cherokee reservations in the southeast like the Great Smoky Mountains. They are frequently visited by tourist. The Government cannot take the land of the government because it is protected by new laws. Although there are not many Cherokees today, white people falsely claim Cherokee ancestry. They want to take advantage of the benefits provided by the government. Today you have to prove that you are part Cherokee if you want Cherokee special benefits. Some tribal governments ask for DNA testing to prove eligibility. Today's population is more than 300,000. Sequoyah, whose English name is George Gist is a mixed blood Cherokee who created the Cherokee alphabet. Wilma Man killer is another well known Cherokee. She was the first woman principal chief of the Cherokee tribe. Other famous Cherokees or mixed blood Cherokees are Miley Cyrus also known as Hannah Montana, her dad Billy Ray Cyrus, Actor Johnny Depp from the movie Pirates Of The Caribbean, civil rights activist Rosa Parks, Elvis Presley and Pinecrest's own Charles S.!

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