The Cherokee Indians & Their Rituals

Cherokee comes from the word "Chelokee"out of the hut, they pour cold water on
meaning "people of a different speech." They arethemselves, bringing them back to the natural
the second largest tribe in the United States.world.
Today many live in homes in CherokeeTobacco was a special and sacred plant to the
communities. They used to travel about theCherokee and many other tribes. They had
country, living in tepees that were made of sticksceremonies for planted seeds and harvesting the
and animal skins. Their tepees ranged from ten toleaves. They had ceremonial pipes that were
eighteen feet high. They would build their fires inmade of either bone or wood. Smoking was
the middle of the tepee. The smoke from thesacred and it was offered to nature, friends and
fires was let out of a small hole at the peak ofthe universe.
the tepee. The Cherokee Indians have manyIndian tribes, such as the Cherokee, had assigned
rituals that they perform that may seem unusualroles for the men and women. The men were
to us.hunters and protectors, and the women would
The Cherokee and almost all Indian tribes offercook, build shelter, make fire, and care for the
thanks to nature, usually in a dance ritualchildren. When the men would catch an animal, the
sometimes called a Sun Dance. In the Sun Dance,woman would immediately cook the heart and
elders take the younger men in the tribe, paintthe liver and other inner parts of the animal to
their bodies and teach them the simple dance.eat right away, celebrating their fortune and to
The dancers would go into a trance and havethank the spirits for a successful hunt. The rest
Vision Dreams, helping them determine theirof the meat was cut into thin slices and dried out.
names and meet with the spirits of their elders.The dried strips are like the food that some
Some used the painted skull of a buffalo as apeople still eat today called Jerky.
ceremonial artifact when giving thanks to natureBecause of their belief that you shall not harm
for providing food and clothing.anything unless it is necessary for survival, they
Tribes would also have sweat ceremonies tohad a strict liability law for any killing of humans,
cleanse themselves of evil spirits. First they wouldnature, or animal. They did not waste anything.
build an enclosed hut. Then they would put hotThey believed that an unnecessary death created
rocks, which have been sitting in a fire for aan imbalance which required revenge or sacrifice
whole day, in a small hole dug in one corner ofto restore harmony. The clan of a killer was to
the hut. They would then pour water over theadmit and accept responsibility for the wrongful
rocks, generating steam. They take off theirkilling by someone in their tribe. Then the clan was
clothes and sit in the hut for hours to sweat andexpected to pay the cost, sometimes a human
provoke spiritual visions. When they finally comesacrifice.