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324 Trails End Road (PO BOX 2897)
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The name Cherokee means "real, or principal, people." The Cherokee belong to the Southeast subdivision of the Eastern Woodlands group of Native American Indians. The Cherokee people dating back to well before the 11th century in the United States, were originally located in North Georgia, eastern Tennessee and the western portion of what is now North Carolina. The most common type of dwelling used by the Cherokee was mat-covered houses although long-lhouses, constructed of whole logs were also used for permanent structures along water ways. Teepees were used for short durations while traveling from one place to another and as base camps on long journeys. Clothing for the Cherokee was made primarily from animal skins. When the Europeans arrived on US soil the Cherokee began to adopt their way of dress. Wooden dugout canoes were the chief form of transportation. The diet mainly consisted of corn, fish, meat, and the fruits and berries of wild plants. The Cherokee lived in the Southern Allegheny and Great Smoky Mountains where the forests were full of deer, bear, elk, turkey and various other animals that came to feed in the hemlock, pine, and balsam forests. The many streams and rivers that ran into the flatlands provided the Cherokee Nation with a wide variety of fish in great abundance. Cherokee homes were built from wooden poles covered inside and out with woven mats. Cherokee villages were built along the streams and rivers in order to take advantage of them for water and fishing. Villages were constructed around a central Council House which was used for religious ceremonies and other such activities. Cherokee women raised crops of corn, beans, squash, and sunflowers. These were harvested in the fall and preserved for the winter. The Cherokee had a comparitively easier life than their brothers in the Plains and northern states. Winters were not as harsh and food was plentiful throughout the year. Important accomplishments of the Cherokee include Sequoya’s development of the Cherokee language, and Elias Boudinot’s used the alphabet in 1828 to print the first Native American newspaper, which was written in both Cherokee and English. The newspaper was published from 1828 to 1835, when relocation of the Cherokee to Indian Territory forced the operation to cease. A tragic chapter in Cherokee history was written in 1832 when President Andrew Jackson ordered 1,600 Cherokee relocated to the area that is now Oklahoma. During the journey known as "The Trail of Tears," nearly 500 of the Cherokee died. A group of 1,500 Cherokee refused to leave their homes and hid out in the Smoky Mountains. A white trader named Colonel William Thomas helped them buy back some of their land in North Carolina. Because it was illegal for Indians to own or buy land, Col. Thomas bought the land and held the deeds in his name. Thomas later became a U.S. Senator, and worked to get laws passed giving the Cherokee the rights to ownership of land. Upon Col. Thomas’ death the title to the lands he had purchased reverted to the Cherokee. Thomas was also instrumental in getting the U.S. government to give additional lands to the Cherokee. These lands are part of the present-day Cherokee Indian reservation. Descendants of the Cherokee now live on reservations in North Carolina and Oklahoma. To learn more about the dreadful Trail of Tears journey please click HERE and to see a map of the various routes of the Trail of Tears clip HERE  The Legend of the
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| Last updated: April 29, 2008 |
