The Cherokee Indians settled in North Georgia, North and South Carolina, and East Tennessee, but were eventually relocated to Oklahoma on the Trail of Tears. Their government had a civilian and military division, and their religion centered on celestial objects. They used scouts to prevent ambush during war and commonly used bows and arrows, knives, and axes. The US government relocated them to Oklahoma, resulting in the death of half of the tribe.
The Cherokee Indians are a Native American tribe who settled primarily in the areas of North Georgia, North and South Carolina, and East Tennessee. The tribe is often connected to the Smoky Mountains, western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee. Many members of the tribe were eventually removed from those lands and relocated to Oklahoma on a trail that eventually became known as the Trail of Tears.
The structure of civilian government of the Cherokee Indians was structured around a chieftain, a keynote speaker, and six advisers. The chief head was also head of religion, although he may have designated a head priest for most day-to-day church services. The chief, his speaker, and his advisers all lived in or near a place known as the council house, where they could perform ceremonial functions. The house was often built near a stream, which was also important for numerous Cherokee ceremonies.
The other major division of government was known as the military government. A warrior chief and three lieutenants made most of the military decisions. Surrounding them were six advisers who provided input on various matters relating to warfare and battles. A woman of war, who was often an elderly lady, perhaps the widow of a former war chief, would often decide whether captives were killed or adopted into the tribe.
The religion of the Cherokee Indians centered primarily on celestial objects, especially the sun and moon. These items held special significance to the Cherokee, especially the sun, which was the recipient of many of their prayers. The Cherokee Indians also believed in an afterlife, with seven divisions of heaven. Those who didn’t live a good life went to a place where they were tortured. Souls remained on Earth for as long as their bodies lived.
When the threat of war was imminent, warriors all met at the tribal headquarters to organize themselves. Marching to war, the Cherokee Indians used scouts to precede the main party and report back, in order to prevent an ambush. Most of the battles were hand-to-hand combat. Weapons commonly used by the Cherokee Indians included bows and arrows, knives and axes.
Due to conflicting interests, the United States government in 1838 decided to relocate the Cherokee people to Oklahoma, which was then known as the Indian Territory. One route was over water, following the Tennessee, Ohio, Mississippi and Arkansas rivers. A major dirt road ran northwest, going as far north as southern Illinois, before returning southwest. More than 16,000 Cherokee Indians were relocated to Oklahoma and perhaps half died en route west.
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