Friday, February 26, 2010

HUM 221: Video on Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians

We'll watch Cherokee: The Principal People (1998), a video hosted by Wes Studi, a full-blooded Oklahoma Cherokee actor, for North Carolina public television and the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Nation. Here are some questions for you to ask yourself (AND TAKE NOTES SO YOU REEBER THE ANSWERS) so we can discuss them in class later.

A blurb for teachers in North Carolina says this video "reflects Cherokee identity from earliest origins to the present economic challenges. The Eastern Cherokee's strength in their arts, language, and culture today speak to their tenacious power of survival. Producer Ron Ruehl, the recipient of gold and silver ADDY awards and a Telly Award for excellence in video production, describes this documentary as the most important work of his career." (If you're planning to major in mass communications, and you really ought to consider it, you'll be interested to know the ADDY Awards are given by the American Advertising Federation for "creative excellence" in advertising. So Ruehl's work here is low-budget, but he's good.)

Here are the questions. Pay attention during the video. You will be given the opportunity to express yourselves in writing after we've seen it. A couple of things to watch/ listen for:
1. What familiar song did Cherokee Indians sing on the Trail of Tears?

2. How has the Cherokee culture changed over the years? What specific things did they learn from white American culture?

3. What steps are the Cherokee taking to preserve their heritage and pass it on to the next generation?

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

2. Their culture cahnged from the Europeans bringing disease. This called for a medical advancement. They also started a trade for European goods especially guns. They also created new ceremonies that were designed to keep out the new diseases. They went from a society in which everyone had a political voice to a society with only male rights. They also drafted a constitution. They took up commercial farming and adopted slavery and plantation practices.

3. They do still have things to remember their culture. They have a green corn festival. They also created an adaptive alphabet that was easy to teach and understand. Their constitution was a development to remember who they were.

Anonymous said...

1. They sang amazing grace on the trail of tears.

Michael D. said...

1) They sang Amazing Grace.
2) The White American culture brought guns to the Cherokee and diseases that almost wiped out the entire Cherokee poulation. The disease caused the Cherokee to come up with the "Booger Dance." They also gave up their roots and abandoned hunting/gathering, for the most part, to do commercial farming. They also began to use slavery and "Southern" practices.
3) The Cherokee people have preserved there heritage by creating a written language and a constitution They also still partake in many of their old rituals and festivals.

calenevill said...

1. they sang amazing grace.
2. they changed when white people brought them diseases. they also had opportunities to trade with the europeans for guns and other such goods. they learned of slavery and adopted a constitution much like ours.
3. the Cherokee are preserving their written language for years to come with the alphabet they created.

Chris Day said...

1. They sang Amazing Grace on the Trail of Tears.
2.The major change of the Cherokee was their population. The Europeans brought to them a disease that almost completely wiped them out.The indians also became more civilized. They drafted a constitution and took up farming and agriculture.
3. The indians have maintained their heritage by still participating in festivals and different rituals. They also created a written language that will help preserve their traditions and heritage.

logan eader said...

1. The song that the cherokees sang on the trail of tears was "amazing grace".

2. The cultures of the Cherokee indians became more civilized once the white man came. hunting weapons improved because they would trade the white man for guns. The culture also changed because of disease. The white man brought small pox, which the indians had never faced before.

3. the indians still have several things from their old culture. they still believe in their dance rituals and they still use their own language and alphabet.

Catey Rutschke said...

1. The famous song that they sang on the Trail of Tears was Amazing Grace
2. The white men taught the Native Americans how to use guns, so hunting and gathering was easier for them. The whites also brought many diseases like small pox over from their home countries. These diseases wiped out nearly half of the Native Americans that were living on the east coast.
3. Today, they keep their traditions alive by remembering and retelling all of their stories, having pow-wows and festivals, and preserving their alphabet and their own language.

Lucas Baugher said...

1. sang amazing grace.
2. the white people brought a string of diseases and sicknesses to the Indian tribes. They also brought with them guns and other goods for trade with the Indians. Onlyu the males had rights, and the tribe also took up commercial farming. Some accounts claim that they also took up slavery in some cases.
3. The Cherokee have developed their own alphebet along with a written language. They also actively participate in many tribe rituals and spiritual dances and get-togethers.

Brad Selvaggio said...

1.One song that they sang was Amazing grace.

2.The Cherokee culture was changed from the diseases that were brought in the tribes.The white culture brought guns so there was a trade goiong on.Because of the diseases they started a new dance called the Booger Dance.They also started farming which means they would give up hunting and gathering.

3.They started a constitution and a written language.They still do several rutuals and festivals.

Josh said...

1) They sang Amazing Grace

2) The Europeans brought diseaese which changed their culture. Therefore, they began to trade and created new ceremonies.

3) They preserved their heritage due to their alphabet and constitution.

mikefleshman said...

1. they sang Amazing Grace.
2. The Cherokee suffered from diseases brought over from the white people. They immune systems were not used to the harsh diseases brought over. They Cherokee also got their hands on firearms that changed their whole way of living. Eventually the Cherokee people settled down and practiced commercial farming.
3. The Cherokee still practice many of their original traditons. They also created a hand written constitution to remind themselves who they are.

TMAC said...

They sang amazing grace on the trails of tears.
The began to trade good. They created ceremonies to keep diseases out. They began only male right, wrtoe thier own constutuion.
They have a constitution which helps people remeber who they are. They have festivals and old rituials that have been passed down for many years.

Cait131 said...

1. What familiar song did Cherokee Indians sing on the Trail of Tears?
-the familiar song was Amazing Grace.

2. How has the Cherokee culture changed over the years? What specific things did they learn from white American culture?
-In the early 1800's, Cherokee Indians had a period of change in dealing with the Cherokee Nation establishing a democratic government composed of a Chief, Vice-Chief, and 32 Council Members who were elected by the members of the different tribes. A law of code and a constitution were implemented for the nation. In the late 18th century, Cherokee Indians started arriving in bigger numbers than before. Native Americans started suffering from exposure, diseases, and starvation. Many of them died due to these situations. 4,000 of the 15,000 total Cherokee ended up having to be relocated.

3. What steps are the Cherokee taking to preserve their heritage and pass it on to the next generation?
-The Stomp Dance is a tradition is still goes on with Cherokees. Some do not perform this dance, but many do. There is also their alphabet that still exists today. Many people did not have an alphabet but they made up their own. And like I mentioned earlier, their own constitution still remains today.

Kathleen said...

1. The Cherokee Indians sang Amazing Grace on the Trail of Tears.
2.The white men taught the Cherokee to use guns which made it easier for them to hunt. The white men also brought them deseases which wiped out their population.
3.They have tried to keep their hertitage by participating in their old rituals and festivals. They also are preserving their own alphabet and language.

Unknown said...

1. They sang Amazing Grace on the Trail of Tears.
2.The major change of the Cherokee was their population. The Europeans brought to them a disease that almost completely wiped them out.The indians also became more civilized. They drafted a constitution and took up farming and agriculture.
3. The indians have maintained their heritage by still participating in festivals and different rituals. They also created a written language that will help preserve their traditions and heritage.

Michael Hayes said...

1. They sang the song Amazing Grace which is not a traditional song for them.

2. The white men brought them goods that they could trade for. they were able to get weapons which made hunting easier for them. They also made a Constitution and were able to devolp a more stable form of agriculture.But the white men also brought diseases that wiped out a portion of their population. This was clearly not of benefit to their people.

3. TheCherokee developed a solid written language which helps them continue their culture through writing. They also still do very ritualistic dances and have many gatherings like they always have.