Cherokee - Native American Indians - Research Paper Example

Modern Cherokee Indians Introduction Native Americans have always been an inherent part of American history and culture. They are considered the original settlers of what was then considered the New World or the Americas. They also represent a rich blend of dynamic culture and tradition. There are numerous tribes of Native Americans, each with their unique qualities and cultures. One of these tribes is the Cherokee which is considered to be a detached tribe of the Iroquois which used to occupy the entire mountain region of the south Alleghenies, southwest Virginia, western North Carolina, and South Carolina, northeast Alabama, and east Tennessee (Access Genealogy, 2011). This paper shall discuss the social, biological, and psychological influences of the modern Cherokee Indians, aged 0-18 years. It shall also discuss this ethnic/racial group, their well being, wealth, health, happiness/sadness, level of achievement and level of involvement with others. Body Social influences of the modern Cherokee Indians are already largely based on the whites or the American influence. As a result, many modern Cherokees aged 0-18 years are now educated, very much like their white counterparts. They have also been immersed in a world where they are considering careers as merchants, bankers, doctors, and lawyers (Conley, 2012). In effect, the Cherokee nation now resembles the larger US; but in some ways, they have also improved on the modern American influence. Their impact on the American history has been seen when they introduced the first free compulsory public school system, and the first institution of higher learning near the Mississippi River (Conley, 2012). The influence they have had on American society and history has been lauded by their contemporaries; however, the full-blooded communities have also managed to maintain the pure Cherokee traditions in the Midwest and Southeast regions (Conley, 2012). In general, the 0-18 year old modern Cherokee Indians are more or less influenced by the white culture and their traditions seem to follow mainstream ideals. However, these people still gather occasionally in their ceremonial stomp grounds in order to honor their traditions through dances (Conley, 2012). These dances are usually in secret locations, but recently have been shown to the public in order to educate the people about Cherokee traditions. The social influences of the Cherokee have been based on a blending of their Cherokee teachings, as well as their modern interactions with their white counterparts. These Cherokees would not be out of place in a society of whites because they have more or less immersed themselves in this culture from their school activities, as well as their social interactions (Collier, 1973). Moreover, with the intermarriages of Cherokees with the whites, many children have also been raised in mixed cultures and have been influenced by their American as well as their Cherokee parents. While living in the contemporary world, the modern Cherokees have adapted their habits to the Americans. Where before, they have been largely agricultural and dependent on the land for their food, the present modern Cherokee diet is not anymore different from the American diet (Collier, 1973). In special gatherings however, they include wild onions, eggs, bean bread, fried bread, grape dumplings, and fried crayfish in their diet. They also serve Kanuche on these special occasions. Kanuche is a rich broth of hickory nuts (Conley, 2012). With these practices, the modern Cherokees still get a taste of their unique Cherokee diet. The traditional Cherokees dressed in breechcloth and moccasins during the summer and leggings and hunting jacket in the winter (Conley, 1988). But now, the modern Cherokees wear regular American clothes. On occasion, the men would wear ribbon shirts and some would even try hunting jackets and turbans (Fogelson, 1978). The women may also try the tear dresses; but aside from these special occasions, these Cherokees would dress similarly to their American counterparts. At some point in their past, Cherokees hardly experienced any diseases. They also had their unique ways of healing any diseases they encountered (Collier, 1973). However, with the entry of the white people into the Americas, white diseases became rampant. Their resources and knowledge of healing were inadequate to address these diseases (Collier, 1973). As a result, most of the Cherokees became dependent on the whites for their health care. This led to the establishment of the Indian Health Service; and in recent years, many Indians have been trying to deliver these services themselves (Rife, 2009). They have also become more proactive in delivering their health care needs, and this has led to the establishment of rural health clinics and the development of other health programs (Rife, 2009). In recent years, these Cherokees have also contracted more or less the same diseases plaguing many Americans. The more common illnesses include diabetes and obesity (Rife, 2009). Notably, alcoholism and suicide has also been common among these Cherokee and have mostly been attributed by their issues on