Cherokee Culture

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Wild Potato Clan
Originally uploaded by mattdantodd.

We visited this huge interpretive and interactive Cherokee Village on Sunday. Aiden’s favorite part was watching them burn fallen a fallen log into a canoe. He was amazed at how they used clay to control the burn. Alyson’s favorite was watching the ladies weave wool into intricate designs.

The picture is a symbol representing one of the seven clans of the Cherokee: the Wild Potato Clan. There’s also the Deer, Paint (red), Blue, Wolf, Bird, and Long Hair Clans.


Blowgun
Originally uploaded by mattdantodd.

This guy demonstrated the blowgun to us. You can’t really see it very well, but that’s OK. Let’s just say that he was very accurate. He shot three darts and all three hit the bull’s eye (it’s way off in the distance, on the right-hand side). Impressive!


Friendship Dance
Originally uploaded by mattdantodd.

Recognize the little girl?

Yep, that’s Aly joining in the “Friendship Dance” in the actual town of Cherokee. This was the last ceremonial dance the group performed for us (see previous post for more about the dancers). Although the dancers who performed were Cherokee, their dress was not. They wore ceremonial dress from other Native American tribes – primarily because most tourists expect to see feathers. Cherokee didn’t wear feathers in their dances (except the Eagle Dance). They also performed dances from other tribes, too.


Teepee
Originally uploaded by mattdantodd.

Cherokee, NC is full of all kinds of Indian kitsch, obviously an attempt to be more attractive to tourists. It seems to be working, since the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Nation appears to be on an upswing.

This teepee was just sitting on the sidewalk, intended to be a photo-op (since the Cherokee didn’t live in teepees).

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Matt Todd

Howdy. I'm Matt. My wife, Christy, and I have four kids and two dogs, I'm passionate about orphan care. I'm a die-hard fan of the Evansville Aces, the Indiana Hoosiers, and Star Wars. I'm trying to live life by the Todd family motto: "It behooves us to live!"
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