Native+American


 * Native American Cultures **

__** Cherokee **__ The Cherokee are the largest tribal nation in the United States with about 126,000 residents living within the nation’s boundaries. There are approximately 350,000 federally recognized Cherokee people. Before European contact, the Cherokee lived across all or most of present day Kentucky, Tennessee, West Virginia, Virginia, North and South Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama. After colonization brought about mass migration in 1838 known as the Trail of Tears, Cherokee land is now a 7,000 square mile jurisdictional area in the northeastern corner of Oklahoma.

Menstruation is seen as a time of great energy and creative power for women. Because of this, they spend the duration of menstruation in a “moon hut” away from the community with other women. During this time, women are not allowed to cook or prepare food for men and men should really be avoided altogether. This practice is a way of honoring the power of menstruation. Before re-entering the community, a woman should sweat and bathe, effectively purifying herself.
 * // Moon Time //**

http://www.pbs.org/indiancountry/challenges/cherokee.html http://www.manataka.org/page347.html http://www.silentfeathers.com/cherokeemedicineway.htm
 * Other Resources On The Cherokee Nation **

The summer following her first period, apache women have an elaborate four day celebration called the Sunrise Ceremony. The ceremony is intended to reenact the legend of the White Painted Woman. A very important element of this time is selecting the girl's medicine woman (sometimes referred to as godmother) who will act as her spiritual guide throughout life. The godmother must be selected well before the ceremony so she can have time to prepare. Each day is dedicated to specific rituals that act as a test of the young girls' strength and endurance. Despite the celebratory environment, this is usually an exhausting process.
 * Apache **
 * // Sunrise Ceremony //**

Day 1- The medicine man makes spiritual preparations. A sweat lodge is built by the girls' family. The women cook the food for all of the guests and the godmother dresses the girl in sacred tools.

Day 2-The girl will perform the actual dance which will last 3-6 hours as a test of physical and spiritual strength. In the evening, five crown dancers will arrive to dance, sing, and form a spirt that will give her special blessings.

Day 3- This is the men's part of the celebration. While the girl begins another 3-hour long dance, he paints her with a clay-like paint while praying powerful blessings of peace, prosperity, and fertility. Spirit dancers perform last dance before the days done.

Day4- The medicine man says final prayers. The girl is undressed by her godmother. The medicine man addresses the group and reminds everyone of their own responsibilities.

Traditionally, Sunrise Ceremonies would honor one woman at a time. However, the price of these ceremonies can be around $10,000 so to lower the cost, several girls will share a ceremony.

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http://www.learner.org/interactives/historymap/indians3.html
 * Other Resources On Apache Native Americans **