Southeast Cherokee
By: Lindsay Walker
What did they eat?
Agriculture: The Cherokee were farmers, hunters and
gatherers. They grew corn, squash and beans, along with
pumpkin, melons, sunflowers, tobacco, and other crops.
Corn was the most important food. The women made sure
they planted enough crops to provide food for two years.
Hunting & Fishing: The Cherokee were wonderful hunters.
Legend says ... They could hit a fly from 30 feet away. They
did not hunt for sport. The men only hunted what they
needed to feed their families. Every part of the animal was
used. The most important animal for their needs was the
deer. They hunted turtles for food, and used turtle shells
for rattles.
Tools: They made blowguns, bows and arrows, animal
traps, nets to catch fish, and spears.
What kind of government did
they have?
Red Chief, White Chief: The Cherokee lived in villages. Each village had two chiefs - a "white"
chief who led in times of peace, and a "red" chief who led in times of war. Unless the Cherokee
were at war, the war chief had nothing to do except drill and keep himself and his warriors fit.
This was very smart. The Cherokee could response instantly to a war threat with able
leadership.
Village Council: Peace chiefs did not rule alone. They had able council. In peacetime, his righthand and his speaker, along with six other men, helped the chief. These 9 men made up the
Village Council. The Council made important decisions for the village.
Village Council House: The council met in the Council House. The council house was the most
important building in each village. It was large enough to hold all the villagers, including the
children. When the council had an announcement to make, everyone in the village could hear
them.
Role of Women in Cherokee Village Government: Women have always been part of Cherokee
government. Only men were priests and chiefs, but women could offer advice, and later on,
participated as council members when chosen, just like the men.
Cherokee Nation Council: The Cherokee Nation was ruled in the same way. It had a chief and a
council who made decisions for the Cherokee Nation.
What was the village life like?
Village Life: The Cherokee lived in villages. Each village was home to about 400500 people. In each village, there were 30-60 homes, a plaza, a town square,
and a council house large enough to hold all the villagers during a village
meeting. A wall of tall poles tied together surrounded each village. There was a
summer village and a winter village.
Homes: Each family had two homes. These homes were located in the two
different villages, the summer village and the winter village.
Winter Round Homes: Round homes were made of wood, and covered with
mud for additional protection against the cold. Homes had bark roofs. The
homes were decorated with colorful rugs, baskets, and wall hangings. Each
home had a fire burning in the center. Homes had smoke holes at the top to let
out the smoke.
Summer Rectangle Homes: Summer homes were bigger. They were made in
the shape of huge rectangles. Cone shaped roofs were made of bark, covered
with long grass. The house was made with long sticks. These homes were cool
and airy, and let in light.
What were the roles of the men and women?
Roles of Men and Women: In the Cherokee culture, men and women were considered equals.
Cherokee Men: Men cut down trees to clear land for planting. They used the wood to build canoes, homes, and the pole fences
around the villages. They hunted and fished. They made traps, nets, and other tools. They fixed moccasins. Sometimes a man
would move in with his wife's family, and sometimes he might build a home for his wife.
Cherokee Women: The role of Cherokee women in the past was very different than the role of other American women. In the
Cherokee Nation, women were warriors. Women ruled the home. Although the men built the homes, the women owned
them. Women had power over their families, participated in government, and fought as warriors. Very few women had these
rights in Colonial America.
They also did the same jobs as did other Indian women. They were very proud of their colorfully designed baskets. Baskets were
used to gather nuts in the fall, and store goods. The women were the farmers. They planted seed and harvested crops. They
stored food. Young girls pounded corn into flour. Women used the skins of animals to make clothing and other goods. They
also raised the children.
What were the clans like?
7 Clans: The Cherokee Nation was divided into seven clans. A clan is a
family of related people. The seven clans are: Long Hair, Paint,
Bird, Wolf, Wild Potato, Deer, and Blue. When a child was born, he
or she became a member of the mother's clan.
Villages were a mix of clans. This was good because Cherokee law clearly
stated that you could not marry someone from your own clan.
There were many ways to meet people. Villages helped each other.
