The Native Alabamian C herokee tribe

1. JadynHeadrick Presents: The Native Alabamian Cherokee tribe

2. Contents • Location • Origin of Cherokee name • Government • Native Alabamian Life • Homes • Appearance • Food • Transportation • Weapons • Arts and Crafts • Language • Traditions and Rituals • Legends • What Did My Tribe Leave Behind • Other Important Facts

3. Location of the Cherokee Tribe Northeast Corner of Alabama

4. Name Origin • The Cherokee name comes from Chelokee • Chelokee means “People of different speech” • The Cherokee call themselves Ani’-Yun’ wiya or Tsalagi • Ani’-Yun’ wiya means “the real people” or “the principle people” • Tsalagi means “people living in a land of many caves

5. Cherokee Government • Each town had a Chief who led during wartimes and a Priest who led during peacetimes • Chiefs were guided by a town council made up of both men and women

6. Cherokee Government • In early times, the Cherokee did not have one Chief who ruled overall • The entire group only met for ceremonies and wars • The post of principal chief was created in the 19th Century to unify the Cherokee nation

7. Native Alabamian Life • Boys • Help the men • Hunt and Fish • Make arrowheads, bows, and arrows • Girls • Help the women • Plant and Harvest crops

8. Homes • Winter Homes • Crawl inside • Built to hold in heat • Summer Homes • Walk inside • Built to remain cool

9. Appearance • Light or dark tan skin • Black hair • Boys would have mohawks • Girls would have long hair • Clothes made of animal skins

10. Food • Traditional Cherokee farmed, hunted, and gathered the food they eat, such as: • Fish • Deer • Beans • Squash • Corn

11. Transportation • Land Transportation • Walk • When the English came, ride horses • Water Transportation • Canoe • Rafts • Made of animal skins • Would put belongings on top and swim across the river

12. Weapons • Weapons were made of • Stones • Tree branches • Deer horns • The Cherokee would carve the stones and deer horns into arrowheads and spears

13. Arts and Crafts • The Cherokee were known for the beauty of their carvings and basketry • They made tools, pipes, canoes, and baskets

14. Language • The Cherokee had no written language until 1821 • Syllabary was created by a Chief named Sequoya • A syllabary is an alphabet that is made up of sets of syllables rather than letters

15. Traditions and Rituals • Each year the Cherokee held six major ceremonies • The main ceremony, The Green Corn Dance, took place at harvest time • Celebrated harmony and renewal • At this time, all crimes of the past year were forgiven

16. Legends • Story-telling is very important to Cherokee Indian culture • There is a Cherokee legend “The Origin Jof Strawberries” Jof strawberies

17. What My Tribe Leave Behind • Arrowheads • Tools • Words • Like AL (is a native American word) • Artifacts

18. Other Important Facts • The Cherokee inhabited the southern United States in areas now recognized as Tennessee, Kentucky, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia • The Cherokee originally called themselves “Aniyunwiya” (the principal people) • Settlers called them “Cherokee” (speakers of another language) • Cherokee citizens today sometimes live on Native American territories

19. Other Important Facts • In 1838, the government began to force the Cherokee of their lands • Seven thousand government troops took the Cherokee from their homes and walked on foot about 800 miles • Along the way about 100 Cherokee indians died • This was known as the “Trail of Tears”

20. The End Thank You for Listening!