Things I've Been Learning

*A disclaimer: All the information below comes from talking to people in Cherokee and listening to lectures in the Oconaluftee Indian Village. Because I am interested in Cherokee life through the eyes of the people who live here I did not back up this information with research. If you find yourself really interested though, feel free to do your own

The Cherokee had a matrilineal society, meaning that children belong to their mother’s clan with property and hereditary leadership being passed down through the maternal side of the family. The Cherokee considered women to be the head of the household.

The pictures below are from the Square Grounds in the Oconaluftee Indian Village. The Square Grounds, located in the center of the village, were a sacred gathering place where people would dace as a form of prayer to the Creator. Everyone was included in the dances and celebrations, which usually included a feast. Celebrations would last anywhere from several hours to several days. There were seats surrounding the Grounds that were separated into seven sections representing the seven clans of the Cherokee.

I have been spending some of my time here learning to do many of the traditional animal dances of the Cherokee people. Visitors to the village sit in these arbors to observe the dancing each day. Before the dancing begins the dance leader calls out the name of each clan in the Cherokee language. The people sitting under the arbors respond when their clan is called by yelling out, "yo".

The Long Hair Clan: This clan was known for their wisdom and the chief (in times of peace) was chosen from this clan. Non-Cherokee who earned the right to be adopted into the tribe were most often adopted into this clan.

 The Blue Clan: This clan was known for members’ ability to create special medicine for children.

 The Paint Clan: This clan is named after the different paints, used in war and in healing, that they created for the tribe.

 The Bird Clan: Members of this clan were known to be swift messengers. This was important because the Cherokee territories were so large that messages often had to be carried by foot for hundreds of miles.

 The Wild Potato Clan: Members of this clan were known for their farming skills.

 The Wolf Clan: Members of this clan were known as protectors. The war chief often came from the Wolf Clan although the title was given to the man elected by the warriors, no matter which tribe he belonged to.

The Deer Clan: The members of this clan had a special bond with the deer and many were even said to keep the animals as pets.

The necklaces below are ones that the Cherokee use even today to help their infants through the pain of teething. Bull Nettle root is incorporated into necklaces along with beads. These necklaces are placed around the baby’s neck and are not removed, even for bathing.

This is a picture of traditional Cherokee canoe making. The Cherokee used the burning method to make their canoes. They began by locating a tree as close to the river as possible (usually a poplar tree) and packing clay around the base of the tree. Several small fires would then be built around the base of the tree with the clay acting as a fire control, causing the fire to burn inward and knock the tree to the ground. Once the tree had fallen the men would strip the bark and pack clay around the top of the canoe. More small fires were built until the correct area was burned out. The next step would be to chip away the charcoal and create a waterproof barrier using a mixture of animal fat and/or pine resin. This process would take about six months to complete.

Stay tuned because I will be posting tomorrow about the New Kituwah Academy, which is a Cherokee language immersion school for infants through 5th grade.

A Side Note: Please take a moment to check out the "Go Fund Me" link to the right of this post. The deadline is nearing for many of the things that we need the funding for. Any help, even just five dollars, will make a huge difference for us.