Introduction
This research paper intends to investigate the aspects of life today as a Cherokee Indian, including the background of the various tribes, some information about their seven clans, their religious beliefs, tribal ceremonies still practiced, the way they live day-to-day, their situation in today’s United States, and more. The intention is to gain a rounded view of the life of the Cherokee as part of America’s society.
Historical Background
According to “History of the Cherokee Indians” (2011), the Cherokee were once part of the Iroquois. That claim was backed up by Watkins’ article “The History of the Cherokees (n.d.), published on the San Jose State University (Department of Economics) website, in which the author mentioned the linguistic links between the languages of the Cherokees and the Iroquois. That suggested such origins. Watkins also mentioned that the Iroquois were originally based in what in today’s U.S. is the upper part of the state of New York, and that the relocation by the Cherokee to the southern Appalachians may have been instigated by defeat in battle. The Cherokee are a tribe comprised of seven clans and lived according to a family structure in which inheritance was through the mother’s side (matrilineal). They were hunter gatherers, although the women were engaged in farming in that they grew food crops such as sweet potato, maize, and squashes. In the early 1700’s there were an estimated 10,000 Cherokee living in some 30 villages in South Carolina, although an epidemic killed about half of them in 1738. Other traditional Cherokee territories included present day northern parts of Georgia, the eastern part of Tennessee, and parts of both North and South Carolina.
A stormy period in their history between 1756 and circa 1780, involved wars with other Indian tribes and between the French and the British, during which they either sold or gave up much of their lands, then began to take on board American lifestyle, including living in conventional houses. However, following the discovery of gold on their lands in Georgia they were all eventually forcibly relocated to Oklahoma; about 25 percent of them (some 4,000) dying on the long and arduous journey.
The “History of the Cherokee Indians” (2011) article described how in total there were about 100,000 Indians of several tribes (“Cherokee, Chickasaw, Seminole and Choctaw”) who survived the cold, the hunger, and the smallpox outbreaks that killed so many on that long and difficult journey lasting some six months, that became known as the “Trail of Tears.”
The Cherokee Today
Strickland (2007) published for the Oklahoma Historical Society an article entitled “Cherokee” in which he reported that there were currently some 240,000 members of the Cherokee Nation in Oklahoma, representing the “direct, lineal descendant of the sovereign tribal government that presided over much of the southeastern United States before European colonization.” He also noted that most of them now live in 14 of the counties in the northeast of Oklahoma, which also happen to be within the boundaries of the original 1835 treaty lands. They are one of three recognized Cherokee groupings. The other two are the “United Keetoowah Band” – also in Oklahoma – and the “Eastern Band” based in North Carolina. In addition to those three major groups, there are other Cherokee residing in various parts of the U.S., although according to Strickland most of them have formally enrolled as part of the Cherokee Nation.
Strickland reported that the Cherokee – having previously purchased tribal lands and set up tribal government and business enterprises including gambling – are currently enjoying a revival of both their economy and their culture. Since 1970 they have been empowered to select their own chiefs through elections and are progressively relying less and less on either federal or state assistance. They are increasingly able to return to their own tribal values which are centered around family and friends, and once again have “a sense of being a people with a place and mission.” Compared with earlier times in their history when they were persecuted and driven from their traditional homelands, they are nowadays generally in a much better situation, not only integrated into American society but being in receipt of special consideration specifically because they are Cherokee.
Strickland’s article also noted that as at the beginning of this century, there were between 10,000 and 15,000 Cherokee still able to speak their native language. The Cherokee Nation was northeast Oklahoma’s second biggest employer, and was actively preserving their culture by providing courses in their language and tribal history. They have also built a university, restored some of the tribal properties, all the while giving the tribes and tribal members a stronger financial base and greater independence. It could be said that compared with other ethnic minorities in the U.S. they are doing very well indeed.
Cherokee Culture
An article of the above title (2008) noted that although the culture differs in detail between clans or groups of Cherokee, and even between families and individuals, the information provided is generally applicable to most of today’s Cherokee peoples.
Arts and Crafts: The Cherokee are known as quality basket makers, using various natural materials including cane, oak, hickory and even honeysuckle. The baskets are often dyed using natural dyestuffs. They also carve soapstone, weave cloth, create elaborate masks, work metal, make pottery and fine beadwork. They are also well known for making “star” quilts.
Burial Customs: Cherokee burials were just that – the dead were buried in the ground, aligning with the Cherokee belief that as plants provide food for animals and that the animals and the plants provide food for people, then people should be returned to the earth after their death to feed the plants, completing the cycle – usually the day following the death.
Clothing: Whilst Cherokee people used to wear traditional costumes, nowadays they wear “conventional” clothing, although the traditional items are put on for ceremonial occasions such as “Cherokee powwow dancing.”
Government: The modern Cherokee government comprises three branches: there is a “principal chief” a legislative body known as the “Tribal Council” and to dispense justice there is a tribunal consisting of three justices (judges).
