American Indian

By: Precious Datuin, Valerie Loya, Briana Torres

Chapter 4

Edu 280

Spring 2019
American Indian Tribes
•Cherokee Tribe
1. It comes from a Muskogee word
meaning “speakers of another
language.”
2. Cherokee Indians originally called
themselves Aniyunwiya(Ani-Yun-Wiya), "the
principal people," but today they
accept the name Cherokee, which is
spelled and pronounced Tsalagi(sal-
agi) in their own language.
American Indian Cherokee
Tribe
•3. The Cherokees are original residents of the American southeast region,
particularly Georgia, North and South Carolina, Virginia, Kentucky, and
Tennessee.
•4. There are three federally recognized Cherokee tribes: the Cherokee Nation
of Oklahoma, the United Keetoowah Band in Oklahoma, and the Eastern Band of
Cherokee Indians in North Carolina. Other Cherokee communities in Alabama,
Georgia, and other states are considered unofficial by the US government.
•5.Each Cherokee tribe has its own government, laws, police, and services, just
like a small country. However, Cherokee Indians are also US citizens and must
obey American law.
Cherokee Indian Foods
1. The Cherokee were farming people. Cherokee women did most of the farming,
harvesting crops of corn, beans, squash, and sunflowers. Cherokee men did most of
the hunting, shooting deer, bear, wild turkeys, and small game. They also fished in the
rivers and along the coast. Cherokee dishes included cornbread, soups, and stews
cooked on stone hearths.
2. In today’s modern age, food in Cherokee is as diverse as anywhere else. Many foods
are prepared by grilling, frying, boiling, baking, and occasionally over an open fire.
3. Cherokee people still eat the three sisters and grow a variety of vegetables and fruits.
People also get together for hot dogs, hamburgers, BBQ, turkey, ham, steaks, fish, etc.
One more modern, local favorite is shared by many people in the Qualla Boundary
and beyond: it is called fry bread.
Cherokee Indian Foods
There is a legend that corn, beans,
and squash are inseparable sisters
that grow and thrive together.
Specialty Food Dish- Fry Bread
1. Fry bread is a modern tradition
found in many tribes in North
America, and, in Cherokee, there is
a wide variety of recipes.
2. Fry bread can be eaten plain or
with toppings like cheese, chili, hot
sauce, hot peppers, lettuce, tomato,
onion, sour cream, salsa, and more.
Socioeconomic Status of American
Indians
● American Indians in the United States are among
the poorest economically
○ Least employed
○ Unhealthiest
○ Low education/income levels
● The Southern Utes in Colorado, the Uinta-Ouray
Utes in Utah, and the Blackfeet in Montana have
gas and oil reserves, like the Shoshones in
Wyoming.
● The Navajo and Hopi reservations in the
Southwest contain vast oil and gas fields as well
as uranium reserves.
Religion of the American Indian
● The American Indian belief that the world is
interconnected and everything, including
humankind, lives according to the same process.
○ Power
○ Function
○ Place in the universe
● Every part of nature has a spirit that possesses
intelligence, emotion, and free will.
● Great Spirit is everything in all nature.
○ Pray to nature
○ Nature is the Essence of God
● The spiritual God of the American Indians is
positive, benevolent, and part of daily living.
American Indian Language

● The American Indian language depends

on their tribe, the most common one is
the Navajo language with nearly 170,000
speakers.
● American Indians tend to speak more
softly and at a slower rate, to avoid
direct identification between speaker
and listener.
○ To interject less frequently with encouraging
communicational signs such as head nods and
verbal acknowledgements.