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37-514: The title was a recognition of great honor for women who made a significant impact within their community or exhibited great heroism on the battlefield. When a woman was bestowed as a Ghigau she was given great honor and responsibility. The role has changed in Cherokee culture , but the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians still have Beloved Women today. The Ghigau title was given to extraordinary women by

74-468: A Seneca man in "A warrior cared for by wolves". "Among the Cherokees there were two women who were looked upon as the head women of the tribe. Each woman had two snakes tattooed on her lips--the upper jaws of the snakes were on the woman's upper lip, and opposite each other, the lower jaws on the lower lip in the same way. When the woman opened her mouth, the snakes seemed to open theirs. These women said, "This

111-528: A second location of the casino on their land in Murphy, North Carolina . The tribe has operated a court system since 1987. Tribal police have exclusive police jurisdiction on Indian lands. The FBI and other federal agencies have jurisdiction to handle certain major federal criminal offenses. N.C. State Highway Patrol , motor vehicle inspectors, wildlife officers, state alcohol agents, SBI agents, and other state peace officers assigned to counties that overlap with

148-519: A site to settle and use as the seat of tribal government. Two elders arrived and waited for the third. After waiting until dusk, they decided "two is enough" (Ta'ligwu). In Cherokee language, "Ta'li" represents the number two and "-gwu" means "it's enough", or translated as "Two is enough". This legend purportedly began in the 1930s. A more likely origin is the ancient eastern Cherokee town of Great Tellico, spelled Talikwa in Cherokee. Still others trace it to

185-524: Is centered on the community of Cherokee , which serves as the tribal capital of the EBCI. Smaller, non-contiguous parcels also lie in Graham and Cherokee counties, near the communities of Snowbird and Murphy , respectively. The tribe purchased this land in the 1870s, and it was subsequently placed under federal protective trust; it is not a reservation created by the government. Individuals can buy, own, and sell

222-473: Is evidence indicating that both men and women filled the role of chief. In the fall, which was considered the time of war, duties then generally fell on the red government. The white government consisted of the Peace Chief, an advisor, prime counselors (one from each clan unit), a council of elders , a chief speaker , messengers, and ceremonial officers. This organization made the decisions that guided

259-592: Is known as the Trail of Tears . Some of the Cherokee were able to evade the initial removal and hide in the Great Smoky Mountains , some were free to stay on their lands because of earlier treaties, but the majority of the Cherokee people were removed from the land. This was when the main struggle for land at what became the Qualla Boundary began. The Qualla Boundary was first surveyed in 1876 by M. S. Temple under

296-430: Is the headquarters for outreach and involvement between residents in the Qualla Boundary and outside surrounding communities. It provides services including application process, transcript request, scholarships, internships placement, high school recruitment, as well as college level courses. The Cherokee Center is supported by an advisory board composed of representatives from the EBCI and Western Carolina University. In

333-418: Is the way to torment him; tie him near a fire and burn the soles of his feet till they are blistered, then let the water out of the blisters, put kernels of corn inside the skin, and chase him with clubs till he dies." Cherokee society Cherokee society is the culture and societal structures shared by the Cherokee people. The Cherokee people are Indigenous to the mountain and inland regions of

370-848: The Cherokee Nation (CN); the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians (UKB); and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI), consisting of the Cherokees who remained in North Carolina after the Trail of Tears. The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians headquarters are in the town of Cherokee, North Carolina , on the Qualla Boundary , while the Cherokee Nation and the United Keetoowah Band are both headquartered in Tahlequah, Oklahoma . The Cherokee Nation's citizens are primarily descended from

407-739: The Cherokee clans , and the title of great honor and responsibility was held for life. The Cherokees believed that the Great Spirit frequently spoke through the Ghigau. The Ghigau headed the Council of Women and held a voting seat in the Council of Chiefs. She was given the responsibility of prisoners and would decide their fate. There are other similar words. For instance, the word Adageyudi (Cherokee:ᎠᏓᎨᏳᏗ) means "beloved" or "beloved woman". An even greater title would have been Chigau (Cherokee: ᏥᎦᎤ) meaning "greatly beloved woman". Nancy Ward , whose Cherokee name

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444-522: The Daughters of the American Revolution . On September 11, 1808, in council Broom's town, the ancient law of blood revenge was abolished by the Cherokee national government. The Cherokee, once ruled by clan loyalty, were moving toward a republican form of government. There was no longer a place in Cherokee government for a Ghigau. The Seneca myth speaks of two Cherokee Ghigau deciding the fate of

481-642: The Oconaluftee River for the tribe, the total area adding up to around 50,000 acres; the purchased lands are a large part of what makes up the Boundary today. The Cherokee organized and formed a corporation in 1870 to be able to purchase and hold additional lands. The Cherokee who gained the ability to live in North Carolina were considered to be an independent band from the Cherokee Nation living in Oklahoma. In

