many ethnic american indian groups live throughout the united states, including the state of north...

American Indians

Many ethnic American Indian groups live throughout the United States, including the state of North Carolina. What is an ethnic group?

“An ethnic group is a group of people whose ancestors were from the same country, who are of the same race, or who share a way of life” (pg 124).

A few American Indian groups are well known and recognized (officially accepted) throughout the state.

These groups are:

Ethnic American Indian Groups in North Carolina

The Eastern Band of Cherokee- around 13,400 members that live mainly in the Mountain region

The Lumbee- approximately 52,500 people in NC, where majority live in the Coastal Plain region

*We can use artifacts to help understand American Indian culture and way of life.

Source: Harcourt Social Studies: North Carolina Geography, History, and Culture By: Harcourt School Publishers

Recognized American Indian Groups

Many American Indians get support from organizations to help them achieve well in school and the work force.

These organizations are:- The Guilford Native American Association- The Triangle Native American Society


American Indian Support

The Lumbee

Largest American Indian group that is east of the Mississippi River (pg 126)

“Almost half of North Carolina’s American Indians are Lumbee” (pg 126).

In 1885, the government finally recognized the Lumbee group

The Lumbee group petitioned for federal recognition in 1888 for financial support and other forms of support

The Lumbee Act was passed by Congress in 1956 to recognize the Lumbee group but it did not provide financial assistance.


The Lumbee

The Lumbee Indians elect a chairman, who serves on the council for a four year term (can you think of anyone else who serves on a four year term?) and they elect a Tribal Council

The Lumbee Indians speak English as their primary language

Source: http://www.bigorrin.org/lumbee_kids.htm

Government and Language of the Lumbee

http://www.bigorrin.org/lumbee_kids.htm

Food: The Lumbee Indians were a farming and a hunting tribe. The women of the tribe stayed and farmed corn, squash, beans, and tobacco

The men of the tribe hunted deer, wild turkey and other animals

Shelter: The Lumbee Indians used pine forest and hickory to make their houses.


Food and Shelter


The Lumbee American Indian groups hold gatherings called powwows, where the celebrate their culture through songs dances, stories, and games every spring and fall.


Cultural Traditions

The Eastern Cherokees

This group is the largest group in the United States“About one out of every four American Indians in North

Carolina belongs to the Eastern Band of Cherokee” (pg 127).

- The Eastern Band of Cherokee is the only group that receives full federal recognition and support

- Due to the recognition and support, the United States government established the Qualla Boundary for the Cherokee Indians to reside, where their language is taught.

- - The Museum of the Cherokee Indian was built to preserve and inform about Cherokee culture.


The Eastern Cherokee

Government- The Cherokee people had a democratic government in which towns governed themselves. There was a peace chief, a priest, and war chief that helped guide the people in each town.

Language: In 1821, the Cherokee people had their own written language that was created and designed by Sequoyah. This allowed for the majority of Cherokee people to become literate (able to read). The language consists of 85 characters that are a set of symbols.

Source: http://www.aaanativearts.com/cherokee/cherokee-culture.htm

Government and Language

http://www.aaanativearts.com/cherokee/cherokee-culture.htm

Food- Beans, squash, corn, and sunflowers for crops. Their main dishes consisted of soups, stews and cornbread. The Cherokee people would create their own cooking utensils and pots.

Shelter- Lived in villages with roughly 30-60 houses and a large council house. The houses were made with river cane and mud. Houses that were built later were eventually made as log cabins. The council houses were built on a higher elevation and had fires that the Cherokee people built that were considered sacred.


Food and Shelter


Cherokee Indians build a fire twelve times a year called the New Moon Ceremonies where all the people gather

Each fire is built higher than the previous one in the same place each time


Cultural traditions


CherokeeThe Europeans were in search for gold and needed land for

plantations, so they invaded the homelands of the Cherokee Indians.

Diseases were passed from the Europeans to the Indians and many died (95% of the population). The Europeans forced the Indians to move to the west to Oklahoma (The Indian Removal Act of 1830), freeing their land, in what was called “The Trail of Tears”. Many died during the long journey because of disease, lack of food, and exhaustion.

If the Cherokee Indians resisted in moving westward, the Europeans placed them into concentration camps.

How the Europeans affected both the Cherokees and the Lumbee

The Europeans forced Indian children to leave their families and give up their Indian identity and customs. They forced the children to behave like Europeans to not speak their native language (they even changed their names to European names!).

The Indian adults were living in poverty, poor living conditions with little food at the Reservations.

Source: http://mysite.verizon.net/vzepxrv5/northeasternbandofcherokeeindians/id10.html

LumbeeThe Lumbee Indians were not part of the “Trail of Tears”

because they lived near streams and swamps and Europeans did not want that land, so they did not force removal.

The Lumbee people did still face discrimination from the Europeans and still lived a harsh live.


How the Europeans affected both the Cherokees and the Lumbee

http://mysite.verizon.net/vzepxrv5/northeasternbandofcherokeeindians/id10.html




http://www.bigorrin.org/lumbee_kids.htmHarcourt Social Studies: North Carolina

Geography, History, and Culture By: Harcourt School Publishers

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