[at-l] Cherokee Indians - Tom

[atted@tampabay.rr.com (ted anderson)]

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Cherokee Tom wrote: that his G G Grandfather was a Cherokee Trader.  I
wonder if he could be the guy mentioned in the second paragraph from the
bottom????

CHEROKEE INDIANS

ORIGIN:

The Cherokee Indians, a branch of the Iroquois nation, can trace their
history in North Carolina back more than a thousand years. Originally their
society was based on hunting, trading, and agriculture. By the time European
explorers and traders arrived, Cherokee lands covered a large part of what
is now the southeastern United States.

ORGANIZATION AND CULTURE:

The Cherokee lived in small communities, usually located in fertile river
bottoms. Homes were wooden frames covered with woven vines and saplings
plastered with mud. These were replaced in later years with log structures.
Each village had a council house where ceremonies and tribal meetings were
held. The council house was seven-sided to represent the seven clans of the
Cherokee: Bird, Paint, Deer, Wolf, Blue, Long Hair, and Wild Potato. Each
tribe elected two chiefs -- a Peace Chief who counseled during peaceful
times and a War Chief who made decisions during times of war. However, the
Chiefs did not rule absolutely. Decision making was a more democratic
process, with tribal members having the opportunity to voice concerns.

Cherokee society was a matriarchy. The children took the clan of the mother,
and kinship was traced through the mother's family. Women had an equal voice
in the affairs of the tribe. Marriage was only allowed between members of
different clans. Property was passed on according to clan alliance.

The Cherokee readily adopted the tools and weapons introduced by Europeans.
Desire for these items changed Cherokee life as they began to hunt animals,
not just for food, but also for skins to trade as well. As the white
population expanded conflicts arose. War and disease decimated the tribe.
The Cherokees were eventually forced to sign over much of their land, first
to the British and then to the United States.

GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT:

In the early 1800's, the Cherokees began a period of change. The Cherokee
Nation was established with a democratic government composed of a Chief,
Vice-Chief, and 32 Council Members who were elected by the members of the
tribe. A constitution and code of law were drawn up for the nation. During
this time, Sequoyah invented a system for writing the Cherokee language.
There are 86 characters in Sequoyah's syllabary, and each is based on
individual syllables in Cherokee words. Any person who could speak Cherokee
could also read and write it after learning the 86 symbols. The Cherokee
Council passed a resolution to establish a newspaper for their nation. A
printing press was ordered, the type cast for the Cherokee syllabary, and
the Cherokee Phoenix was in business.

REMOVAL:

Unfortunately, the Cherokees did not enjoy prosperous times for long. Gold
was discovered on Indian lands in Georgia. Political pressure was exerted by
President Andrew Jackson to confiscate Indian lands and remove the Cherokees
to the West. Numerous injustices against the Cherokee Nation culminated in
the signing of the Treaty of New Echota. Those who signed the treaty did not
have the authority to represent the entire Cherokee Nation. Nevertheless,
the treaty stood. The Cherokees were taken from their homes, held in
stockades, and forced to move to Oklahoma and Arkansas. Almost 14,000
Cherokees began the trek westward in October of 1838. More than 4,000 died
from cold, hunger, and disease during the six-month journey that came to be
known as the "Trail of Tears."

EASTERN AND WESTERN BANDS:

Prior to the "Trail of Tears," a small group of Cherokees in western North
Carolina had already received permission to be excluded from the move west.
Those individuals, often called the Oconaluftee Indians, did not live on
Cherokee Nation land and considered themselves separate from the Cherokee
Nation. Permission for the Oconaluftee Cherokees to remain in North Carolina
had been obtained in part through the efforts of William H. Thomas, a
successful business man, who had grown up among the Cherokees. For more than
30 years he served as their attorney and adviser.

To avoid jeopardizing their special status, the Oconaluftee Cherokees
reluctantly assisted in the search for Cherokee Nation Indians who had fled
to the mountains to avoid capture. Among those in hiding was Tsali who had
become a hero to many Cherokees for his resistance to forced removal. Tsali
was being sought because of his role in the deaths of several soldiers. To
prevent further hardships for the Cherokees still in hiding, Tsali
eventually agreed to surrender and face execution. Due in part to Tsali's
sacrifice, many of those in hiding were eventually allowed to settle among
the Cherokees of western North Carolina. This was to be the beginning of the
Eastern Band of Cherokees.

(This information was supplied by the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Shkee Thank You)
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