There are seven: Long Hair, Blue, Wolf, Wild Potato, Deer, Bird, and Paint. Cherokee children have the opportunity to learn about their culture and history in schools and from their elders. They might also attend Stomp Dances, listen to Cherokee legends, and learn to read and write in their native Cherokee language. The Cherokee are proud of their rich heritage.
The early Cherokee built round houses. Woven branches were covered with mud, animal hair, grass, and clay. The house looked like an upside-down basket. It was partially sunken into the ground. In later years the Cherokee built log cabins.
Cherokee families lived in villages of 30 to 60 families. They belonged to groups called clans. Children were born into their mother’s clan
At the time of European contact, the Cherokee were spread out into about 200 villages. The Cherokee had similar customs, but they didn’t have a united government.
At the center of every Cherokee council house was a sacred fire. It represented the sun as the source of all life. The fire burned all year. Families lit the fires for their homes from the sacred fire.
The Stomp Dance was an important religious tradition. On the morning of the dance, the men prayed and the women prepared a large feast. In the afternoon everyone gathered to listen to stories. They played games, visited, and ate. At sundown the dance began. It continued through the next morning.
