Cherokee

1020 Words3 Pages

Cherokee legend says that the Cherokee came from the far away Northwest. This may be true. Centuries ago, people probably did come from Siberia. Some moved further south and became known as the Indians of South America. Many stayed in North America.

The Cherokee lived in Northern Georgia, Eastern Tennessee, and Western North Carolina. Cherokees said that the Great Spirit gave them their land. It was beautiful land. Their territory was in the Appalachian Mountains. It covers eight states. The Cherokee formed one Woodland tribe.

Later, they needed a capital. They started a capital called New Town in Georgia. Then they changed the name to New Echota. They sold plots of land in New Echota and laid out streets.

Most Cherokees lived in log houses in their towns. Some were made out of grass and mud. Wild grasses were used for the roof. They had fireplaces for warmth in the winter. Summer houses were oblong. Men built the houses.

Their only form of transportation was by canoe. They made them by hollowing out a log using hot coals. Then they would scrape the inside of the log with a sharp stone.

The Cherokee raised corn, squash, sweet potatoes, and beans. They also gathered wild plants. Fish were very important. They caught them in traps. They fished in cold mountain streams.

Most clothes were made of animal skins. Skirts were made with hemp plant. Skirts were knee length. They also had cloaks.

The men had many responsibilities. They had to hunt deer and bear. The men used blowguns, spears, and bows and arrows to kill the animals. The men also had to cut down trees to prepare for planting crops. Some other things they did were building houses and making canoes.

Women also had a lot of responsibilities just like the men. They made clothes, planted seed, and harvested crops. Women also had a part of government. They had their own council called "Ghigau" or "Beloved Women". Each clan selected an "honored woman" to attend the yearly.

Children had responsibilities, too. Girls had to pound corn, prepare food, gather nuts, make pots to hold water and meat, and learn household duties by watching their mother. They did errands for their mother and helped care for sisters and brothers. They also assisted in weaving baskets and gardening.

The boys had many jobs, too. They learned to hunt food and older boys and men learned to be warriors. They did things together.

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