Native+Americans

= = =Cherokee=

The Cherokees are originally from the southeast region of USA, mostly in Georgia, North and South Carolina, Virginia, Kentucky and Tennessee. Because of the Trail of Tears, most of the Native Americans were forced to move to Oklahoma in the late 1800s. According to “Targets” the Cherokees had a population of 729 533 in 2000. But they haven’t always been that many, in the 16th – 18th century they were often “attacked” by epidemics and sickness such as the chicken pocks. After an epidemic had hit, the tribe was down to 25 000 – 50 000 in population. Another thing that took many Native American lives was the Trail of Tears and wars which occurred in this period of time. The Trail of Tears was the relocation and the forced movement of the Native Americans. The journey to their new location was hard and many lost their lives, it’s calculated that the Cherokees lost around 4 000 tribal members. None knows how many lives that was lost in the different wars that included the Cherokees and the Native Americans.



The Cherokees are supposed to be from islands in the Atlantic Ocean, east of South America. According to Cherokee legends, some wise men where “given” mysterious powers, which they was going to use to help the tribal members and every human being on the planet. The first Native American – European contact happened when Hernando De Soto passed through Cherokee country. De Soto was the leader of a Spanish expedition in 1540, the expedition visited many villages near Georgia and Tennessee. At the expedition De Soto noted that the Native Americans lacked immunity to new diseases, which explains why the Chicken Pocks did so much damage. In 1654 the Cherokees had their first English contact; English settlers began to become many. They settled all over Virginia and the traders started coming. The Cherokees sold Indian slaves to the Virginian people. After this, many wars came and many Cherokees died. In the 1830s the Trail of Tears began and even more Cherokees died. As I mentioned earlier the Native Americans were relocated by the Settlers. Many where relocated, but around thousand Cherokees managed to evade the removal by either hide in the mountains or get help from a white state legislator named William Holland Thomas. He helped around 600 hundred of the thousand that evaded removal. These Cherokees became the East Band of Cherokee Indians. Their last major historical event is the American Civil War (1861-1865); the war was devastating for the Cherokees. They were a fair game for the American troops, both north and south.



The Cherokees way of life is based on nature, harmony with nature, personal freedom, the balance between work, play and praise. The Cherokees got all they needed from nature, they got food, material for house and weapons and clothing. The villages all had a Peace Chief, a War Chief and a Priest. The villages were also equipped with a council house where the tribal members could have discussions and a democracy. Because they lived for and of the nature, the Cherokees also survived by the nature. They got their food from nature and everything else.

The Cherokees culture is based on traditions and religious beliefs. In Cherokee culture there is everything from poetry to ancient recipes. The food is organic and very nature inspired. Here is a link to multiple recipes from the Cherokees: [] The Cherokees poetry is based on their way of life, historical events and traditions. One poem starts this way: //“// // Some will say, People for Peace, // // Who only want the War to end, Are bad for the Troops' morale And the wrong message to send”. // This first passage of a Cherokee poem includes of way of life: they wanted peace. It includes historical events: “Who only want the war to end”. The Cherokees are also the only Native American tribe with a written language. Here is an example: The Cherokees beliefs are in one Supreme Holy Spirit, this Holy Spirit have a energy that gives life to everything and the fire of all creation. The Cherokees calls their God, the Supreme Holy Spirit or Great Spirit. They describe the Great Spirit as “the only Giver and Taker of lives”. The Cherokees are non idolaters and they wouldn’t look at images of their God. They believe that the Great Spirit created all animals and plants in the world.
 * [[image:http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4e/Chereokee_Text_Example.png width="575" height="79" caption="Chereokee Text Example.png" link="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Chereokee_Text_Example.png"]] ||
 * **Tsalagi**: Nigada aniyvwi nigeguda'lvna ale unihloyi unadehna duyukdv gesv'i. Gejinela unadanvtehdi ale unohlisdi ale sagwu gesv junilvwisdanedi anahldinvdlv adanvdo gvhdi. ||
 * **English**: All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood. (Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights) ||



The Cherokees are today as most of the American people, they go to school and they do “normal” things. But many lives in reservations were they have a modern society with schools, malls, sports halls and churches. They are as everyone else.

Sources: [[http://www.cherokee-nc.com/index.php?page=56|http://www.cherokee-nc.com/index.php?page=56

]][[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cherokee#History|http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cherokee#History

Targets]]