The Cherokee tribe, which has three hundred thousand members, alongside 800 thousand individuals with the tribe’s ancestry heritage scattered across the US, is ranked as one of the foremost and largest Indigenous peoples tribes in the US.
Since the 19th Century, when the Cherokee began to federally reorganize the tribe, many marvelous details and controversies about the tribe have been unearthed.
But what fascinating details about the tribe exist?
We review the history, culture, and facts of the unique indigenous peoples’ tribe.
Cherokee Tribe History
The Cherokee tribe was among the multiple Indigenous peoples’ settlements that thrived across Northern America before any interaction with the Europeans.
However, in late May 1540, a Spanish expedition led by Hernando de Soto led his party through territories belonging to the tribe, which cut across present-day Georgia and Tennessee.
This represents the tribe’s first interaction with Europeans.
The first hint to the rapid change in lifestyle and stability the Cherokee Nation has enjoyed for years which interaction with Europeans would bring, soon became obvious after diseases from the Spanish expeditions parties and their animals led to the death of multiple Indigenous tribes members, including the Cherokee.
The Spanish contact with the tribe ended after the Spaniards suffered a devastating defeat during a violent encounter between both parties over the Spanish establishment of fort bases in the tribe’s territories.
17th Century
Historians believe that the Cherokee were the tribe driven by the British colonists.
In the mid-17th Century, the tribe, who had now extended territory to the southern Appalachian Mountains, which covered 40,000 square miles (present-day eastern Tennessee, western North Carolina, and South Carolina), began encountering English.
The English soon chased the tribe from the occupied territory after a year of residing in the areas. Encounters with English colonizers often led to the encroachment of territories with disputed ownership by both parties.
This eventually led to the Virginia Colony disturbance in 1657, which saw several Native American tribes settling in the Fall of the James River (present-day Richmond, Virginia).
Interaction with Europeans did not only result in bloodshed but also the advancement of economic activities.
The English contact with the tribe established a small-scale trading system with Virginian traders.
18th Century
By the 18th Century, relations with the British had stabilized, and partnerships and alliances had been forged.
One clear instance pointing to this occurred between 1710 and 1715 when the Cherokee and Chickasaw tribes’ joint efforts successfully drove away the Shawnee tribe (the Shawnee were granted sanctuary in the tribe’s territory in the 1660s), who had forged partnerships with the French.
The 17th Century saw increased friendly ties between the tribe and the British. Hostilities did not only occur between the tribe and Europeans but also between other indigenous tribes, such as the Creeks.
Aside from uniting on the battlegrounds, the tribe was esteemed as a valuable trading partner to the colonist due to the superior value of their deer skin at the height of the deerskin trade.
The peaceful and successful relations between the British colonists and the Native American tribe culminated in the appointment of Moytoy of Tellico as the Emperor of the tribe by Alexander Cunning, a representative of the British Crown.
The strategic appointment of a Cherokee tribesman with no reservations against the British colonial efforts proved to be decisively positive for the British, who soon earned the appraisal of the tribe after English King George II of Great Britain was named Protector of the tribe.
That also led to the signing of the Treaty of Whitehall by the Cherokee tribe with the British.
Despite the appointment of an emperor, the political dynamics of the tribe were mainly decentralized as various villages took autonomous decisions.
By the 1730s, tragedy in the form of smallpox befell the tribe, resulting in the death of half the population of the Indigenous peoples’ tribe.
The staggering loss further led many members of the tribe to resort to suicide, reducing the size of the tribe.
The 1750s were the start of a tumultuous period for the tribe, who had to battle with the Muscogee rival Trimble and ally themselves with the British in the French and Indian War.
In 1760, the long-standing peaceful British-Cherokee relations came to a sudden end over misunderstandings between the two sides, leading to the Anglo-Cherokee war.
The 1770s featured the tribe battling other rival tribes over territories in what is now known as the second Cherokee War or the Cherokee-American War.
The War saw the allied Cherokee-Shawnee tribe attack settlers in present-day Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia.
The series of battles between the American Indian tribes and Americans who had gained Independence from the British Crown came to an end with the signing of the first Treaty of Tellico Blockhouse in November 1794.
