Cherokee

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Member of an American Indian people who moved from the Great Lakes region to the southern Appalachian Mountains (Virginia, North and South Carolina, Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, and possibly Kentucky); by the 16th century they occupied some 64,000 sq km/40,000 sq mi. Their language belonged to the Iroquoian family. They lived in log cabins in permanent farming settlements. Known as one of the Five Civilized Tribes, they assimilated many white customs. In 1838 they were ousted to Indian Territory (Oklahoma) in a bloody removal known as the Trail of Tears. They are now the largest American Indian group, numbering 281,000 (2000); many live in Oklahoma and North Carolina.

Lifestyle
The Cherokee grew maize (corn), beans, sunflowers, squash (pumpkin), and tobacco. They hunted deer and bear with bows and arrows, and used reed blowguns to kill smaller game. They also ate freshwater fish, roots, nuts, berries, and other wild plants. Their clothes and shoes (moccasins) were made of buckskin. Their crafts included pottery, basketry, and woodcarving. The Cherokee built more than 60 villages, many along riverbanks. The settlements were usually comprised of 30 to 60 log cabins. The cabins were roofed with thatch and windowless. Each village had a large meeting house where the sacred fire was kept burning and where council meetings were held. Most Cherokee, especially the Eastern Band, are now Christian.

Language
The Cherokee language is Iroquoian, and it is still spoken by about half of the Cherokee population. In 1821, a Cherokee scholar, Sequoya, wrote down each sound or syllable in the language in the form of a character, creating 85 characters in the Cherokee syllabary. Most of the Cherokee learned how to read, and by 1828 they were producing their own newspaper, the bilingual (Cherokee-English) Cherokee Phoenix.

Green represents fertility. Yellow stands for sunshine. Black recalls the people's African origins. Red symbolizes the struggle for liberty. Effective date: 19 September 1983. >>