Baylee Flatt Tammy Davis Composition 1 November 15, 2013 Cherokee Heritage My great grandmother was full blood

Cherokee Indian. The Cherokees were one of the biggest Native American tribes. I am proud of my heritage. I consider myself lucky to come from such a long line of strong people. If I had the chance to travel to the place of my heritage, of course I would take it. I believe that it would be interesting to see where my ancestors lived, and what life was like for them. The Cherokee were one of the five tribes who settled in the southeast portion of the country. The Cherokee tribe is of Iroquoian descent. The tribe originated in the Great lakes area of the country, but ended up moving to the east coast. The Cherokees lived in log cabins, and not in the stereotypical tee pee. They were a big tribe that was divided into smaller sections. Each section had its own chief. In the 1800s the Cherokees began to adopt the culture of the white man, because they had been so exposed to it. They began farming, and started dressing more European. In 1828 the Cherokee were forced out of their homes. They were forced to leave because gold was discovered on their land. This was the beginning of the trail of tears. According to the article Cherokee Indians, the trail of tears was where Cherokee families had to pack up their belongings and march thousands of miles (Cherokee). During this journey about four thousand Cherokees lost their lives.

The Cherokee are quite religious and spiritual. The numbers four and seven play big roles in the lives of Cherokee Indians. Four represents all familiar forces, and the four cardinal directions. The number seven represents the seven clans of the Cherokee tribe. In addition to representing the seven clans, the number also represents purity and sacredness. The Cherokee also have special regard for the owl and the cougar. They have special meaning to the Cherokee, because they are the only animals that could stay up for the seven nights of creation. They believe that the owl is different from all other birds. The article The Traditional Belief System states that, another sacred part of the Cherokee belief system is the river or Long Man (Traditional). Today going to any river or body of water is considered a sacred practice. Many people see the Cherokee belief system as too complex, but to them it is actually quite simple. The Cherokee were settled in the Great lakes region in the beginning. After a while they traveled to Georgia where they stayed until they were run off of their land. If I had the opportunity to travel to these places I would take it. I know that it isnt a far off or exotic place, but I still think it would be good to travel there and see how my ancestors lived. In the article Cherokee Indians it states that, Today the largest population of Cherokee Indians live in the state of Oklahoma, where there are three federally recognized Cherokee communities with thousands of residents (Cherokee). I wouldnt have to travel far at all to visit any of these communities, but if I was given the opportunity I would still take it. Cherokee Indians have pride in their heritage. Because several Cherokees were originally settled in Georgia, today the state flower is the Cherokee rose. I think that naming the Georgia state flower after them is a huge honor. I would absolutely take any opportunity that I was given to travel to the place of my heritage.

I am proud to be able to say that my heritage is Cherokee Indian. The Cherokees were discriminated against and even forced off of their own land, but they never lost pride in who they are. I think that it is a great lesson to always be proud of who you are. If given the chance I would travel to the place of my heritage without question. Works Cited Cherokee Indians. Indians.Org. 2013. http://indians.org The Traditional Belief System. Cherokee Nation. 2013. Http://www.Cherokee.org