Cherokee culture encompasses our longstanding traditions of language, spirituality, food, storytelling and many forms of art , both practical and beautiful. ... Many Cherokees embrace a mix of both modern and traditional aspects of our culture, and our people today follow many faiths.
What were the Cherokee values and beliefs?
Strong individual character, with integrity, honesty, perseverance, courage, respect, trust, honor and humility . Strong connection with the land and commitment to stewardship of the homelands of the Cherokee.
What was the Cherokees way of life?
The Cherokee lived off a combination of farming, hunting, and gathering . They farmed vegetables such as corn, squash, and beans. They also hunted animals such as deer, rabbits, turkey, and even bears. They cooked a variety of foods including stews and cornbread.
In what culture region did the Cherokee live?
About 200 years ago the Cherokee Indians were one tribe, or “Indian Nation” that lived in the southeast part of what is now the United States . During the 1830's and 1840's, the period covered by the Indian Removal Act, many Cherokees were moved west to a territory that is now the State of Oklahoma.
What are the 3 Cherokee tribes?
They also developed their own writing system. Today three Cherokee tribes are federally recognized: the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians (UKB) in Oklahoma, the Cherokee Nation (CN) in Oklahoma , and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) in North Carolina.
What are Cherokee known for?
Fun Facts about the Cherokee
Sequoyah was a famous Cherokee who invented a writing system and alphabet for the Cherokee language . Cherokee art included painted baskets, decorated pots, carvings in wood, carved pipes, and beadwork. They would sweeten their food with honey and maple sap.
Who is the most famous Cherokee Indian?
- Sequoyah (1767–1843), leader and inventor of the Cherokee writing system that took the tribe from an illiterate group to one of the best educated peoples in the country during the early-to-mid 1800s.
- Will Rogers (1879–1935), famed journalist and entertainer.
- Joseph J.
How do you know if you are Cherokee Indian?
To be recognized as Cherokee, the Nation requires that you find one of your ancestors on the Dawes Rolls . ... The Cherokee Nation requires the roll number listed under your family member's name to recognize your family's Cherokee heritage.
What do the Cherokee call themselves?
According to the Cherokee Nation, the Cherokee refer to themselves as “ Aniyvwiya” meaning the “Real People” or the “Anigaduwagi” or the Kituwah people.
What tribes did the Cherokee interact with?
The Cherokee Indians traded regularly with other southeastern Native Americans, who especially liked to make trades for high-quality Cherokee pipes and pottery. The Cherokees often fought with their neighbors the Creeks, Chickasaws, and Shawnees , but other times, they were friends and allies of those tribes.
Did Cherokee live in teepees?
The Cherokee never lived in tipis . Only the nomadic Plains Indians did so. The Cherokee were southeastern woodland Indians, and in the winter they lived in houses made of woven saplings, plastered with mud and roofed with poplar bark. ... Today the Cherokee live in ranch houses, apartments, and trailers.
How did the Cherokee bury their dead?
To prepare a Cherokee Indian for burial the body is first washed and scented with lavender oil. ... The body is then wrapped in a white cotton sheet and placed into a coffin . An eagle feather is then placed on the body. Cherokees, and most other native American tribes, venerate the eagle is a sacred bird.
How do I prove my Cherokee heritage?
The tribe will send your information to the Bureau of Indian Affairs which will issue you a Certificate of Degree of Indian Blood that certifies your Cherokee tribe affiliation and blood quantum. This certification, otherwise known as a white card, proves Cherokee ancestry.
How much money do you get for being Cherokee Indian?
A Cherokee born today would stand to receive at least $168,000 when he or she turns 18. The tribe pays for financial training classes for both high school students and adults. It is not a requirement that tribal members drawing checks live on the reservation, though approximately 10,000 do.
Who is the richest Indian tribe?
Today, the Shakopee Mdewakanton are believed to be the richest tribe in American history as measured by individual personal wealth: Each adult, according to court records and confirmed by one tribal member, receives a monthly payment of around $84,000, or $1.08 million a year.
What is the Cherokee Blood Law?
It's that matrilineal line that affirms everything about Cherokee identity and also Cherokee law. This Law of Blood was based on the idea that clan members could avenge the deaths or other incidents happening to their kin , and women often made the decisions about how those deaths were to be avenged.