This resulted in the secession of tribe lands in Duck rivers and Cumberland to Tennessee in 1805.
The 19th Century saw the rapid civilization of the tribe thanks to efforts put in place by George Washington.
This period saw the Cherokee Syllabary’s development and the tribe’s society rapid literalization.
This progress culminated in the Cherokee constitution, modeled after the US constitution, and the establishment of the first American Indian newspaper, the Cherokee Phoenix, in February 1828.
After the secession of lands to Tennessee, bringing an end to the breakdown in relations with the Americans, the American Indian tribes relocated to the present-day states of Texas, Arkansas, and Missouri.
A few Cherokee tribes also established territories in the US state of Georgia, but this soon became a major contention between Georgia and the Cherokee tribe.
The discovery of Gold in Georgia soon made calls for the removal of the tribe from tribal lands gain support.
With the election of President Andrew Jackson, those calls gained ardent support in the top echelon of the US government.
These calls thus materialized in the passing of the 1830 Indian Removal Act by congress.
Despite much resistance through legal avenues by the tribe, about 16,000 tribe members were relocated forcibly from territories by 7,000 state militia and federal troops between 1838-1839.
The migration of the tribe, known in historic terms as the Trails of Tears, saw the tribe march 800 miles across four US states while suffering from starvation, exposure, and diseases.
These conditions led to the death of 4000 tribe members.
The US Civil saw the allegiance of the tribe divided between the Union and the Confederates.
However, with the end of the Civil War, they had to sign a new Treaty agreeing to the terms of the emancipation of all slaves.
19th Century – Present Day
The 19th Century saw a significant change in the Cherokee tribe’s social dynamics.
With the inclusion of Oklahoma as a part of the Union in 1907, the tribe became part of the US.
Two policies of the US government contributed a great deal to these, the Dawes act, which broke territories owned by the tribe to individual families, and the Curtis Act of 1898, which dissolved all of the tribe’s government, schools, laws, courts, and other institutions.
Removing these institutions made the Indian territory part of Oklahoma state, where they were now settled.
Following their acceptance into the US, the tribe faced segregation because of their categorization as “colored.”
They could not enforce their constitutional rights due to Jim Crow policies.
However, with the passing of the civics rights legislation during the Civil Rights Movement, they soon began to enjoy the privileges entitled to all US citizens.
The lands belonging to the Cherokee Nation in Oklahoma were granted reservation status by the US Supreme Court 2020 ruling declaring the land as American Indian land jurisdiction.
Cherokee Tribe Culture
Religion
The American Indian tribe had a religion based on the belief that the universe comprises the Upper World, the Middle World, and the Under World.
The Upper is believed to be where the spirits of their ancestors and dead animals dwell, while the bad spirit was believed to thrive in the Under World.
The Middle World played host to all living beings and spirits, and the peace in the Middle World could be disrupted by the Under World spirit, but balance could be restored with the intervention of the Upper World spirit.
The tribe also firmly believed that animals, plants, rivers, and mountains possess spiritual powers.
This influenced their dealings with nature, as they were conscious of their environmental needs, which they believed could maintain peace and balance on earth.
Before going to War, the tribe often performed special ceremonies to ask spirits in the Middle World for guidance and assistance.
This was also common during sickness or before a hunting expedition.
Routine ritual purification within the tribe was believed to maintain spiritual balance in the tribe.
The tribe also performed a ritual similar to baptism, where a shaman would immerse the tribesmen in water.
This ritual represents the rebirth of the individuals.
The spiritual beliefs of the tribr guided their choices in every facet of life. During hunting raids, they killed only what they required, as they believed excessive animal killings would disrupt the balance of nature.
Asking for forgiveness after killing animals was also common among the Cherokee tribe members.
Gender Roles
The men in the tribe’s society were tasked with the physical rigors of survival, such as hunting, fighting, and making choices concerning the nation’s politics.
Women were reserved less demanding roles such as family care, property care, farming, and making choices that affected the social dynamics of the tribe.
Women in the tribe’s society could be landowners, and since the social dynamics of the society were matrilineal, women determined social status as properties were passed down through maternal lineage.
