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Cherokee Indians
Historical and modern questions about the Cherokee tribe of Native Americans.
2,058 Questions
Picture of Cherokee Indian houses?
Tsalagi (Cherokee) villages normally contained one central building with seven sides used for ceremonial purposes. Surrounding this would be the normal "Asi" (or Wattle) homes. The village would normally include a 'ball field" where they played the original version of a game now known as Lacrosse, as well as a dance circle (sometimes both of these were the same). Some larger villages had wooden palisades (tall wooden walls). It is interesting to note that the homes would all face east, and the dance circle was always entered from the east.
Does the Cherokee tribe live on a reservation?
Like most Indians, some live on reservations and some do not.
The Eastern Band of Cherokee in North Carolina do not live on a reservation (despite the big sign that welcomes visitors). The Eastern Band live on land that was purchased for them by William Holland Thomas, a former Cherokee chief (adopted son of former Chief Yonaguska) in the mid 19th century. The land is held in trust by the United States government. The Western Band in Oklahoma do not have a reservation, they have jurisdiction over 14 counties. The United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee also have a jurisdiction in Oklahoma that is technically not a reservation. Cherokees are also scattered throughout the 50 states and all the world.
How did Sequoyah teach the Cherokee alphabet to his people?
The first real progress for teaching the language was in arkansas. Sequoya first wrote down something that one leader said, and then had his daughter come into the room and read what he had written. This convinced those leaders to allow Sequoya to teach the writing system to them. Sequoya then transcribed a speech by one of these leaders and took it back to the eastern tribes to read it to them. This convinced them that the system should be taught. Officially the Cherokee adopted the language system in 1825.
What are some names of Indians in the tribes of the Trail of Tears?
The Cherokee Indians, as most Native American tribes, do not name their babies when they are born. They give them names as the grow. Some Cherokee Indian baby girl names are Adahy, Aiyanna, Enola, Delsin, Magena, Nita, Nova, and Waki.
Where did the tribes in the Indian removal act go?
When president Andrew Jackson began to move the American citizens into the western regions, he had a problem; that land was inhabited by Native Americans. That didn't stop him. He sent out soldiers to force the Indians off the land by gunpoint. One famous event, was when the Cherokee Nation tried to fight Jackson. They sued America. The case got so big, it was brought up to the Supreme Court. The court ruled Jackson Unconstitutional, and said that the Cherokee did not have to leave. This didn't stop Jackson either. He still force the Cherokee off their homeland of Georgia, into a small piece of present-day Oklahoma with the other tribes. In my opinion, Jackson was a cruel and evil man. His face does not deserve to be printed on the 20 dollar bill. By the way, just a little fun fact: when Jackson was running against John Quincy Adams in 1828, Jackson was known as a democrat. Adams' followers called him a jack*** for his behavior. He liked it so much, he decided that the donkey would be the democrat's mascot. That is the story of how the donkey became the democratic animal of choice.
What were the Cherokee Indians cultural characteristics?
Cherokees are very integrated and diverse. In fact Chief John Ross was only 1/8th Cherokee. They value a lot more than blood relations. It is one of the only nations to recognize all types of People. Check out the census rolls to see just how many Whites, slaves and Freed slaves lived on Cherokee territory since the 1800's.
What was the first Cherokee Indian tribe?
We learned about these people in 3rd grade. They are a tribe of course, they used to live in Colorado.
What is the meaning of a wolf to the Cherokee Indians?
Wolf - Wolf is the animal guide of true teachers. Wolves are connected to the moon and feminine energy. They are predatory and define themselves in relation to other people of their "pack" (even a "lone wolf" is defined by her or his distance from the pack). Like Dog totem, Wolf is loyal to family and people they consider their own. Wolf guides are very common today - increasingly so as wolves in the wild become more threatened.
Why might we think the Cherokees were successful farmers?
People wouldn't steal from them if they weren't
Did the Cherokee Indians have cattle?
Yes, after the introduction of cattle from settlers the Cherokee began to keep cattle, sheep, chickens and other domesticated food stock animals.
How do you translate from English to native American Cherokee Indian?
Ekwáni or uweyv?i
(v = uh like in huh, ? = glottal stop)
Who were the white people involved with the Trail of Tears?
The whites involved in the Trail of tears would have been the soldiers who accompanied and initiated the migration, and the settlers and government officials who ignored the Supreme Court and required the migration.
What were Cherokee Indians traditional clothes?
Historically the bride and groom would dress in their 'finery' - what today you would call your Sunday Best. This would be animal skin clothing, hand worked beading, and things of this nature.
Can I get money for being an American Indian?
