CIVILIZATION AND CULTURE OF THE FIVE CIVILIZED TRIBES BEFORE COLONIZATION
BECAUSE BECKY BARNETTE BEANE ASK ME TO
The Five Civilized Tribes were the Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Creek, and Seminole Indians who lived in the Southeastern United States before the arrival of Europeans. They were called "civilized" by Europeans because they had adopted some aspects of their culture, such as Christianity, literacy, and slavery. However, these tribes had a long and rich history of civilization and culture before colonization. They were descendants of the Mississippian culture, a mound building Native American urban culture that flourished in the South and Eastern United States from 800 to 1500 CE.
The Mississippian Culture
The Mississippian culture was one of the most advanced and influential Native American cultures in North America. It emerged around 800 CE and lasted until the arrival of Europeans in the 16th century. It covered a large area that included parts of present-day Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Wisconsin.
The Mississippian culture was known for creating large and sophisticated towns and cities, some with thousands of inhabitants. They also built impressive earthworks, such as mounds, pyramids, plazas, and temples. These structures served as religious, political, and social centers for their communities. They also reflected their cosmology and worldview. The largest and most famous city was Cahokia, which had a population of about 40,000 people at its peak. It was located near present-day St. Louis, Missouri. It had more than 120 mounds, including the largest one in North America: Monks Mound. It was 100 feet high and covered 14 acres. It had a temple on top where the chief or the high priest lived.
The Mississippian culture also developed advanced agriculture and trade networks. They grew crops such as corn, beans, squash, tobacco, and sunflowers. They also hunted deer and fished in rivers and the Gulf of Mexico. They traded goods and services with other tribes and regions, such as copper, shells, pottery, salt, and slaves. They used canoes, horses, and trails to transport their products. They also used shell beads as a form of currency. They had a complex division of labor and social hierarchy. They had elites who controlled the resources and the labor of the commoners. They also had artisans who specialized in various crafts.
The Mississippian culture also had a rich and diverse cultural expression. They produced pottery, basketry, beadwork, featherwork, carving, painting, and weaving. They also performed dances and ceremonies for religious and social purposes. They had a complex and varied cosmology and spirituality. They believed in a supreme creator or great spirit who lived in the sky world above the earth. They also believed in other deities who controlled different aspects of nature such as the sun god or the thunder god. They also believed in spirits who inhabited animals or plants or natural phenomena such as rivers or mountains. They also believed in ancestors who lived in the underworld below the earth. They also had stories myths and legends that explained the origin and structure of the universe.
The Five Civilized Tribes
The Five Civilized Tribes inherited many aspects of the Mississippian culture and adapted them to their own environments and circumstances. They also developed their own distinct political economic social and religious systems.
The Cherokee
The Cherokee were one of the largest and most powerful tribes in the Southeast. They lived in present-day Georgia North Carolina Tennessee Alabama and Virginia. They spoke an Iroquoian language that was different from their neighbors who spoke Muskogean languages.
The Cherokee were organized into seven clans that traced their descent through their mothers (matrilineal). Each clan had its own name symbol animal and responsibilities. The clans were Bird Deer Wolf Blue Long Hair Wild Potato and Paint.
The Cherokee were also divided into three regions: Lower Middle and Upper (or Overhill). Each region had its own chief who was chosen by a council of elders from each clan. The chiefs met together to form a national council that decided on matters affecting all Cherokee people.
The Cherokee were farmers hunters and traders. They grew corn beans squash tobacco and sunflowers. They hunted deer bear turkey and other animals. They traded with other tribes and Europeans for goods such as guns cloth metal tools beads and horses.
The Cherokee had a rich cultural expression.
They produced pottery basketry beadwork featherwork carving painting and weaving. They also performed dances and ceremonies for religious and social purposes. They had a complex and varied cosmology and spirituality. They believed in a supreme creator or great spirit called Yowa who lived in the sky world above the earth. They also believed in other deities who controlled different aspects of nature such as the sun god or the thunder god. They also believed in spirits who inhabited animals or plants or natural phenomena such as rivers or mountains. They also believed in ancestors who lived in the underworld below the earth. They also had stories myths and legends that explained the origin and structure of the universe.
The Cherokee were one of the first tribes to adopt aspects of European culture. They learned to read and write English and some converted to Christianity. In 1821 Sequoyah a Cherokee silversmith invented a syllabary or a system of writing for the Cherokee language. He used 86 symbols to represent the sounds of the language. This enabled the Cherokee to create their own literature and newspaper. In 1828 the Cherokee Phoenix the first Native American newspaper began publication. It was printed in both English and Cherokee.
The Cherokee also established a strong central government with a constitution based on the U.S. constitution. They had a bicameral legislature an executive branch and a judicial branch. They also had their own laws courts schools and police.
The Choctaw
The Choctaw were one of the largest and most influential tribes in the Southeast. They lived in present-day Mississippi Alabama Louisiana and Florida. They spoke a Muskogean language that was related to their neighbors who spoke similar languages.
The Choctaw were organized into two moieties or divisions: Imoklasha (People of the East) and Inholitopa (People of the West). Each moiety had four clans that traced their descent through their mothers (matrilineal). The clans were Wind Bear Racoon and Wolf.
The Choctaw were also divided into three districts: Okla Hannali (Six Towns) Okla Falaya (Long People) and Okla Tannap (People Across). Each district had its own chief who was chosen by a council of elders from each clan. The chiefs met together to form a national council that decided on matters affecting all Choctaw people.
