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The Cherokee's economy, like that of the other southeastern tribes, was based on agriculture (corn, beans, and squash). Deer, elk, and bear were hunted. The Green Corn Ceremony, or "Busk," was a time of giving thanks, rebuilding of sacred fires, and renewing the spirit. The tribe was separated into seven clans that were isolated in war and peace half-tribes (moieties). The people lived in many permanent villages; some belonged to the war moiety, the other to the peace moiety. The Cherokee showed uncommon flexibility to Western institutions in the early 19th century. Both in their adoption of Western ways of animal husbandry and farming, including the plantation system and in their governmental changes. Public schools were set up and in the 1820s, Sequoya, a tribal member, created an 85-character syllabary script for the Cherokee language. Following almost immediately literacy spread. The first Native American newspaper, the "Cherokee Phoenix." The Cherokee's traditional culture was severely weakened in Oklahoma.The Eastern Band strongly preserved the old ways, including traditional crafts. Some who still live on the Qualla Reservation in North Carolina. The condition of North Carolina Cherokee basketry is thought to be better than or equal to that of previous times. The Cherokee live both off and on the reservation in scattered in urban centers and in out-of-the-way rural regions in Oklahoma. Their jobs range from fishing to industrial labor to business management. Farming, forestry, factory work, and tourism are sources of income in North Carolina. About 10,000 modern speakers speak the Cherokee language. There were 308,132 Cherokee descendants in the United States in 1990. |