* You first must be a member of the tribe, * Contact your local tribal leadership about a grant (depending on the project you are interested in) * Submit the grant proposal to the tribal leaders * Wait for them to approve it * Wait for the BIA (US Government to approve that approval) * Hope you are still young enough to carry out the project.
How the Cherokee Indians become the Cherokees?
The Cherokees wore very unique clothes. The women wore sleeveless dresses, made of deer skin that were belted at the waist and pinned at the breast. The men wore breechcloths made of deer skin. They wore belts until they were married. The men colored their bodies with paint or tattoos and wore earrings made out of stones or bones. The young children were naked in the warmer months. All of the Cherokee wore moccasins. As you can see, the Cherokee Indians used animals for pretty much everything!
FoodThe Cherokee Indians farmed, hunted, and gathered. The women grew beans, squash, corn, sunflowers, melons, and pumpkins. They gathered nuts, roots, and fruit. The women also made Brunswick stew made of game, (squirrel, turkey, or rabbit) tomatoes, corn, and beans. The men fished and hunted. They hunted mostly bear, turkey, and rabbit with blow guns. The Cherokee used poison to stun the fish and then they just picked the biggest one out of the water.
Games & Entertainment
The Cherokee played many games. They played a game call A-ne-jo-di (stickball) that is like lacrosse. The sticks were made of hickory, and the ball was made from deer hide. They also played a game called Di-ga-da-yo-s-di (marbles). The marbles were chipped from stone the size of billiard balls. The fields were 100 ft. long with 5 holes that formed an L shaped object. They had to throw the balls into the holes. The Cherokee hade lots of instruments such as, the water drum, river cane flute, turtle shell "rattles". They also had a trumpet that was made of buffalo horns, longneck gourds, or conch shells. The most important instrument was the drum. As you can see the Cherokee Indians liked music and games.
Cherokee Today
The Cherokee tribe is still around today! Most of the Cherokee live in Oklahoma. The Cherokee also live in North Carolina, and their language is still the same and taught in schools and church services. The tribe in Oklahoma owns an electronics store, many casinos, and a golf course. The Cherokee tribe is still growing. Wilma Mankiller was the first woman chief. The Cherokee tribe rules!!
Houses
The Cherokee Indians lived in wigwams and longhouses. The towns had 30-60 houses. All of them were mud covered lodges. The families lived in homes made of logs roofed with split cedar logs. They had special houses for religious and political meetings called stockades. The stockades were similar to a fort but had no gate. There were overlapping fences at the entrance. As you can see the Cherokee really used their natural resources.
Legends and Customs
The Cherokee Indians told many stories. Some of these stories are The First Fire, Legend of the Ballgame between the Birds and the Animals, and Why the Mole Lives Underground. They told these stories for entertainment and to explain about nature. They had a lot of traditional ceremonies. On the first new moon of spring they celebrated the new growing season. Ten days after the first moon of fall, was the Cherokee New Year. On the Cherokee New Year they had a feast, burned old clothing, and lit a new fire in the council house. All of the Cherokee legends and customs were about nature.
Richest Indian tribe in the US?
That would be most likely the Mashatunket, Pequot tribe in Connecticut. They own and operate the world's largest and most successful ( and gorgeous) casino. It is now a mile long. Incidentally, before they built the casino, they were also one of the very poorest tribes on the entire eastcoast.
What type of homes did Blackfeet Indians live in?
describe the geography of the area the blackfoot lived in
What did the Cherokee live in?
Log cabins. The Cherokee did not live in, and never have lived in, tipis.
How did the Shawnee tribe make there tools?
they made there tools with wood and sometimes buffalo skin.
What clothes did the native americans wear in the first thanksgiving?
The native Americans more than likely wore some form of tanned hides in forms of shirts, dresses, etc. They may have decorated their hair and clothes with bones and feathers of animals they hunted. Some may have had beads and metal accessories from previous trading.
Why did Indians put mud on their houses?
If you are talking about Native American Indians... we put mud on our houses to insulate the home. These are called "mud" homes (some tribes call them "Adobe" houses).... I have lived in one years ago... It was very warm in the winter and cool in the summer and it keeps the bugs out : )
Which was the goal of the Indian Removal Act of 1830 please Help.?
A.
to move Indian tribes west so white settlers could take their land
B.
to move Indian tribes to reservations in Florida and Georgia
C.
to move Indian tribes to Canada so they could hunt freely
D.
to move Indian tribes off the Great Plains to protect buffalo herds
What are fringes on American Indian clothes for?
They aid in shedding water, rain from the garment.
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Decoration, possible ceremonial purposes or honor in battle.
They were also aesthetically pleasing, they had a kinetic effect in motion that appealed to the Native Americans and, leather fringe also served a useful function as handy strips of leather available to sew up a busted moccasin, a torn seam, or to tie things together when you were in the field.
