The Cherokee Indians are a very interesting and prominent tribe in our nation. This paper will explain their origin, culture, growth, removal, and many other details about this Native American tribe. .

             The Cherokee Indians covered a vast part of the United States southeastern region. They lived in the Appalachian area. In the early 1800"s the Cherokees were one of the most well developed and prosperous tribes in the country. The Cherokee Indians today are scattered throughout various parts of out nation. Some of these Native Americans live on a reservation in North Carolina but most live in Oklahoma. Actually over 100,000 live in Oklahoma. .

             The Cherokee Indians are a branch of the Iroquois nation. The Cherokee people were hunters, fisherman, traders, and farmers. These Native Americans lived in small communities. These communities were usually located in fertile riverbeds in order for the Indians to farm and grow crops. The style of their homes was very unique. They made their houses out of wooden frames wrapped and covered with vines woven together. Then the houses were plastered with mud. The mud was used as an insulation to keep the house warm. After many years the Cherokee began to build with logs rather than the mud method. .

             Each Cherokee village had a meetinghouse called a council house. This is where ceremonies and tribal meetings were held. This council house was seven sided to represent the seven clans of the Cherokee. The seven branches are the Bird, Paint, Deer, Wolf, Blue, Long Hair, and Wild Potato. For each tribe there were two chiefs. One was a peace chief who was in charge during peaceful times while the other was a war chief who made the decisions during war times. .

             The Cherokee were different in that they were very democratic. They adopted the ways of the white settlers. Their chiefs were not in total control and many tribal members had a chance to voice their own opinions.