They got together for local festivals. Relatives visited. Often, there
was a different mix of people in the summer villages than in the
winter villages. Plus, all the clans got together for annual festivals.
There were many chances to meet people from other clans.
What were the rules of marriage?
Marriage
The rules were clear. You could not marry someone from your own clan. But once you
found someone from another clan that you wanted to marry, there were other
rules you had to follow.
First, you had to ask a family member if this was a good decision. You had to get a
positive answer. You might have to hunt through several family members before
you found someone who agreed with you that yes, this would be a good
decision. If you could not find someone to agree with you, then you could not
marry that person.
Second, you had to ask the chief of the woman's village to determine if your marriage
would be a good one. The chief would put two roots in his hand, and say a prayer.
If the two roots moved at the same time, it meant good luck, and yes, you could
marry. If only one root moved, it meant bad luck, and no, you could not marry.
These steps ensured the people in small villages would get along. That was important.
What were the arts & crafts like?
Arts & Crafts
The Cherokee were and are still famous for their art. In olden days, their talent was used
in making clay pots, carved pipes, canoes, masks, rattles, clothing, baskets, and
beads.
Canoes: Canoes were carved from wood. The men first cut a log. They hollowed out the
log by using burning coals from the fire. They scraped the insides with sharp
stones. Canoes were decorated with designs made with burnt sticks and sharp
stones.
Clay Pots: The Cherokee dug clay. They used the clay to make handmade pots. While
the clay was still wet, they decorated the pots with designs made with sticks and
stones. Then pots were baked in the fire to give them strength. They used clay
pots as cooking utensils, liquid holders, and planters. Planters were placed near
their homes and filled with flowers, spices, and food items. No tribe used a
potter's wheel. Everything was shaped by hand.
Carved Pipes: The Cherokee carved pipes from clay, wood, and soapstone. Pipes used in
religion ceremonies and peace ceremonies were carefully decorated. They also
made pipes for everyday use. They smoked tobacco in their pipes.
What were the arts & crafts like?
(cont’d)
Masks & Rattles: In olden days, only the men made masks. Cherokee men carved ferocious masks from wood.
They painted them. Sometimes they added fur decorations. Warriors used these scary masks to make fun of
their enemies. Before a battle, the warriors would dance around wearing scary masks, and laugh and laugh.
This type of mask was called a Booger Mask.
They made rattles to scare away evil spirits, and at the same time, to invite the attention of good spirits. Rattles
were made with turtle shells filled with corn kernels. Some rattles were made from gourds and squashes.
Double Wall Baskets: In olden days, only the women made baskets. Baskets had fancy designs, and were made in
a special way, with double weaving, using river cane, so that they were very sturdy. Designs were handed
down from mother to daughter. Some baskets were painted as well as dyed. The Cherokee created paints
from berry juice, nuts, and roots. Although their baskets added color and gaiety to the appearance of their
homes, they were also useful. Baskets were used for just about everything - to gather the crops, to store
food, to store belongings, to haul.
River Cane Items: The Cherokee used river cane for weaving split dyed gathering baskets, but they also used river
cane for making blow guns, shields, masks, and painted flutes. They were and still are famous for the many
beautiful and useful items they made with river cane.
What were the Cherokee Warriors
like?
Cherokee Warriors
Preparation for Battle: The Cherokee have many traditions. In olden times,
they did not eat before a battle. In preparation for battle, they took a
long bath. They drank special tea. And they danced at the Booger
Ceremony.
Booger Ceremony: The Booger Ceremony was held on the day before a
battle. All the warriors wore the booger masks they had carved. They
danced around and made fun of each other. The masks represented
their enemy. If you are familiar with the stories of Harry Potter, this is
similar to what you do with a Bogart - if you laugh at him, his power is
gone.
Battle Techniques: They fought with other tribes, but they also fought
amongst themselves.
War Parties: They did not have armies. Instead, they had bands of war
parties that each had 5-100 warriors.
Weapons: They used hand-to-hand combat as well as arrows.