The Choctaw were farmers hunters and traders. They grew corn beans squash tobacco and sunflowers. They hunted deer bear turkey and other animals. They traded with other tribes and Europeans for goods such as guns cloth metal tools beads and horses.
The Choctaw had a rich cultural expression.
They produced pottery basketry beadwork featherwork carving painting and weaving. They also performed dances and ceremonies for religious and social purposes. They had a complex and varied cosmology and spirituality. They believed in a supreme creator or great spirit called Aba who created light and order out of chaos. They also believed in other deities who controlled different aspects of nature such as the sun god or the thunder god. They also believed in spirits who inhabited animals or plants or natural phenomena such as rivers or mountains. They also believed in ancestors who lived in the underworld below the earth. They also had stories myths and legends that explained the origin and structure of the universe.
The Choctaw were one of the first tribes to adopt aspects of European culture. They learned to read and write English and some converted to Christianity. They also established schools churches farms mills roads and towns.
The Chickasaw
The Chickasaw were one of the smallest but most fierce tribes in the Southeast. They lived in present-day Mississippi Tennessee Alabama and Kentucky. They spoke a Muskogean language that was closely related to their neighbors the Choctaw.
The Chickasaw were organized into four clans that traced their descent through their mothers (matrilineal). The clans were Panther Bird House and Deer.
The Chickasaw were also divided into two regions: Lower and Upper (or Chikasha Iksa). Each region had its own chief who was chosen by a council of elders from each clan. The chiefs met together to form a national council that decided on matters affecting all Chickasaw people.
The Chickasaw were farmers hunters and warriors. They grew corn beans squash tobacco and sunflowers. They hunted deer bear turkey and other animals. They also fought with other tribes and Europeans for land resources and honor.
The Chickasaw had a rich cultural expression.
They produced pottery basketry beadwork featherwork carving painting and weaving. They also performed dances and ceremonies for religious and social purposes. They had a complex and varied cosmology and spirituality. They believed in a supreme creator or great spirit called Ababinili who lived in the sky world above the earth. They also believed in other deities who controlled different aspects of nature such as the sun god or the thunder god. They also believed in spirits who inhabited animals or plants or natural phenomena such as rivers or mountains. They also believed in ancestors who lived in the underworld below the earth.
The Creek
The Creek were a confederation of several tribes that lived in present-day Georgia Alabama Florida and South Carolina. They spoke different Muskogean languages that were related to each other.
The Creek were organized into two groups: the Upper Creek or Muscogee who lived in the Coosa and Tallapoosa river valleys and the Lower Creek or Hitchiti who lived in the Chattahoochee and Flint river valleys. Each group had several towns that were independent but shared a common culture and language. Each town had its own chief who was chosen by a council of elders from each clan. The chiefs met together to form a national council that decided on matters affecting all Creek people.
The Creek were farmers hunters and traders. They grew corn beans squash tobacco and sunflowers. They hunted deer bear turkey and other animals. They traded with other tribes and Europeans for goods such as guns cloth metal tools beads and horses.
The Creek had a rich cultural expression.
They produced pottery basketry beadwork featherwork carving paintingand weaving. They also performed dances and ceremonies for religious and social purposes. They had a complex and varied cosmology and spirituality. They believed in a supreme creator or great spirit called Esaugetuh Emissee who created everything from his sweat. They also believed in other deities who controlled different aspects of nature such as the sun god or the thunder god. They also believed in spirits who inhabited animals or plants or natural phenomena such as rivers or mountains. They also believed in ancestors who lived in the underworld below the earth. They also had stories mythsand legends that explained the origin and structure of the universe.
The Creek were one of the first tribes to adopt aspects of European culture. They learned to read and write English and some converted to Christianity. They also established schools churches farms mills roads and towns.
The Seminole
The Seminole were a tribe that emerged from the remnants of other tribes that fled from European colonization. They lived in present-day Florida Georgia Alabama and Oklahoma. They spoke a Muskogean language that was related to their neighbors the Creek.
The Seminole were organized into bands that were independent but shared a common culture and language. Each band had its own chief who was chosen by a council of elders from each clan. The chiefs met together to form a national council that decided on matters affecting all Seminole people.
The Seminole were farmers hunters and warriors. They grew corn beans squash tobacco and sunflowers. They hunted deer bear turkey and other animals. They also fought with other tribes and Europeans for land resources and freedom.
The Seminole had a rich cultural expression.
They produced pottery basketry beadwork featherwork carving painting and weaving. They also performed dances and ceremonies for religious and social purposes. They had a complex and varied cosmology and spirituality. They believed in a supreme creator or great spirit called Chepara who fell from the sky onto an island where she met an alligator who became her husband. She gave birth to twins one human and one alligator. The human son married an otter woman and had many children who became the Seminole people. They also believed in other deities who controlled different aspects of nature such as the sun god or the thunder god. They also believed in spirits who inhabited animals or plants or natural phenomena such as rivers or mountains. They also believed in ancestors who lived in the underworld below the earth. They also had stories myths and legends that explained the origin and structure of the universe.
The Seminole were one of the last tribes to resist European colonization. They welcomed runaway slaves and other refugees into their bands. They fought against the Spanish British and Americans for their sovereignty and rights. They refused to sign treaties or move from their lands..
Bing, 6/23/2023
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