518-509: The sacred fire. Weddings and other meetings were also held within the Council House. Cherokees are traditionally a matrilineal kinship society, in which property and social status have historically descended through the women's line. To traditional Cherokees, a child is considered born into their mother's family and clan; the most important man in the life of these children is their mother's eldest brother. The blood law system of justice

555-468: The 1830s. William Holland Thomas had lived and worked among the Cherokee people for a good portion of his life. He had a knowledge of their traditions and language and was close friends with some members of the tribe. The Cherokee valued and respected Thomas; he had studied law and was adopted into the tribe and named as successor by its hereditary chief. He is the only European American to have served as chief in their history. Thomas purchased lands around

592-582: The 1930s, the federal government requested the tribe to cede land for the construction of a new motorway, called the Blue Ridge Parkway , that would cut through the Qualla Boundary to end at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The tribe resisted the federal government, which initially wanted the land for free. In 1939, the tribe and the federal government reached an agreement and signed a pact for right-of-way acquisition; in return

629-515: The Cherokee people have also been influenced by neighboring cultures. Cherokee dances included the Booger Dance , Stomp Dance , War Dance, a victory dance called the Eagle Tail Dance, Ant Dance, Bear Dance, Beaver Hunting Dance, Friendship Dance, Forest Buffalo Dance and Uke Dance. Qualla Boundary The Qualla Boundary or The Qualla is territory held as a land trust by

666-513: The Cherokees who were forced west on the Trail of Tears during the winter of 1838-1839, while the UKB professes its membership is principally descendants of the Cherokee Old Settlers, who moved west prior to 1838. According to local legend, after the Cherokee people reached this area on the Trail of Tears, three tribal elders had scheduled a rendezvous near present-day Tahlequah in order to select

703-564: The Qualla Boundary can be called to assist tribal law enforcement officers, and can be commissioned as "special officers" of the Department of the Interior to assist in federal investigations. Non-tribal members charged with a crime in Qualla Boundary are referred to county courts. The Qualla Boundary is divided into seven communities, which are similar to townships . There are no municipalities, instead each community elects two representatives to

740-691: The United States government for the federally recognized Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI), who reside in Western North Carolina . The area is part of the large historic Cherokee territory in the Southeast, which extended into eastern Tennessee, western South Carolina, northern Georgia, and Alabama. Currently, the largest contiguous portion of the Qualla lies in Haywood , Swain , and Jackson counties and

777-658: The area, having migrated there centuries before Europeans arrived. During their colonial expansion west, European settlers sometimes came into conflict with the Cherokee, whose territory extended into present-day Tennessee and northern Georgia. After the late 18th century and warfare with American settlers during and after the Revolutionary War , many of the Cherokee moved further south along the Tennessee River , into Georgia and westward into Alabama, establishing at least eleven new towns . The Cherokee were forcibly removed in

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814-678: The auspices of the United States Land Office. These pieces were embodied in a map published as the Map of the Qualla Indian reserve . The Qualla Boundary is a land trust supervised by the United States Bureau of Indian Affairs . The land is a fragment of the extensive historical homeland of the Cherokee in the region and was considered part of the Cherokee Nation during the 19th century, prior to certain treaties and Indian Removal in

851-554: The battle against the Creeks. Her bravery and leadership resulted in her being bestowed with the title of Ghigau. Nanyehi became aware of a planned attack against the white colonists during the Revolutionary War by Dragging Canoe, her cousin. She warned the colonists of the upcoming battle, which resulted in her being identified as a patriot for the Society of the Sons of the American Revolution and

888-403: The fate of captives and prisoners taken in times of war. Cherokee towns had a large meeting house called a Council House or ga-tu-yi (ᎦᏚᏱ). The Council House was the center of government for each town; it had seven sides, which provided the same number of sections, so that each clan had a place for its representatives within the governmental structure. The seven sections of seats surrounded

925-604: The federal government would make a $ 40,000 payment for the tribe's land, require the state to build a regular highway through the Soco Valley ( US 19 ), and transfer two other parcels to the tribe, known as the Boundary Tree tract (north of US 441 , near the national park entrance) and Ravensford tract (east of the Oconaluftee River and Raven Fork confluence). Two years later, the U.S. Congress decided not to give

962-497: The land, provided they are enrolled members of EBCI tribe. Qualla comes from the Cherokee word kwalli ('old woman'). It refers to Polly, an elder Cherokee woman who lived in the area. The Qualla Boundary is located at 35°30′N 83°16′W  /  35.500°N 83.267°W  / 35.500; -83.267 . The main part of the Qualla Boundary lies in eastern Swain and northern Jackson counties (just south of Great Smoky Mountains National Park ). A small portion of

