By: Gil Alvarez & Cohen Dunson

Cherokee Tribe “Osiyo”(oh-si-yoh) “Greetings”

The Cherokees are original residents of the American southeast region, particularly Georgia, North and South Carolina, Virginia, Kentucky, and Tennessee. Most Cherokees were forced to move to Oklahoma in the 1800's along the Trail of Tears. Some Cherokees escaped the Trail of Tears by hiding in the Appalachian hills or taking shelter with sympathetic white neighbors.

 The Cherokees were farming people.  Cherokee women harvested crops of corn, beans, squash, and sunflowers. They also gathered berries, nuts and fruit to eat.  Cherokee men hunted deer, wild turkeys, and small game and fished in the rivers.  Their dishes included cornbread, soups, and stews cooked on stone hearths.

 A Cherokee usually lived in two houses; one would be their home for the hot summer months with a winter ready home nearby.  The home for summer would be entirely made out of logs.  The winter house was shaped like a cone with a fire in the center to keep them warm.

 Cherokee men wore breechcloths and leggings.  Cherokee women wore wraparound skirts and poncho-style blouses made out of woven fiber or deerskin.  The Cherokees wore moccasins on their feet. After colonization, Cherokee Indians adapted European costume into a characteristic style.

TRANSPORTATION  Cherokee Indians used to make long dugout canoes.  Over land, the Cherokees used dogs as pack animals.  There were no horses in North America until colonist brought them from Europe.

Languages  Today, the Cherokee language is obviously still in use.  It is used in the Indian churches and the stomp grounds too.  Most of the Cherokee people speak English though.  But many kids still grow up with the Cherokee language as their first.

Famous Cherokee Indians Sequoyah – Was a brilliant man that succeeded in inventing a writing system for Cherokee that still in used today.  Wilma ManKiller – The first woman to be Principal Chief of the Cherokee tribe

Fun Facts about the Cherokee Tribe  In 1829, the Cherokee nation was endangered by the discovery of gold in northern Georgia.  Each Cherokee village had two chiefs; a “Red Chief” in the winter and a “White Chief” in the summer.  During the Revolutionary War, the Cherokee fought on the side of the British.

“Wado” (“wah-doh”) Thanks!!!!