Cherokee Indians And Euro-Americans

The relationship between the Cherokee Indians and the Euro-Americans is one that shows the inherent destructiveness of human nature due to the Euro-American’s part in severely debilitating Cherokee culture. Traditional Cherokee culture was primarily different from the Euro-American model of “civilization.” The one way that the culture was similar was in the sedentary nature of Cherokee villages. However, Cherokees differed from Euro-Americans in concepts such as ‘living off the land’ instead of the European idea of ‘farming’, lacking a formal education system, holding a more matrilineal view on society instead of the patriarchal dominated Euro-American view, and holding religious beliefs that differed from Christianity. The Euro-Americans tried to make the Cherokee tribes ‘civilized’; however, only some components of this plan worked. Ultimately, this brought about the removal of the Cherokees along with a decrease in traditional Cherokee culture, such as the Cherokee language. …show more content…
Traditional Cherokee people lived within settled villages in the Southeastern section of the United States. One can see this when looking at maps of the Cherokee people, but also through reading traditional myths from the culture. The places named in these myths – such as Judacullah Rock and the Nikwasi Mound – are all various landmarks that were used for a period of years and are even still there today in North Carolina (Mooney). Therefore, this shows that the Cherokee people had a history in the land where they