Cherokee Tribe

Original Location

• Georgia
• North and South Carolina
• Virginia
• Kentucky
• Tennessee
• Some were forced to move to Oklahoma in the Trail of Tears

Original Population

• In the 1670s it was estimated at 50,000

Housing

• Villages were near a river
• Lived in seasonal dwellings
• Made of rivercane and plaster with thatched roofs
• Seven-sided buildings were built for ceremonial purposes

Food

• Cherokees were farming people
• Women harvested crops of corn, beans, squash, and sumflowers, also gathered berries, nuts, and fruit to eat
• Men hunted deer, wild turkeys, and small game and fished in the rivers
• Some foods are cornbread, soups and stews cooked on stone hearths

Clothing

• Men wore breech-cloths and leggings, sometimes wore porcupine roaches and decorated themselves with tribal tattoos
• Women wore wraparound skirts and poncho-style blouses made of woven fiber and deer skin, wore their hair long and wore beaded necklaces and copper armbands
• They didn't wear long headresses

Daily Life

• Children did hunting and fishing with their fathers. They had dolls and toys to play with. They would also help around the house.
• Men were in charge with hunting, war, and diplomacy. They did political decisions and they were chiefs.
• Women were in charge of farming, property, and family. They made social decisions for the clans and were landowners.
• Both did storytelling, artwork, music, traditional medicine.

Transportation

• Used long dugout canoes from hollowed- out logs
• Also used dogs as pack animals

Spiritual Beliefs

• Story telling was a big part of the Cherokee tradition
• Believed in spirits
• Dancing was also a big part of their tradition, there is a famous dance called " the stomp dance"
• They wore many masks
• Also had ceremonies

Arts and Crafts

• Pipe carving, rivercane baskets, gourd art, and pottery
• Other crafts were American Indian beading, textile arts, and beaded Cherokee bandolier bags
• They would also make masks

Other Stuff

• The word Cherokee means 'speakers of another language'
• The Trail of Tears was a terrible time in history for them
• Sequoyah was a famous Indian, he invented the writing system for the Cherokee
• A popular sport was the stick ball game, similar to lacrosse

Today

• Today's population is estimated 72,00 in Oklahoma and 8,000 in North Carolina
• Live in modern houses or apartments
• Use cars and other transportation devices that we use
• Wear modern clothing
• Some descendants still live in Oklahoma today
• They live pretty much like we do right now