Cherokees

The Cherokee are a Native American people historically inhabiting the Southeastern United States. Their ancestral territory encompassed parts of present-day North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, and Alabama. The Cherokee language is part of the Iroquoian language family. Before European contact, they lived in settled agricultural communities, with a complex social and political structure.

In the early 19th century, the Cherokee Nation faced increasing pressure from the expanding United States government and white settlers. Despite efforts to assimilate and adopt aspects of Western culture, including establishing a written language and a constitutional government, they were forcibly removed from their homeland. This event, known as the Trail of Tears, occurred primarily in the 1830s, resulting in the deaths of thousands of Cherokee people due to disease, starvation, and exposure during the journey west to Indian Territory, now Oklahoma.

Today, the Cherokee Nation is one of the largest federally recognized tribes in the United States, with a significant population in Oklahoma. There are also Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians in North Carolina, descendants of those who resisted removal, and other smaller Cherokee communities. The Cherokee people have a rich cultural heritage, including traditional arts, crafts, music, and storytelling, and continue to work to preserve their language and traditions while navigating modern society.