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The Cherokee And Their History
Describes the history, culture, customs, leaders, and life today for the Cherokee Native Americans.
48 pages, Library Binding
First published August 1, 2005
About the author
Mary Englar
55 books2 followersMary L. Englar earned a Master of Fine Arts degree in Creative Writing and served as a professor at Mankato State. She was also a writer and publisher of educational children's books. In addition to her literary contributions, Englar served in the Peace Corps in Tunisia, further enriching her diverse experiences and perspective.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
September 28, 2019
I was disappointed that this started off immediately with the Trail of Tears and no backstory at all on the Cherokee. That was a terrible and confusing decision.
They call it the Trail Where They Cried. An elder remembered people being sad about leaving the Old Nation. Women were wailing, and women, children, and men were crying.
The name Cherokee came from the Creek word for them, chilokee, which meant people of a different speech. The Cherokee called themselves Ani-Yunwiya, which means real people.
In the 1700s they adopted American ways and dress, with many living on large farms raising cattle and crops. Most lived in houses and log cabins.
I was surprised that there were 4 different routes for the Trail of Tears, three of which were over land and one by water.
They made their towns by cutting down trees and burning the brush to make a clearing. Most bad 30-60 houses. Families built and repaired houses together. They had winter houses made of mud and clay.
I have never read anywhere that Cherokee mothers taught their daughters to leave several of the first plants they saw to show that they weren't greedy. Or that when they picked wild plants, they left a glass bead behind to show thanks.
In the winter the men often left on hunting trips, that could last several months. They hunted for family meals, and feasts and ceremonies throughout the year.
Their towns were surrounded by palisades. A council house big enough to fit everyone in town was at the center, with an open plaza in front for dances and ceremonies. The town's elders and two chiefs, war chief and peace chief, called meetings. They gathered around the sacred fire that was always burning. They were more common in times of war when they needed to discuss war plans. Some women fought and gave their opinions about the war plan. People sat in sections according to their clan. Each clan had certain tasks. The Wolf Clan were warriors who protect the people. The Deer Clan were hunters. The Bird Clan were messengers. The Paint Clan were medicine people. The Blue Clan were medicine people for children. The Long Hair Clan kept the town's traditions and history. The Wild Potato Clan gathered and taught plan knowledge. Each clan chose an honored woman to be the spokesperson for the clan.
When visitors came from other towns they stayed with people of their own clans.
A white blanket was wrapped around the couple at a traditional wedding. Clan members took care of the children together. Everything a kid learned came from their mother or the mother's family member. Fathers were responsible for providing food and protection for their family and town.
The medicine man or woman came to every council meeting, wedding, and ball game. The medicine person would tell the men how to get ready for a war or hunt.
They took only what they needed in nature in order to keep a balance in the world. Their legends showed people, animals, and plants sharing the world. If someone did something wrong like kill an animal for sport, the balance was upset. Then the person would get sick or the crops die.
The owl is a symbol for death.
In the 1700s so many became sick and died. It's so sad and I had never heard before that medicine people used all their knowledge but people still died, and many Cherokee lost respect for them and turned to European doctors. They were confused and hopeless because they had kept the balance with nature and still got sick.
I really liked the painting of the Cherokee warriors and British soldiers in the canoe hiding under the waterfall while French soldiers and enemy Native Americans are above. They're on their way to warn a fort of enemy attack.
I don't think I've ever heard that the Cherokee were divided about moving west. Most didn't want to leave but some felt it was the only way to avoid a fight and that they might face problems with whites if they stayed.
This was just okay. I really liked the new information they had regarding clans and their purposes and how women treated plants. I saw where they have a book specifically on the Trail of Tears and they should have left that out instead of starting with the Trail of Tears, switching to general info, and then mentioning the Trail of Tears again. I didn't like the order of things.
They call it the Trail Where They Cried. An elder remembered people being sad about leaving the Old Nation. Women were wailing, and women, children, and men were crying.
The name Cherokee came from the Creek word for them, chilokee, which meant people of a different speech. The Cherokee called themselves Ani-Yunwiya, which means real people.
In the 1700s they adopted American ways and dress, with many living on large farms raising cattle and crops. Most lived in houses and log cabins.
I was surprised that there were 4 different routes for the Trail of Tears, three of which were over land and one by water.
They made their towns by cutting down trees and burning the brush to make a clearing. Most bad 30-60 houses. Families built and repaired houses together. They had winter houses made of mud and clay.
I have never read anywhere that Cherokee mothers taught their daughters to leave several of the first plants they saw to show that they weren't greedy. Or that when they picked wild plants, they left a glass bead behind to show thanks.
In the winter the men often left on hunting trips, that could last several months. They hunted for family meals, and feasts and ceremonies throughout the year.
Their towns were surrounded by palisades. A council house big enough to fit everyone in town was at the center, with an open plaza in front for dances and ceremonies. The town's elders and two chiefs, war chief and peace chief, called meetings. They gathered around the sacred fire that was always burning. They were more common in times of war when they needed to discuss war plans. Some women fought and gave their opinions about the war plan. People sat in sections according to their clan. Each clan had certain tasks. The Wolf Clan were warriors who protect the people. The Deer Clan were hunters. The Bird Clan were messengers. The Paint Clan were medicine people. The Blue Clan were medicine people for children. The Long Hair Clan kept the town's traditions and history. The Wild Potato Clan gathered and taught plan knowledge. Each clan chose an honored woman to be the spokesperson for the clan.
When visitors came from other towns they stayed with people of their own clans.
A white blanket was wrapped around the couple at a traditional wedding. Clan members took care of the children together. Everything a kid learned came from their mother or the mother's family member. Fathers were responsible for providing food and protection for their family and town.
The medicine man or woman came to every council meeting, wedding, and ball game. The medicine person would tell the men how to get ready for a war or hunt.
They took only what they needed in nature in order to keep a balance in the world. Their legends showed people, animals, and plants sharing the world. If someone did something wrong like kill an animal for sport, the balance was upset. Then the person would get sick or the crops die.
The owl is a symbol for death.
In the 1700s so many became sick and died. It's so sad and I had never heard before that medicine people used all their knowledge but people still died, and many Cherokee lost respect for them and turned to European doctors. They were confused and hopeless because they had kept the balance with nature and still got sick.
I really liked the painting of the Cherokee warriors and British soldiers in the canoe hiding under the waterfall while French soldiers and enemy Native Americans are above. They're on their way to warn a fort of enemy attack.
I don't think I've ever heard that the Cherokee were divided about moving west. Most didn't want to leave but some felt it was the only way to avoid a fight and that they might face problems with whites if they stayed.
This was just okay. I really liked the new information they had regarding clans and their purposes and how women treated plants. I saw where they have a book specifically on the Trail of Tears and they should have left that out instead of starting with the Trail of Tears, switching to general info, and then mentioning the Trail of Tears again. I didn't like the order of things.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 of 1 review