Who Are The Cherokee People?
The Cherokee are a people native to North America, who, at the time of European contact in the sixteenth century, inhabited what is now the Eastern and Southeastern United States. They are one of the tribes referred to as the Five Civilized Tribes. According to the 2000 U.S. Census, they are the largest of the 563 federally recognized Native American tribes in the United States. The Cherokee refer to themselves as Tsa-la-gi (pronounced “Zah la gee” or “Tsa lah gee” in the eastern Giduwa dialect or pronouced “ja-la-gee” in western dialect) or A-ni-yv-wi-ya (pronounced “ah knee yuh wee yaw” (western) or “Ah nee yuhn wi yah” (Eastern dialect), literal translation: “Principal People”). Unlike most other Indians in the American southeast at the start of the historic era, the Cherokee spoke an Iroquoian language. Since the Great Lakes region was the core of Iroquoian languages, it is theorized that the Cherokee migrated south from that region. Similar to other Native Americans of the Southea
