The Cherokee

First Reports

by Petra Press

Examines the culture, history, and society of the Cherokee.

Genres: Native American

48 pages, Library Binding

First published July 1, 2001

Reviews

[Evie · Rating 2 out of 5]

-sigh-
It's really difficult for children's reference books to address Native American culture in a way that seems wholly satisfactory. While this is a good introductory text to Cherokee culture, discussing their way of life with respect, it is completely lacking in discussing the wrongdoings of the American government. It seems to praise how Cherokee assimilated into the invading culture, how they began living more like the settlers, and even goes so far as to point out how the settlers called them one of the "civilized" tribes. It does not point out how this was incredibly offensive. It does, however, stress how their land was taken away, how they were forced on the Trail of Tears, and how much of their culture was lost. But, it never quite comes out to say how all this is tragic and incredibly wrong.

Educators be wary: you will need to do damage control if you use this text.

[Andrea · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was so interesting how in each village there was a house set up at the center where they had meetings. And they have ceremonies and play ball in the field near it. They had foot trails and rivers that connected their villages that people would use when they visited, traded, hunted, gathered food and for war. 

I don't think I knew that they made sugar from honey and maple sap.

It was interesting that men from France lived with them and started families. And that the Cherokee were happy to trade deerskins for iron pots, metal hoes and guns. They used guns to hunt more animals and have more skins to trade. 

I didn't know that the Cherokees were always fighting with their neighbors after they got guns. In 1715 they signed a treaty with the British to be friendly towards Virginia colonists and give them land. The colonists gave them guns in exchange. It was interesting to learn that they were friends with the English but got along better with the French, because they showed more respect for the Cherokee's ways. 

The artwork had those black lines throughout that gives it a sketchy look that I can't stand. The picture of the French and Indian War had a random baby in the sky, I didn't know what it was at first but figured out it was an angel. And it was behind an Indian's raised arm so it looked like it was attached or touching him and it just made no sense. That was a terrible choice on the artist's part and a bad choice to put it in the book. Kids might get the wrong idea and think there were babies in the fight or that angels were literally watching over them. 

I had never heard that after Chief Sequoyah invented their alphabet in the 1820s that they printed their own newspaper. They set up schools to teach their kids to read and write, and made their own government. Settlers called them civilized bcuz they lived a lot like them. The Cherokee were known as one of the "Five Civilized Tribes," of the SE U.S., along with the Choctaw, Creek, Chickasaw, and Seminole.

I had never heard anything about the ones that went to Oklahoma so it was nice to get some information on them. The first group that was forced to move there was in the 1790s and they got the best land. The next was in 1837 and the last group was on the Trail of Tears and 1838 and the best land was already taken. This caused arguments with what to do with the land.

I recognized a picture of the replica Cherokee home from the village in Cherokee but the captain didn't say it was from their replica village. It just said it's a traditional cabin in NC. It should be stated it's at their village which is just a replica and not really used. 

It was interesting how there are 3 hands of Cherokee, the Eastern Band that I already knew of here in NC, and the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma and the United Keetoowah Band in Oklahoma. 
It was cool that the author said some Cherokee work in the arts and there are many famous writers. 

I'd never heard anything about the Cherokee Heritage Center in Oklahoma but it's one of the best living museums and shows way of life in ancient times. They also have bingo halls to generate revenue, and their greatest business is from visitors.

It was so lacking in information, more so than usual in children's books. The information there was had no order, bounced around randomly, lacked a lot of things, just very sparse. There was no information on clothing at all, their beliefs and ways of life. It was mostly politics. I don't know a whole lot more about them than I did. This was heavily focused on the move and the split of the original Cherokee into the bands that they are now. I'd have to find other sources to truly learn about them because this barely had anything to offer and was almost not worth reading.