The Cherokee Tribe

The Native American tribe that originally lived in the southern Appalachian Mountains was the Cherokee. The life of the Cherokee before the Europeans arrived was supposedly a highly advanced civilization. The Cherokee were excellent farmers and homebuilders. Hunting was the men’s job, while the gathering of wild plant food was the women’s. In 1540, Hernando De Soto’s expedition was the first recorded contact with the Cherokee. The English colonists came into the lives of the Cherokee around 1654. The Cherokee were the first tribe to begin the Trail of Tears in 1838.

The life of the Cherokee Nation before the Europeans arrived was in perfect harmony. A typical Cherokee town had a large square or plaza and around that were several large mounds. The mounds were where the homes of the Cherokee were clustered. The mounds were sometimes served as a platform for the important people in the town, like the chief. The other Cherokee would live in smaller houses on the ground. The houses were often made of lightweight materials such as tree bark, grasses, and weeds. A ceremonial hall was a large round council house that could seat 400 to 500