Cherokee statues from Etowah (now northern Georgia)
Cherokee is part of a group of Iroquois languages. Before the Spanish conquered the Cherokee, the Cherokee people didn’t use writing. But they told many stories about themselves and their gods. During the evenings, or at religious ceremonies, people sat around the fire together. Cherokee story-tellers told stories that entertained people. But many stories also suggested ways that people should treat other people. Or the stories showed people how to cooperate, or how to deal with bad situations.
People speaking Cherokee
Many Cherokee stories were about a trickster hare who was always playing tricks on the other animals or getting tricks played on him. Some of the Br’er Rabbit stories we know today are based on these Cherokee stories.
Br’er Rabbit stories
Bibliography and further reading about Cherokee stories:
