Welcome to Cherokee Heritage Week! This week is not about studying a people from the past — it is about remembering who we are and how we belong to the land. We will learn how our Cherokee ancestors lived in balance with nature, growing what they ate, honoring rain and water, listening to the wind, and caring for the forests, rivers, and animals that sustained them. We will talk about why the land was never owned, only respected, and how every plant, animal, and season was treated as a living relationship. This week is about learning to slow down, notice, and live with gratitude — and about understanding that being Cherokee is not just something we inherit, but something we practice every day in how we care for the earth and for each other.
Symbols:
- The Seven-Pointed Star – represents the seven clans and the undying fire
of the Cherokee people.
- The sacred fire – a central element representing the Creator’s presence and unity, historically maintained in the center of towns and in council houses; made with seven types of wood to represent the seven clans
- Plants/Herbs – cedar, sage, and tobacco are sacred, with cedar used in ceremonies for protection and cleaning, and tobacco used to send prayers to the Creator
- Eagle (uwohali) – represents the Creator and the highest form of honor, eagle feathers are used in ceremonies for healing, purification, and to carry prayers. The eagle symbolizes strength, courage, and wisdom. Native Americans are the only ones who can legally possess eagle feathers
- Owls are omens, believed to be witches or messengers of death that can harm people
- The Dreamcatcher – symbolizes the catching of dreams and the interconnectedness of all life
MONDAY — WHO ARE THE CHEROKEE?
Geography & History:
- Original/sacred homeland: Southern Appalachians (NC, TN, GA, AL, SC)
- One of the “Five Civilized Tribes” – adopted Christianity,
centralized government, and literacy, to “fit in” with the colonists
- Still very much alive today (Eastern Band in NC & Cherokee Nation in
OK); some were removed, some stayed – and we come from those survivors
- Families passed down knowledge through generations
- Key belief: “We do not come from the land. We come with the
land.”
- Respect for nature
- Community over individual
- Spiritual connection to land
Social Structure
- Matrilineal society
- Clan comes from the mother
- Property passed through women
- Women chose chiefs & owned the land, controlled food; were the head of household
The Seven Clans
- Wolf (warriors, protection)
- Deer (hunting)
- Bird (spiritual messengers)
- Paint (ceremonial)
- Long Hair (peace)
- Wild Potato (land keepers)
- Blue (medicine)
Activity:
“My Clan & My Role” Journal Page
- What does it mean to be a descendant? What responsibilities come
with that?
- Which clan would you belong to and why?
- What would your role in the village be?
- Hunter
- Healer
- Storyteller
- Farmer
- Protector
TUESDAY — THE LAND PROVIDES
Homes
- The Cherokee did not live in tipis, they lived in permanent, sedentary
villages with log cabins in winter and open-air dwellings in summer
- Wattle & daub houses (wood + clay)
- Winter homes: thick, insulated
- Summer homes: airy & open
Cherokee Food Philosophy
- You take only what you need
- You thank what you take
- You waste nothing; so, say you killed a deer, you'd use the meat for food, tan hides with the brains for clothing, bedding, and moccasins, use sinew and entrails for thread/bowstrings, bones and antlers as tools, fish hooks, eating utensils, beads, musical instruments; stomach used as a vessel for boiling meat, hooves were boiled down to create glue
The Three Sisters
- Corn = structure
- Beans = nourishment
- Squash = protection
Explain:
- Farming was sacred
- Women controlled agriculture
- Seeds were inherited treasures
Fishing & Hunting Beliefs
- Animals are teachers; ate deer, turkey, fish
- Before hunting:
- Prayer
- Gratitude
- Promise to use all parts
- Also ate berries, nuts, roots
Clothing
- Deerskin shirts & leggings
- Moccasins
- Beads, feathers, shells
- Later: woven cloth after trade
Activity — Grow What You Eat:
If possible:
- Plant corn, beans, herbs, or vegetables
- Even small pots count
Teach:
- “This is how our ancestors survived.”
Journal prompt:
“If I depended on the land for food, how would I treat it differently?”
Optional:
- Clean and prepare a simple “Cherokee-style” meal:
- Fried catfish, pork
- Cornbread, hoe patties
- Beans, lima/butter beans - shell them
- Squash or greens
Activity:
Build a Mini Cherokee Village
Use:
- Sticks
- Clay or playdough
- Paper cones
Create:
- Winter house
- Summer house
- Council house
Label:
- Fire circle
- Garden
- River
WEDNESDAY — BELIEFS, SPIRIT & “COLORS OF THE WIND”
Key Cherokee Beliefs
- The world is alive
- Everything has spirit:
- Trees
- Rivers
- Animals
- Wind
- Goal of life: Balance & Harmony (called “tohi” — peace, rightness)
Sacred Elements
- Fire (center of village, sacred)
- Water (healing, cleansing)
- “Going to Water” is a daily morning ritual where, often led by a healer, individuals wade into running water to cleanse the body of and spirit of illness or negative thoughts
- The Four Directions (each had meaning) - symbol of balance and the continuous cycle of life, often depicted as four flowing, intertwined lines
- East (Red - Ka-lv-gv): Represents victory, power, the sun's rising, and success. It is often associated with the season of Spring.
- North (Blue - U-yv-tlv): Represents trouble, defeat, sadness, and cold. It is associated with the season of Winter.
- West (Black): Represents death and the setting sun, where the "Black Man" resides, associated with the end of life or finality; used on the flag to honor those who died during the Trail of Tears
- South (White - U-ga-no-wa): Represents peace, happiness, serenity, and warmth. It is associated with the season of Summer.
“Colors of the Wind” Explained
Go line by line with them:
“You think you own whatever land you
land on”
→ Europeans believed land = property
→ Cherokee believed land = relationship, not ownership
“Every rock and tree and creature has
a life, has a spirit, has a name”
→ Very accurate to Cherokee belief
→ Nature is alive and worthy of respect
“We are all connected to each other”
→ Central Indigenous worldview
→ Human is only one part of the web
This is your Rain Dance / Nature Ceremony Day — spiritual but grounded.
Explain gently and accurately:
Cherokee did not have “rain dances” as entertainment.
They had ceremonies of balance and prayer:
- Asking for rain
- Thanking for harvest
- Restoring harmony
Water beliefs:
- Water carries memory
- Rivers are living beings
- Cleansing = spiritual + physical
Important teaching:
“We do not command nature.
We ask, listen, and give thanks.”
Activity — Family Gratitude Rain Ceremony / Bullfrog Dance
This becomes a beautiful ritual you can reuse yearly.
Outside (or by window if no rain):
- Stand barefoot if possible
- Each person holds:
- Bowl of water
- Leaf or stone
Say together:
“We thank the rain for life,
The rivers for carrying us,
The land for feeding us,
And promise to care for what cares for us.”
Each child shares:
- One thing they thank the earth for
- One way they will protect it
Then:
- Water your plants together
- Pour extra water onto soil intentionally
Activity
Nature Listening Walk
Outside or at a park:
- Sit quietly 5–10 minutes
- Write or draw:
- What did the wind say?
- What did the trees sound like?
- What animals did you notice?
Journal prompt:
“If the wind could teach me something today, it would be…”
THURSDAY — CARING FOR THE LAND: STEWARDSHIP & DAILY PRACTICE
Teach:
Cherokee belief:
- You borrow the land from your grandchildren
- What you do today shapes seven generations
Daily practices:
- Clearing paths
- Protecting rivers
- Rotating crops
- Respecting seasons
Animals were:
- Teachers
- Messengers
- Balance keepers
Activity — Stewardship Day
Choose 2–3:
🌱 Garden care
- Weed, water, tend plants
🗑 Nature cleanup
- Walk & collect trash
- Discuss human impact
🐟 Fishing lesson (if applicable)
- Teach:
- Take only what you need
- Release gently
- Thank the fish
🌳 Tree gratitude
- Each child chooses a tree
- Touch bark, listen to leaves
- Name what the tree provides
Journal prompt:
“How will I protect the land when I am older?”
FRIDAY — LANGUAGE, STORY & TRAIL OF TEARS
Language
- Sequoyah developed a unique 85-character syllabary (characters represent
syllables rather than individual letters) in 1821. This made them one of the
first indigenous groups with their own written language; very rare across world
history. They quickly achieved high literacy rates and published the first Native
American newspaper (the Cherokee Phoenix). They essentially tried to
become “white enough” to be respected as civilized society, and not kicked off
their land. However, even though they were removed from their land, they still established
a sovereign government with a constitution in 1839.
- Can learn Cherokee at New Kituwah Language Academy today. They say that if they lose their language, they are no longer Native, they are just American.
Write their names in Cherokee syllabary:
An-Na - ᎠᎾ. This represents the two syllables "A" (Ꭰ) and "na" (Ꮎ).
Chayton is of Lakota/Sioux origin, not Cherokee. It is derived from the Lakota word čhetáŋ, meaning "falcon". - ᏣᎢᏔᏂ (Tsai-ta-ni) Ꮳ (Tsa) Ꭲ (I) Ꮤ (Ta) Ꮒ (Ni)
Kyr-Stie - ᎧᏍᏔᏂ - (Ka-s-ta-ni) - Ꭷ (Ka) - Ꮝ (s) - Ꮤ (ta) - Ꮒ (ni)
Da-Vid - ᏕᏫᏗ. - "Day-wi-di" - 'De' (Ꮥ), 'Wi' (Ꮻ), and 'Di' (Ꮧ)
Trail of Tears
Explain softly but truthfully:
- Cherokee were forced from their land in 1838; the US Army found gold in GA. Cherokee had fought for the Confederacy during the Civil War. William, our ancestor, was one of those soldiers.
- Walked from NC/GA to Oklahoma
- Roughly 16,000 were forcibly removed from their home, and 1 in 4
died on the way
- However, some escaped and hid in the mountains → These became the Eastern Band of Cherokee in NC; we are the descendants of these protestors
- The Qualla Boundary is unique to the Cherokee. It is not a reservation in the sense that the government set aside this land for them. It was actually purchased back from the government by the Cherokee in the 1870s. A white man named William Holland Thomas was adopted by the chief, and actually became principal chief when that chief passed. He became a merchant, a lawyer, a state senator, and he even led Thomas's Legion of Cherokee and Highlanders during the Civil War as a Confederate Colonel. He purchased the 56,000 acres of land and gave it back to the Cherokee. Now, they operate a casino and other investments and give a stipend back to the people each year, so they are doing quite well for themselves.
Important message:
They were not “defeated.”
They survived.
Their culture is still alive.
Activity
Story Circle
Read or tell a Cherokee legend:
Then:
- Retell it in your own words
- Or draw your favorite scene
Watch Brother Bear.
SATURDAY — HERITAGE PILGRIMAGE: FIELD TRIP TO CHEROKEE, NORTH CAROLINA 🌄
“We are returning to the land of our people.”
Respect Lesson
- Cherokee are not “characters” or costumes
- This is living culture
- Ask questions kindly
- No touching sacred items unless invited
“This land once held our ancestors.
We walk here as family, not visitors.
We listen, learn, and honor.”
4th of July Pow Wow, Cherokee Fairgrounds
BJ's Diner, best burgers in town
🏛 Museum of the Cherokee People
Give kids a “Museum Quest”:
- Find one tool; daily life tools, farming tools, fishing tools
- One story
- One clothing item
- One word in Cherokee
Questions to ask:
- How did children live?
- What did families do together?
- How did they survive winters?
- Dates: May 30 – August 22, 2026. Closed on Sundays
- Time: Show begins at 8pm
- Duration: Show runs approximately 2 hours
- Location: Mountainside Theatre at 688 Drama Rd, Cherokee, NC
- Schedule: Box office opens at 4pm. Gates open at 7pm. Pre-show entertainment begins at 7:30pm. Show begins at 8pm. The show runs approximately 2 hours with one intermission.
🏘 Oconaluftee (means "by the river" or "beside the river") Indian Village
Let them:
- Watch pottery or beadwork, cooking, farming
- Ask how homes were built
- See the fire circle, the fire keeping
Point out:
- Gardens
- Corn storage
- Water use
Ask them:
- Which job would you have here?
- What skills matter most?
🌿 Nature Walk (Oconaluftee River Trail / Island Park)
Go to:
- River
- Trail
- Forest
- Mingo (means "Big Bear") Falls - where they did medicine ("going to water" send prayers to the Creator, don't ask for anything, you have everything you need on this earth), Sully's grave is at the top, one of the 1200 who hid in the woods
Do a Quiet Heritage Walk, prompt them:
- 5 minutes silent
- Listen to the wind, water, birds
- Watch water movement
- Look for animal tracks
Then sit and share:
- What does this land feel like?
- What do you feel here?
- Does this land feel different?
CLOSING CEREMONY — “WE WALK WITH THE LAND” 🌎
Create a small Family Heritage Circle / “Colors of the Wind” Circle. Sit together outside on the last day/night before leaving the Airbnb.
Each child shares:
- One thing they learned
- One thing they respect more now
- One Cherokee value they want to live by
- One way they will care for the earth
Then say together:
“We come from the land.
We belong to the rivers and forests.
We honor our ancestors by how we live,
How we grow, how we take,
And how we give back.
We promise to walk gently,
Listen to the wind,
And remember all those who came before us.”
Optional:
- Keep:
- Stone from river
- Leaf from trail
- Seed from planting
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Thanks for reading Blue Sky Days! XOXO, Kyrstie.