999-628: The late 1830s from much of this area, especially the Black Belt in Georgia and Alabama, under federal authority as authorized by Congress in the 1830 Indian Removal Act . They were relocated to Indian Territory west of the Mississippi River, in what is the present-day state of Oklahoma. During the winter of 1838 and early the spring of 1839, the U.S. Federal Government relocated approximately 11,000 Cherokee from their homeland in North Carolina, in what

1036-590: The main trust lands extends eastward into Haywood County . The trust lands include many smaller non-contiguous sections to the southwest in Marble, Hiwassee, and Hanging Dog areas of Cherokee County , and the Snowbird community in Graham County . The total land area of these regions is 213.934 km (82.6 sq mi), with a 2000 census resident population of 8,092 people. The Cherokee and their ancestors have long occupied

1073-573: The schools operated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs allowed only English to be used. In 2004, the EBCI established the New Kituwah Academy , a private bilingual Cherokee-English language immersion school for Cherokee students in kindergarten through sixth grade, located in the Yellowhill community. In 1975 Western Carolina University opened its Cherokee Center in cooperation with the EBCI, which

1110-522: The southeastern United States in the areas of present-day North Carolina, and historically in South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and Northern Mountainous areas, now called the Blue Ridge Mountains of Georgia and its lowlands. The majority of the tribe was forcibly removed to Indian Territory (now Oklahoma ) in the winter of 1838-1839. The three federally recognized Cherokee tribes are:

1147-805: The tribal council; except for Cherokee County and Snowbird, which share two representatives to the tribal council. Cherokee, a census-designated place , overlaps most of Painttown and Yellowhill, with a small portion also in Wolftown. From 1890 to 1954, the U.S. Indian Service (later renamed the Bureau of Indian Affairs) operated the Cherokee Boarding Schools in Cherokee. It replaced these with elementary day schools, located closer to students' homes in Big Cove, Soco, Birdtown, and Snowbird. In 1962 all elementary day schools were consolidated into Central Elementary School in Cherokee. In 1975, Cherokee High School

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1184-574: The tribe during their times of peace, including domestic issues and ceremonies. The red government consisted of a Great War Chief, the Great War Chief's Second, seven War Counselors, a War Woman or "Beloved Woman", the Chief War Speaker, Messengers, Ceremonial Officers, and War Scouts . The seven war counselors were in charge of declaring war when they felt the circumstances made it necessary. The War Woman and Grandmother Elders would declare

1221-609: The tribe the Ravensford tract as stated in the pact. In 2003, the tribe negotiated a land swap with the federal government; this involved the tribe buying 218 acres (88 ha) near Waterrock Knob then trading it for the Ravensford tract. In 2009, Cherokee Central Schools opened a $ 140 million school campus on the Ravensford tract. The tribal community functions like most municipalities, operating schools, law enforcement, and rescue services, in addition to their own hospital and gaming casino, known as Harrah's Cherokee . They have opened

1258-454: The word tel-i-quah, which is interpreted as "plains". But there is no specific word for "plains" in any current Cherokee lexicon. Cherokee society has traditionally been grouped around a social organization of seven clans . These are: Each Cherokee town had two governmental units: a white and red government. The white government was in power primarily beginning with spring planting season and maintained control over domestic affairs. There

1295-512: Was Nanyehi, was a notable Ghigau who was born in the Cherokee town of Chota . She was thought to be the daughter of a Cherokee woman named Tame Doe, of the Wolf Clan . Tame Doe's brother was Attakullakulla . In 1755, the Cherokee fought against the Muscogee Creeks. During the battle, Nanyehi's first husband, Kingfisher, was killed. She was just 18 at the time, and victoriously led and fought in

1332-482: Was opened with grades seven through twelve. In 1990 Cherokee Central Schools became a tribally operated school district, under a grant from the Bureau of Indian Affairs, with students assigned from Big Cove, Birdtown, Painttown, Wolftown, and Yellowhill communities. In 1996, the school district established the Kituwah curriculum for kindergarten through sixth grade, which incorporates the Cherokee language . Prior to this,

1369-1001: Was usually carried out by the oldest brother of the victim, or by an older male relative from the victim's clan . In 1808 the people created the Lighthorsemen as the chief law enforcement of the Nation, until they were reformed in 1817. By 1825 the Lighthorseman were replaced by Marshals, Sheriffs and Constables to respond to a demand for more structured law enforcement along the European-American model. There are seven primary ceremonies traditionally celebrated by Cherokees, but smaller subsequent ceremonies and or extension of primary ceremonies are also practiced. They are as follows: Traditional Cherokees have both social and ceremonial dances. Some surviving dances may now be held for different purposes than they had historically. As with many cultures,

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