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LIVED: Cherokee lived on the Plains. They lived in Georgia, North and South Carolina, Kentucky, Virginia, and Tennessee. Many were forced to move to Oklahoma in the 1800's during the Trail of Tears.
HOMES: Cherokee families had 2 types of homes -a main house and a smaller house. The family ate and slept in the main house most of the time. This house, shaped like a rectangle was made from hickory poles and log, stiff cane plant stems covered with a mix of clay and grass. the roof was made from the bark of a tree. They slept in their smaller house in the winter and cold nights. The smaller house had a cone-shaped roof which was made of poles covered with earth. Inside, it had only beds anda fire pit.
FOOD: They grew corn, beans, squash, pumpkins, and sunflowers. The men hunted deer and bears with bows and arrows. They hunted for smaller animals, like opposum and rabbits with blowguns. They also caught fish.
TRADE: The girls and women wove blankets and make pottery. They embroidered different types of clothing and material. They made pipes which they also traded.
CLOTHING: They men and boys wore breechcloth and fringed buckskin leggings with buckskin belts, brightly colored embroidered mocassins. Women and girls wore long buckskin dresses and buckskin mocassins. They had earrings and necklaces. They wore their hair in braids. Men shaved their head except for a single scalplock. They painted their faces and bodies with tribal paint.

What was Cherokee clothing like? Did they wear feather headdresses and face paint?Cherokee men wore breechcloths and leggings.
Cherokee women wore wraparound skirts and poncho-style blouses made out of woven fiber or deerskin.
The Cherokees wore moccasins
on their feet. Here are pictures
of Cherokee clothing and photographs
of traditional Native American clothing in general.

What are Cherokee arts and crafts?

Traditional Cherokee art included
pipe carving,
rivercane baskets,
gourd art, and
pottery. After moving to Oklahoma, the
Cherokees couldn't get the materials they used to use for traditional crafts, so they concentrated on other crafts
like beadwork and
textile arts. Here are photographs of beautiful
beaded Cherokee bandolier bags.