1. IngredientsThe Cherokees used many kinds of ingredients in their cooking and foods. Some of the ingredients they used were corn, fish, wild plants and berries, sweet potatoes, hominy, squash, beans, and much more. Corn is the most valuable and important crop of the Cherokees. It can also be called maize. They even have a ceremony for the harvest of the maize. The Cherokees also catch fish up in the mountain streams. They make traps for catching fish. The women either cook them for that night or smoke them in the smoke house, saving and storing them for winter. The Cherokees were somewhat hunter gatherers. They used wild plants and berries for soups, seasonings, desserts, just plain eating, etc.... They grew sweet potatoes for eating plain, stews, and probably many more uses. Hominy is a main and common food the Cherokees eat. Hominy’s main ingredient is corn. The corn is usually boiled in some type of salt like water. Hominy originally cam from Guatemala. Hominy also has a strong, unique odor. The Cherokees also grew squash for different kinds of dishes like stews, sides, and probably just plain, but I bet there are many more foods that squash is an ingredient in. Beans are one of the main foods the Cherokees farm. They prepare them in stews, soups, eating plain, and much more. As you can, the Cherokees are a very resourceful tribe, especially in there food. The Cherokees also traded recipes and cooking techniques with the European women. They can live off the land, hunt, and grow crops. The fact that they can grow crops successfully for ingredients is one of the reasons why they are one of the most famous tribes of U.S.A.
2. Green Corn Ceremony
The Green Corn Ceremony is probably the most important ceremony of the Cherokee Indians. It honors the “Corn Mother”and it celebrates the corn harvest. This ceremony takes place when the corn is ripe, usually during a full moon. There are many things, besides celebrating the harvest of corn, that happen at this time. Like tribal disputes being settled, dancing, and maybe even some feasting. Some tribal disputes were the settlings of debts, which were usually excused because of the “beginning of the new year.” There are also probably some negotiating of who the next chief will be. There is also some dancing. Some of the dances last from 2- 4 hours long. The War Dance is one of those dances. That dance is preformed by men. More importantly, it symbolizes the beginning of a new year. Also there may be some feasting. Which is pretty common for many tribes during festivals, ceremonies, and holidays. Although some of the Indian tribes also toke part in fasting. Which is not eating or drink for a certain amount of time. This specific ceremony has brought much interest to many people.
3. Farming/ Crops
Cherokee farming and crops are much like many other tribes. They plant crops like beans, squash, corn, sunflowers, and pumpkins. They plant their crops in the spring and harvest in the fall. The three main crops the Cherokees grow are corn, squash, and beans. These three crops are called “ The Three Sisters.” These are the main crops of most of the Indian tribes. One of the most unusual facts are that women were the first farmers. Normally you would picture men plowing, sowing, and harvesting crops, but it’s the other way around. The men’s only contributory to planting is sometimes sowing the grounds. Other than that the women did everything else. So the women would do the seed gathering, planting, and harvesting. Also they prepared and cooked the food too. Squash, beans, and corn had many uses in the Cherokee tribes. They made stews corn breads, sides, breads, and so much more. The Cherokees lived down in the southeastern states like Missouri, Arkansas, Tennessee, Alabama, and now Oklahoma. That gave the Cherokees a perfect climate to grow a variety of different crops.
4. Men’s Jobs
Cherokee men have many jobs. Cherokee women also have many jobs like farming, butchering, and cooking, and they are an important part of their tribe. The men do just about everything else. The men are the hunters, warriors, chiefs, house builders, and canoe makers. The hunters allowed venison, stews, bear meat, smoked fish and meat, and much more. It gave more variety of foods for meals. When the men went to war they were armed with spears, bow and arrows, rifles, etc.. One of the enemies of the Cherokees (and many other tribes) was the Chickasaws. They’re one of the strongest tribes. The men could also become chiefs. This might have been decided during the Green Corn Ceremony. Now women can also run for chief. Cherokee men also built the houses. The houses are made of logs with split cedar planks for a roof. The houses are like a fort, except without a gate. The Cherokees made their canoes out of yellow polar, sometimes called the tulip tree. Both men and women both have equal job amounts.
5. Hunting/ Fishing
Cherokees are a hunting and a farming society. The men are the hunters and fishermen. The men hunt deer, bear, buffalo, opossum, squirrel, turkey, partridge, pheasant, rabbits, and small birds. Some of the hunting weapons they used were a bow and arrow and a blow gun. They got the rifles by trading with the Europeans. Some of the fishing tools they used were bow and arrows, water traps, bait and hooks, spears, and dipping baskets. Cherokees caught fish in the cold mountain streams. Also when the men came home the women would butcher the animal. The meat from the larger animals like the deer, buffalo, and bears were made into venison, steaks, stews, and or they smoked the meat for later. Also the Cherokees used most every part of an animal for something, whether it was to wear, cook with, and other various needs. The Cherokees also traded with the Europeans. They traded deer skins for knives, firearms, tools, and other items. They were skilled in most everything, especially hunting. One of the reasons why is the fact that they did not waste anything. They only took what they needed, they understood the balance needed for survival. They used their resources well, which made them one of the most well known tribes in America.
