Cherokee

Tribes of Native America

The Cherokee Nation
By: Kyla C. and Sara H.

General Overview: The Cherokee's owned land in north central Arkansas between 1817 and 1828. It included most of Conway.

	The Cherokee hunted deer, bear, and elk which supplied them food. They also made different kinds of breads and cornmeal using the corn that was harvested each year.
	The Cherokee's used many of the European styles and customs, such as wearing of gowns by the women. The picture on the left is a pouch that the Cherokee women would carry, which is very similar to a purse today. The Cherokee men would hunt different animals and use their fur for clothing. The women also wore the Cherokee Tear Dress. The men sometimes wore the Ribbon Dress.
	The Cherokee Indians were always thought to live in teepees, but they really lived in log homes. The Cherokee Indians were forced to leave their homeland in 1838. They could not return to their homeland till 1839 which was when the Trail of Tears ended.
	The Cherokee's territory went from the Ohio River north. It also went south to Georgia and Alabama. They had approxomentaly 135,000 square miles. Their territory is now 8 of our states. The Cherokee Indians made baskets and wove for recreation. They had ceremonies that they went to for entertainment, and others entertained them. They also gathered around the fire and told stories. The Cherokee Indians did many ceremonial dances around fires and they praised the spirits. They believed in many gods and powers of spirits. The Cherokee Indians painted in their free time. Today many are famous for their art works. On the left is some of the art work done by the Cherokee Indians years ago. A whole Cherokee family had to live in one house, this included the grandparents, their children, and their children's children.

Sources: Yahoo, Dogpile, Google, Members.aol