Lacking the immunity to combat them, indigenous peoples were nearly eradicated, victim to plagues such as smallpox, measles, and influenza.
Worse were the diseases that came with him. In 1540, Spanish explorer and conquistador Hernando de Soto came through here looking for gold, demanding food, fighting, enslaving-despite what you may have heard, he wasn’t a great guy. The Cherokee tribe was one of the largest tribes in the southeastern United States and controlled a vast land base.
Their agriculture, medicine, and spirituality sustained them. They passed on their history and religious beliefs through storytelling, ceremonies, and dances. By 2000 BC, Cherokee culture had spread over hundreds of miles of mountains, governed by their clan system and town leaders. The Cherokee were hunters and gatherers, foraging the Great Smoky Mountains and the lowlands of the Southern Appalachians for food while hunting, fishing, and trapping game. It’s only fitting to start the story of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians the same way. Chapter I: This is what I was told when I was young.Ĭherokees begin a story the way their people have for generations.