unemployment, poverty, and high crime rates (Sobe, 2004). The language of the Cherokee is based on the Iroquoian languages and is still widely used among the modern Cherokee with children learning the language from their parents (Conley, 1988). The modern Cherokee are bilingual as they learn the language during their early years and later, learn English in school. Like other languages, there is also a modern integration of the English language into the Cherokee language with English words lacking Cherokee translation (Hirata-Eds, 2007). All in all, the Cherokee language is very much alive and dynamic. Other socio-cultural aspects of the modern Cherokees include their religion. Ancient Cherokee beliefs included the concept of the world being flat and floating in water (Cantrell, 2009). They also had spiritual beliefs in beings and souls departed. The modern Cherokee has now been influenced by the whites and their religions. Some of them have been Christianized and are now Methodists, Presbyterians, Unitarians, and Baptists (Cantrell, 2009). The Cherokee influence is however not lost as they have also translated their Bibles in the Cherokee language; their services are also carried out in the Cherokee language. Many Cherokees in fact believe that the Cherokee Baptist Church has helped preserve the Cherokee language (Conley, 2012). In relation to employment and economic opportunities, the modern Cherokees have found limited opportunities. A major contributor to this set-up is the fact that some of them are content to stay in their communities and to not seek better opportunities elsewhere (Conley, 2012). Many of them seem to prefer staying with their families and friends within their communities. For these Cherokees, unemployment levels are often high (Perdue, 2004). Employment opportunities are available within their communities but are still not enough to sustain these Cherokees. As a result, they often live below the poverty line; they also end up working menial and below minimum wage jobs, including mowing lawns, cutting firewood, and similar odd and temporary jobs which can only support their families for short periods of time (Conley, 2012). Due to these limited opportunities, a good number of modern Cherokees who often opt to stay with their communities are below the poverty line. These people are often prone to various mental health issues including alcoholism and depression (Perdue, 2004). For some Cherokees, suicides often result when depressed symptoms are not properly addressed. The current political and economic affairs of the Cherokees are protected legally by the Indian Self-Determination Act, an act which allows the Cherokees to contract with the government as an independent group (Conley, 2012). The modern Cherokees have managed to establish some control into their social and economic activities. However, they are still a people which are in danger of being encroached by the state governments, especially as far as their tribal areas are concerned (Fariello, 2009). It has therefore proved difficult to protect many of the traditions of the Cherokee. Nevertheless, they have still managed to perpetuate their traditions as a people through literature, music, dance, and other art forms. Conclusion The modern Cherokee people represent the general evolution of the Native American people in the United States. These modern Cherokees have taken on various traits from their American counterparts and have discarded many of their traditions. Nevertheless, some of these traditions are still part of their culture. The modern Cherokees have now been fully integrated into the modern American society. As they have adopted these modern traditions into their lives, they have also been prompted by their personal identity as Cherokees to protect some of their traditions, including their language. The modern Cherokee in effect is a blend of the traditional Cherokee and the modern American culture, a blend that has been tempered by powerful traditions and similar considerations. References Access Genealogy (2011). Cherokee Indian Tribe. Retrieved 01 April 2012 from http://www.accessgenealogy.com/native/tribes/cherokee/cherohist.htm Cantrell, D. (2009). Western Cherokee Nation of Arkansas and Missouri - A History – A Heritage. California: Doyne Cantrell. Conley, R. (1988). The Witch of Goingsnake and Other Stories. Norman, Oklahoma: University of Oklahoma Press. Conley, R. (2012). Cherokees. Every Culture. Retrieved 01 April 2012 from http://www.everyculture.com/multi/Bu-Dr/Cherokees.html Collier, P. (1973). When Shall They Rest? The Cherokees' Long Struggle with America. New York: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston. Fariello, M. (2009). Cherokee Basketry: From the Hands of Our Elders. New York: The History Press Hirata-Eds, T. (2007). Influence of second language immersion in Cherokee on children's development of past tense in their first language, English. California: ProQuest. Perdue, T. (2004). The Cherokees. New York: Infobase Publishing. Sobe, F. (2004). The Cherokee Indians and the Trail of Tears. California: GRIN Verlag. Rife, J. (2009). Caring & Curing: A History of the Indian Health Service. California: PHS COF. Read More