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Cher-O-Creek Intratribal Indians
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Seven Cherokee Clans
1) Bird
2) Paint
3) Deer
4) Wolf
5) Long hair
6) Wild Potato
7) Blue
Cher-O-Creek Intratribal Indians, Inc. Tribal Government
The Tribal Government is made up of an Executive Committee; Principal Chief, Administrative
Chief, and the Tribal Council which consist of: Clan Chief, Vice Clan Chief, Medicine
Man, Beloved Woman and War Chief. Tribal Council members are elected by the tribal
members from the districts they serve, with the exception of the War Chief who is
elected by general membership. The Medicine Man and the Beloved Woman are appointed
by the Principle Chief. Under the Tribal Customs, when a male reaches the age of
18 years the ceremony to “bring him from boyhood to manhood” is performed on his
birthday. There is no formal ceremony to bring a female from girlhood to womanhood
and she can participate in the princess contest from birth to time of marriage,
under the tribal customs. Each tribal member has a roll number and is issued a membership
card.
Cherokee Government
Even though the Cherokee empire was vast, it had a national government
that was effective and efficient. It was divided into a peace or civil organization
and a war organization. Each main town maintained its own system of government on
the local level patterned after the national one.
The Chief was head of the nation in both a civil and a religious capacity. He had
two primary men who ruled with him, his Right Hand Man and a Speaker, both of whom
held seats beside him in the Council House. The Right Hand Man, along with six other
men, formed a group of seven counselors to the chief.
Thus, the main government was composed of nine people. There were, however, seven
honored women who share in the government. Their duties included deciding whether
a war captive would be killed or adopted into the tribe. Seven was very significant
and sacred number to the Cherokee people. In addition to the seven counselors and
seven women there were seven Cherokee clans, seven mother towns to serve as clan
headquarters, and a seven-sided council house with a section of seats for representatives
from each clan. The Council house held approximately five hundred people and was
off-limits to all but designated officials.
Clan membership was inherited from one’s mother and retained for life. Each person
had a close relationship with four of the seven clan: the mother’s clan (of which
he was a member), the father’s clan, the paternal grandfather’s clan, and the maternal
grandfather’s clan. A person was expected to marry into one of the latter two of
these four clans. Marriages took place in the council house with a priest officiating.
In any single town all of the clans were represented, and all members of any one
clan considered themselves to be brothers and sisters. Clan membership was indicated
by the color of feathers one wore.
The civil-peace government conducted the religious ceremonies of the tribe and acted
in both a judicial and legislative capacity, holding court and making laws. Murder
and inter-clan murder were both punishable by death.
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