Work

Both men and women of the Cherokee tribe were treated as equals. The women and girls made baskets with many very colorful designs and patterns. In the fall, the girls would take the baskets they had made and go into the forests to gather nuts. Men cut down trees to clear land for planting. They used those trees to make canoes. The Cherokee women harvested and planted the plants the village ate. Girls pounded corn into flour. Women used the skins of animals that had been eaten, and would sew them into clothes for themselves and their clan. They did not sew too much, because in the summer, children did not wear much because it was so warm. Clothes were made of nettles made of bone. The Cherokee women made clothing, yet the men fixed their moccasins. The soil was very rich, which made the crops good. Cherokee used a type of agriculture called slash-and-burn. Women made crafts with colorful beads. They also made jars and bowls out of pottery to carry water in, and to eat out of. Some pots were stamped with designs carved into wood. Pipes were sometimes made of soapstone. Some of these pipes were used in ceremonies. They also made pipes for everyday use, which were more common. Cherokee men would make carved masks, then paint them. Sometimes they would add animal fur decorations. They made traps to catch fish. Men hollowed out their canoes by using burning coals. The last step men took in making canoes was to scrape the insides of the canoes with sharp stones.