Sacred Plants: All plants are important to the Cherokee, including their three staple food crops which are “corn, beans and squash” which are referred to as the “three sisters.” Also each of the seven Cherokee clans has their own sacred wood, as below:
Significant Numbers: Four and seven are numbers that have special significance for the Cherokee. Their emblem is the seven-pointed star.
Cherokee Jobs
According to an article on the North Carolina History Project website, entitled “Cherokee Indians” (2013), many of today’s Cherokee work in business or are employed as teachers or in health care services, while others carry on the traditional Cherokee crafts or work as historians.
Cherokee Religion and Tribal Ceremonies
Raley (1998) published “Maintaining balance: The religious world of the Cherokees” in which she described how to the Cherokee we all lived in the Middle World. Above us was the Upper World, home to the good spirits who watched out for us and could move between the Upper and Middle Worlds when needed to help us out and to maintain a proper balance on Earth. Then below us was the Under World – home of bad spirits who were associated with “disorder and disaster.” Those spirits could reach the Middle World via bodies of water including springs or through deep caves. When troubles occurred that could be attributed to them, the Cherokee would call on the Upper World spirits to come down to Middle World to “restore balance and harmony.”
In the eyes of the Cherokee, according to Raley, every single thing in their environment possessed its own spirit that was not only intelligent but was important in the Cherokee myths and in their daily lives. The Cherokee actually viewed themselves as part of the environment itself, and – in common with other native tribes – attempted to keep their due place within nature rather than attempting to control it. For example, a healer would “listen” to a plant’s spirit to determine its healing power, or a hunter would seek guidance and/or forgiveness from the spirits of the animals he killed. The Cherokee also understood and practiced conservation, for example harvesting only one out of every four useful wild plants they encountered, preserving the others for the future. In short, they believed strongly in preserving the balance of the world in which they lived. They also believed that upsetting the balance of nature would lead to a multitude of problems, so should be avoided, and that the human race had the responsibility to preserve that balance, on behalf of all animals and plants.
Today many Cherokee have converted to Christianity, due to the influence of the missionaries and contact with Christian settlers. However, their values and some of their traditions persist. In addition to their beliefs regarding the balance of nature, Raley reported that the Cherokee religion involved participating in prayers on a daily basis, performing various rituals, and holding ceremonies that were dictated according to the seasons, all to maintain the proper order of things on Earth. Rituals included one known as “going to water”, which was performed on numerous occasions, such as “at the new moon, before special dances, after bad dreams, or during illnesses.” This ritual still persists. It involves facing east at sunrise, stepping into a body of water such as a creek, then dipping under seven times. The act was supposed to cleanse a person of bad feelings and allow them to start again with a clear mind. Another ritual that is still enacted is called the “Green Corn” ceremony, performed every year at harvest time. In the first part of the ceremony, unused corn from the last harvest is burned. Then the “sacred council fire” normally kept alight in each town throughout the year is extinguished and a new one is lit. The community then give thanks and offer forgiveness to each other for any quarrels and crimes (murder is an exception) in the past year, followed by the women (the farmers in Cherokee tradition) presenting the first of the corn from the current harvest, at the start of a celebratory feast.
Benefits of Being Cherokee
Tsai (2007) published an interesting article entitled “Cherokee Perks” that provided readers with some surprising advantages to being a Cherokee today. Much of the information included in the content of her article would perhaps be unfamiliar to most readers. For example, that Cherokee people (and other Native American tribes) can obtain free health care at clinics or hospitals operated and run by the tribes, and funded by the Indian Health Services. In addition, the tribe’s own housing organization is able to help Cherokee people buy and / or refurbish homes using resources provided by government funding.
There is also funding available for scholarships. Cherokee college students can benefit by up to $1000 per semester, and about 90 percent of those who apply (circa 2,000 annually) receive the benefits on offer. Students intending to work in either Cherokee-owned and run casinos or hospitals can receive full scholarships. That casino industry really is big business with over 6,000 people employed. Cherokee applicants (by law) have first priority for jobs in those businesses, and Cherokee citizens have voting rights in their tribal elections and the opportunity to buy and use Cherokee Nation plates on their cars. The Cherokee Nation also has the funding to provide financial help to its 270,000 members, to the tune of some $350 million. So, as can be seen from the above, there are distinct advantages to being Cherokee – advantages not available to non-native American citizens.
Conclusions
Works Cited:
“Cherokee Culture.” (2008). AAANativearts.com. Web. 5 May 2013.
“Cherokee Indians.” (2013). North Carolina History Project. Web. 5 May 2013.
“History of the Cherokee Indians.” (2011). All Smoky Mountains Vacations. Web. 4 May 2013.
Raley, K. (1998). “Maintaining balance: The religious world of the Cherokees.” Reprinted from: Tar Heel Junior Historian 37, no. 2 (Spring 1998): 2–5, copyright North Carolina Museum of History. Web. 4 May 2013.
Strickland, R. (2007). “Cherokee.” Oklahoma Historical Society. Web. 4 May 2013.
Tsai, M. (2007). “Cherokee Perks.” Slate. Web. 4 May 2013.
Watkins, T. (n.d.). “The History of the Cherokees.” San Jose State University (Department of Economics). Web. 4 May 2013.
