Cherokee

Introduction - (SLL-KaylynnM)
It comes from a Muskogee word meaning 'speakers of another language.' Cherokee Indians originally called themselves Aniyunwiya, "the principal people." The Cherokees are original residents of the American southeast region, particularly Georgia, North and South Carolina, Virginia, Kentucky, and Tennessee. Most Cherokees were forced to move to Oklahoma in the 1800's along the Trail of Tears. Most Cherokee people speak English today; however, Cherokee is a complex language with soft sounds. The Cherokee language has an innovative writing system that was invented by the Cherokee scholar Sequoyah. Sequoia’s writing system is a **syllabary.** That means one character represents each syllable. Today, many Cherokee people use a modified English alphabet instead of the syllabary Sequoyah invented, because it is easier to type.



Habitat/Homes - (OSL-Connor)
The Cherokee Indians had homes that were very different from us today. The Cherokee homes were in villages located next to rivers. This tribe made their houses out of river cane and plaster. The homes had thatched roofs. These homes were as warm as a log cabin. They were also really strong. It doesn’t sound like these houses were movable. The Cherokees also built larger buildings for ceremonies and other things. These buildings had reinforced walls so that they would be protected. Within there villages they had fields and benches that were used for a sport they liked to play called lacrosse. The Cherokee Indian tribe lived in the east and the west. A lot of the Cherokee Indians lived in the Tennessee area along with other tribes. They also lived in the Appalication Mountains. Their climate they had was warm in the summer and mild in the winter. The plants they had were edible good for medicine and useful for lots of things. The Cherokee Indian tribe had their climate, habitats, and vegetation different from ours.



Dress -(OSL-Connor)
Clothing was mostly made of fibers, deerskins, buckskins, eagle feathers and porcupine quills. They were masters at weaving and at beadwork. They ware headdresses, belts ,fur jackets and other clothing. The women ware skirts and leggings. The warriors ware special decorated shirts.This is the clothing of the Cherokee.

Food - (SLL-JonW)
The Cherokee were farmers, hunters, gathers, and fishers. They would plant corn, squash, beans, pumpkins, melons, sunflowers, tobacco, and other crops. Corn for the Cherokee was the most important crop, and the women would plant enough corn for 2 years. The Cherokee were also hunters and fishers. They would not just hunt for sport. They would only hunt for what needed for their family. The Cherokee would use every part of the animal. Their most important food was the deer. They would hunt turtles, and they would make the shells into rattles.

The Cherokee would hunt bear, rabbit, elk, deer, and turtles. From the animals they would use the meat, skins, and the bones. From the bear they hunted they would use it for trading, food, and tools. From the animal bones they would make tools and hunting equipment. The women would tend the gardens and the women would do the hunting. For fishing they would make nets and other traps for catching fish.

**A Cherokee Recipe**

[|**CHEROKEE CLUB'S FAMOUS HUSH PUPPIES**] Boil onions in water until tender, about 15 minutes. Mix dry ingredients well. With the water at a full rolling boil, pour dry ingredients in a small ...

Customs - (SLL-JonW)
The Cherokee indians believe in gods and one of the names af them was the Deer god. They would only kill deer for there family because they there god would get angry with them. There medicine mans used bark for there medicines. The medicines could heal the diseases that the white men’s medicines couldn’t heal. They wanted to know more about medicine so they could heal more of there people. The Cherokee thought that if they wore animal skins they would get that skill of the animal. The Cherokee hosted festivals like the Green Corn festival. At the festival they would thank the gods for good fortune and luck.  **Men's and Women's Roles**
 * Cherokee gods**

In the Cherokee Indian tribe they thought men and women are considered equals. The men’s role in the tribe was to cut down trees for farming. They would use the wood for building canoes, homes, and pole fences around the village. They would hunt and fish. The men would make traps, nets, and other tools for the tribe. Sometimes the men would move in with the family and build a house for them. The women’s role in the family was to do the farming. The women would become warriors. They ruled over the house and the family, and raised the children. They would work in the government. The young women would pound the corn into flour. The women would make the animal skins into cloths and goods.  **Cherokee Ceremonies**

One of the Cherokee’s ceremonies was the Ripe Corn ceremony. They held the ceremony in late September. The ceremony celebrated the maturing of the corn, and was held outdoors in the square ground. At the ceremony they would put a leafy tree in the ground. It would last 4 days. While the festival they would feast. During the ceremony the chiefs rig ht hand man would perform a special dance. While the chief’s right hand man was dancing he would be holding a green bough. After the right hand man was dancing all the men would start to dance and the women would have to be excluded from the square.

**Cherokee Childrens Games** The Cherokee Indian parents would give their son’s and daughter’s dolls to play with. They would make the dolls out of cornhusk, palmetto, and bundled pine needles. The Cherokee women would carry their babies on a cradle board which would be on their back if they traveling.



Tool and Weapons - (SLL-KaylynnM)


Hunters used bows, arrows, and blowguns to shoot game. Fisherman used spears and fishing poles. Warriors fired arrows and fought with a melee weapon like tomahawk, or spears. They also used stone adzes chand axes for skinning animals, wooden hoes for farming, and pots and baskets for storing corn. Some of the tools that the Cherokee built were carved pipes, canoes, pots, masks and rattles, double wall baskets, and river cane items. The way they made the canoes by first the me n have to cut down a tree. Second they have to hollow them out by taking coals from a fire and setting them in the log, and scrape the inside with a sharp stone. Finally they put designs on the canoe with a burnt stick and a sharp stone. Another thing they make is carved pipes. They would make the pipes out of clay, wood, and soapstone. They would use the pipes in peace ceremonies. They would also smoke tobacco in them. The Indians would also make clay pots. The Indians did not use potter’s wheel because they made them by hand. They would decorate them with stones and sticks. The Cherokee would use them for cooking, utensils, liquid holders, and planters. They baked them in a fire to keep them together. They make them while they were still wet. They sometimes if they were planters they would put in flowers, spices, and food items.