The Cherokee Nation Part 1

The Cherokee Nation - largest of the Five Civilized Tribes of the Southeast - is a people of Iroquoian lineage.

The Cherokee, who called themselves 'Ani'-Yun' wiya' - 'Principal People' - the 'Keetoowah' - 'people of Kituhwa' - or Tsalagi from their own name for the Cherokee Nation - migrated to the Southeast from the Great Lakes Region. They commanded more than 40,000 square miles in the southern Appalachians by 1650 with a population estimated at 22,500.

The Cherokee Native Americans were a large tribe who lived in the Smokey Mountain region including Virginia, North and South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, and Alabama. Their language came from the Iroquois. The Cherokee were divided into seven clans. People in a clan had to marry outside of his or her clan. Then, the male lived with his wife's family. Before the Europeans came over, they lived together in square houses made of bark, wood, earth, and clay. Later, they lived in log cabins.

Their economy consisted of the cultivation of corn, beans, and squash. Also, hunting and slash-and-burn agriculture was a large part of their economy. Their only domesticated animal was the dog, until the Europeans brought horses over.

The Cherokees held many ceremonies. One of their ceremonies marked the changing of rulers between the Red and White Orginizartion. Another ceremony consisted of nightlong dancing before going to war. After war, they had rituals of purification before they returned to their daily routine.

For leisure, the Cherokees played a game with rackets and a ball. Ritual fasting and bleeding was associated with the game. Along with this they had ceremonies called harvest feast and an observance of the new year.

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