The
Cherokee Nation

The Cherokee were displaced from their ancestral lands in North Georgia and the Carolinas because of rapidly expanding white population, as well as a Gold Rush around Dahlonega.

The Cherokee lived in houses made of plaster and river cane walls with thatched roofs. They also built larger seven sided buildings for ceremonial purposes. Sometimes the villages in which the Cherokee lived had reinforced walls to guard against attack.

Cherokee clothing and hairstyle was interesting. Men usually cut their hair in Mohawk style or shaved it completely except for a single scalp lock, and sometimes would also wear a porcupine roach. Women wore their hair long, except during the mourning occasions they kept it short to express their condolences.

The Cherokee have the tradition of tribal tattoo art. Men tattooed their faces and bodies extensively and painted themselves with bright colors in times of war, but unlike in other tribes,

Cherokee women didn't paint or tattoo themselves. Today in fact many youngsters have developed an interest in tattoos, flaunting it especially with their name, a family or clan name, a kinship term, or an animal they feel a connection with. Cherokee men wore breechcloths with leather pant leggings and the women wore wraparound skirts with poncho style blouses.

Both men and women wore moccasins. The style statement though went in a little change when they encountered Europeans and introduced European costume in their style which included long braided or beaded jackets, cotton blouses and full skirts decorated with ribbon appliqué, feathered turbans, and the calico tear dress.

Wondering how was the transportation in those days? The Cherokee Indians made long dugout canoes from hollowed-out logs, which were paddled. There were no horses in North America until colonists brought them over from Europe, so the Cherokees used dogs to help them carry their belongings over land.

Men and women had substantially divided their work. Men hunted turkeys, deer and went for fishing, while women engaged themselves in farming and harvesting crops of corn, beans, squash, and sunflowers. Cherokee dishes included cornbread, soups, and stews cooked on stone hearths.

The Cherokee were known for their pipe carving, river cane baskets, gourd art, and pottery.

After moving to Oklahoma, the Cherokee couldn't get the materials they used for their traditional crafts, so they concentrated more on other crafts such as beadwork and textile arts.

The Cherokee language. It is a very musical language with an innovative writing system that was invented by the Cherokee scholar Sequoyah. This writing system is a syllabary which means that each character represents a consonant and a vowel.

Cherokee Indian culture may not be in its full bloom today, but some people are still trying to restore its rich heritage.