Clothing
Men in the tribe wore leggings and breechcloths made from deerskin and shaved their hair while leaving a long scalp lock.
Women, however, wore moccasins, deerskin dresses, and skirts.
However, with the integration of Europeans into their society, clothes such as skirts and blouses became popular among the tribe’s women.
Their society also featured the beautiful art of weaving.
The tribe excelled at various arts, they as River cane basket weaving, pipe carving, pottery, and gourd art.
Following their forceful relocation to Oklahoma, the inability to find materials to continue weaving made the tribe begin making textiles and beadworks, such as quilts and blankets.
Music
Music was a fundamental part of the tribe’s culture, as it was used in almost all social functions of the tribe.
The tribe sang when making gratitude to the earth during religious and healing rituals and moments of thanks for bountiful harvests.
Melodies from flutes, handmade drums, and rattles often accompanied songs. It was not uncommon for the tribe to engage in dancing while singing during ceremonies.
Dances in the tribe feature grand costumes, such as the Beaver Dance, Eagle Dance, and Bear Dance costumes.
One of the most important dances revered by the tribe was the Stomp Dance, which was often held immediately after a game of stickball, or Anejodi, as the tribe called it.
Cherokee Tribe Facts
1. The tribe’s settlements were typically located near rivers.
A typical Cherokee tribe settlement was made up of about 60 houses near a River and a large house that was the venue of council, political, and religious assemblies.
The tribe evolved from using mud and river canes in building houses to building cabins and log houses following the arrival of the Europeans.
2. The tribe has a National seal created in 1869.
The Cherokee national seal consists of seven stars representing the seven clans of the tribe, placed in a wreath of leaves.
The seal also contains the words “Cherokee Nation, September 6, 1839,” which was the date the tribe’s constitution followed the forceful removal of the Indians from their territories.
3. Stanley John designed the Cherokee tribe flag
The Cherokee Tribal Council approved the tribe flag created by Stanley John on October 9, 1978.
The flag contains the seal of the Cherokee Nation, surrounded by seven stars.
An additional place is placed on the upper right-hand corner of the flag in remembrance of the tribe members who died during the Trail of Tears.
4. Cherokee Nation celebrates September 6 as a national holiday.
Annually the Cherokee Nation celebrates September 6 as a national holiday to remember the Cherokee National Constitution signing in 1839.
The celebration features a parade, a State of CJ the Union address from the Cherokee Nation Chief, concerts, and traditional games.
The celebration, held in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, attracts thousands of visitors
5. The Cherokee tribe is the largest American Indian tribe in the US.
With about 300,000 members, the tribe is the largest Native American tribe in the US.
The tribe members are from the three federally recognized tribes under the Cherokee Nation, namely the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians based in Oklahoma, North Carolina’s Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, and Oklahoma Cherokee Nation.
6. The first Indigenous peoples’ newspaper to be published was in the Cherokee language.
The Cherokee Phoenix is the first Native American newspaper language newspaper to be published and the first newspaper to be published by Native Americans.
The paper was first released on February 12, 1828, but ceased publishing in 1834.
However, it was revived in the 20th Century, and it is currently available on the internet and in print version.
7. The Cherokee Tribe had the first written Native American language.
Written Cherokee was the first written syllabic form of the American Indian language.
The language was developed by one of the tribe’s member, Sequoyah, who lacked reading or writing skills.
The writing system created by Sequoyah had 86 symbols, which represent various syllables.
Once the value of the Sequoyah invention dawned on the tribe leaders, they endorsed the writing system, and within six months, 25% of the tribe could read and write in written Cherokee.
Three years after the introduction of the written Cherokee, the tribe had more people who could read and write in Cherokee than their neighbors could in English.
Conclusion
Being the largest Native American tribe in the US, the Cherokee Nation’s travails both in past and present times are seen by many as a notable point of reference in the dramatic and historic evolution of the tribe from the days of pre-European and post-European interaction.
The ordeals of the tribe, as seen in the various historical events of the tribe, have significantly helped shape the perception of Indigenous peoples tribes in the World today.
