Prior to the "Trail of Tears," a small group of Cherokees in western North Carolina had already received permission to be excluded from the move west. More than 4,000 died from cold, hunger, and disease during the six-month journey that came to be known as the "Trail of Tears." Almost 14,000 Cherokees began the trek westward in October of 1838. The Cherokees were taken from their homes, held in stockades, and forced to move to Oklahoma and Arkansas. Those who signed the treaty did not have the authority to represent the entire Cherokee Nation. Numerous injustices against the Cherokee Nation culminated in the signing of the Treaty of New Echota. Political pressure was exerted by President Andrew Jackson to confiscate Indian lands and remove the Cherokees to the West. Gold was discovered on Indian lands in Georgia. Unfortunately, the Cherokees did not enjoy prosperous times for long. A printing press was ordered, the type cast for the cherokee syllabary, and the Cherokee Phoenix was in business. The Cherokee Council passed a resolution to establish a newspaper for their nation. Any person who could speak Cherokee could also read and write it after learning the 86 symbols. There are 86 characters in Sequoyah's syllabary, and each is based on individual syllables in Cherokee works. A constitution and code of law were drawn up for the nation.ĭuring this time, Sequoyah invented a system for writing the Cherokee language. The Cherokee Nation was established with a democratic government composed of a Chief, Vice-Chief, and 32 Council Members who were elected by the members of the tribe. In the early 1800s, the Cherokees began a period of change. The Cherokees were eventually forced to sign over much of their land, first to the British and then to the United States. Desire for these items changed Cherokee life as they began to hunt animals, not just for food, but also for skins to trade.Īs the white population expanded, conflicts arose. The Cherokee readily adopted the tools and weapons introduced by Europeans. Property was passed on according to clan alliance. Marriage was only allowed between members of different clans. Women had an equal voice in the affairs of the tribe. Children took the clan of the mother, and kinship was traced through the mother's family. However, the Chiefs did not rule absolutely, decision making was a more democratic process, with tribal members having the opportunity to voice concerns.Īn 1888 photo of a Cherokee woman holding her child.Ĭherokee society was a matriarchy. Each tribe elected two chiefs-a Peace Chief who counseled during peaceful times and a War chief who made decisions during times of war. The council house was seven-sided to represent the seven clans of the Cherokee: Bird, Paint, Deer, Wolf, Blue, Long Hair, and Wild Potato. These were replaced in later years with log structures.Įach village had a council house where ceremonies and tribal meetings were held. Homes were wooden frames covered with woven vines and saplings plastered with mud. The Cherokee lived in small communities, usually located in fertile river bottoms. By the time European explorers and traders arrived, Cherokee lands covered a large part of what is now the southeastern United States. The Cherokee culture historically was based in hunting, trading, and agriculture. Their history and stories are shared at the Museum of the Cherokee Indian, located in Cherokee, NC Museum of the Cherokee Indian | History, Culture & Stories in NC (mci.org) The Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians has a long and strong connection to the land of Southern Appalachia and what is currently known as Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
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