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Who Are The Cherokee
The Cherokees called themselves the Ani Yunwiya meaning leading or principal people. The original Cherokees lived early times in Georgia, Alabama, North and South Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky and West Virginia. Traditionally, the number seven was a very important and sacred number to the Ani Yunwiya (Cherokee) people.The Cherokee government was composed of nine people, but seven is a reoccurring theme. First there was the Chief, who was head of the Cherokee Nation. The Right Hand Man and the Speaker sat beside the Chief and assisted him. The Chief had a group of seven counselors, which included the Right Hand Man. Seven honored women also assisted with the government. In addition to the seven honored women and the seven counselors, there were also seven Cherokee clans, seven annual festivals, seven towns that served as clan headquarters, and a seven-sided council house. The Cherokee word for woman is a-ge-ya and women is a-ni-ge-ya, squaw is not a Cherokee word. Women were highly respected members of society. There was even a special political office reserved for them, The Beloved Women. These women were consulted on many issues even on war, and decided the fate of captives. Women could even become warriors. Women typically ruled the roost in the home, they even owned the home. Traditionally one of the most vital elements within Cherokee society is clan membership. Clan membership is matrilineal, it is passed down through the mothers line, in other words a child is born into their mothers clan. The typical household was one governed by mutual respect. The women gave the men as much respect as the men gave them. The Cherokee Indians, a branch of the Iroquois nation, can trace their history in North Carolina back more than a thousand years. Originally their society was based on hunting, trading, and agriculture. By the time European explorers and traders arrived, Cherokee lands covered a large part of what is now the southeastern United States.
The Great Seal of the Cherokee Nation was designed to show the eternal endurance of the Cherokee People. It was adopted by an act of the Cherokee National council and approved in 1871. The seven pointed star symbolizes: The seven clans of the Cherokee Nation. The seven characters of Sequoyah's syllabry, meaning "Cherokee Nation". The wreath of oak leaves symbolizes the sacred fire, which the Cherokees keep burning in their land. The margin wording proclaims the authority of the seal in both the English and the Cherokee languages, and records the date (1839) of the adoption of the Constitution of the Cherokee Nation West.
 Horizon Dude · Thu Jan 15, 2009 @ 10:38pm · 1 Comments |
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