What were the Cherokee Warriors
like? (cont’d)
Hit and Run: Their technique was to hit and run. Once they hit, the band scattered in several
directions. You could only chase after a couple of the groups, and the rest could be following,
ready to catch you in a trap. Cherokee enemies soon learned not to follow the scattered band.
Later, the band would regroup and return. Just because they scattered did not mean you had
won.
Traps: The Cherokee were brilliant at setting up traps to lead their enemy into places where they could
be killed without endangering Cherokee warriors. One such trap was to send in slaves and
captives dressed like Cherokee warriors. An enemy army would think they had a Cherokee band
surrounded, when actually, they were the ones being surrounded as they moved in on the fake
Cherokee band.
The Darkening Land: The Cherokee did not like to lose a single warrior. They believed anyone who
killed a Cherokee was a murderer. The Cherokee believed that after a person died, his or her
spirit could not rest until their murderer was captured and killed. The Darkening Land was the
place Cherokee spirits went to rest. The Cherokee believed that torturing captives helped to send
the spirits of dead Cherokee warriors to the Darkening Land. Captives did not have an easy time.
Lucky captives were sold into slavery. Others were first tortured and then burned at the stake.
What was Cherokee Religion like?
Cherokee Religion
The Deer God: The Cherokee worshipped the Deer God. They told him, "We only kill what is
needed to feed our families, and we are sorry." This was important to do. They did not
want the Deer God to be angry with them, or the Deer God might make all the deer
disappear. Just as the buffalo was important to the Plains Indians, the deer was important
to the Cherokee.
Animal Spirits: The Cherokee believed in many animal spirits. They wore animal skins as
clothing so the skills of those animals would be shared with them. They believed
everything in nature had a spirit. They prayed to the spirits for good health.
Medicine Men: The Cherokee medicine men were very skilled. They knew how to use bark to
cure many diseases that the white man's doctors could not cure. They knew how to use
roots to make medicine. Some actually studied with white doctors. The more they knew,
the better they could cure their own people.
Festivals: They held many festivals. Some, like the Green Corn Festival, was held annually. The
Cherokee thanked their gods for their good fortune, and prayed to their gods for
continued good luck.
What was the Indian Removal Act
like?
The Indian Removal Act - The Trail of Tears
The US government passed a law in 1830 called the Indian Removal Act. This allowed
the US government the right to force Indian tribes to vacate their land
and move to reservation lands, geographical areas the government had put
aside for their use. Most Indian tribes did not want to leave their land. It was
their spiritual and physical home. But the government sent in the army to force
tribes to move.
The Cherokee, like other tribes and nations, were told to leave. They had been given
land in Oklahoma. The Cherokee refused to leave. The Cherokee took their case
to the US Supreme Court. And they won! The Supreme Court said the Cherokee
were right - the US government could not force them to move. But President
Andrew Jackson directed the US Army to capture all the Cherokee they could
find and force them to move.
Most Cherokee had to walk the whole way. They walked through rain and cold and
incredible heat. More than 4000 Cherokees died on the journey. That is why this
forced eviction was called "The Trail of Tears."
What are the Cherokees lives like today?
Today, there are over 260,000 Cherokees in the United States. Most
live in Oklahoma. Some still live in the southeastern region of
the United States.
Cherokees are proud of who they are today. They have learned to
change over thousands of years, but still do some of the same
things they used to do hundreds of years ago. For example,
they still weave baskets, go to Cherokee schools and many can
speak the Cherokee language. But they have also learned to
change over time. Today they even play football and own their
own businesses. The Cherokees are after all the Ani-Yun’wiya,
the principal people.
In the time that the Cherokees had there own land, would I consider them a
country?
Yes, I would say that when the Cherokees had their own land,
I would consider them their own country. They had their
own language which they spoke fluently to each other.
They had their own religion which they practiced 24/7.
They had their own set of warriors and weapons which
they made and used. They had their own set of art &
crafts. They had their own rules for marriage. They had
separate clans representing different families. They had
different roles for women and men. They had their own
villages. They had their own government and laws.
They also had their own way of finding, preparing, and
eating food. The Cherokee had their own nation and
their own country until the Americans moved onto their
country and pushed them onto other land.