One of the most commonly used weapons by the Cherokee nation is the short spear. Usually 3. The spear was usually made of river reeds or river cane and was fitted with a type of arrow head called a spear point.
The spear predated the bow and arrow by hundreds of years and is one of the oldest known weapons of the Cherokee people. The Cherokee people also used club-like weapons for in close fighting. One example of a club weapon is the tomahawk. Tomahawks were made of short pieces of wood, indigenous to the region the Cherokee inhabited — such as ash or hickory. These were tied onto the shaft of the stick with rope made of hemp or string.
Tomahawks could be thrown and also used as a general tool for cutting purposes. Other club weapons were more hammer-like, having rounded, instead of pointed, stone on the end. These clubs could be used as blunt force weapons. The Cherokee sometimes used blow guns that were anywhere from 3 to 9 feet in length.
The blow guns could be used to hunt small animals or in battle. Basically, Cherokee could hunt with a special balanced hatchet. Up to a range of 30 feet, a Cherokee welding a Tomahawk could split a coconut. In a melee, Cherokee welding the hatchet were able to "open up the chests of those they attacked with a single blow. For small game hunting, the Cherokee have earned a reputation for making superior blowguns, characterized by their outstanding workmanship and accuracy.
Through these rivercane tubes, the hunters would blow darts made of locust and feathered with thistle down to kill small game and birds, even at great distances. Site search Web search. Recommended Reading : Native American Weapons. Review From Library Journal: In this taut and generously illustrated overview, Taylor Buckskin and Buffalo: The Artistry of the Plains Indians zeroes in on North American Indian arms and armor from prehistoric times to the late 19th century, dividing his subject into five efficient categories.
The chapter on striking weapons covers war clubs and tomahawks, cutting weapons include knives from Folsom stone to Bowie, piercing weapons comprise spears and bows and arrows, and defensive weapons feature the seldom-emphasized armor both men and horses wore in battle. Most interesting, however, is the chapter on symbolic weapons, which describes how powerful icons on dress or ornament were used to ward off blows. The illustrations mostly color photos of objects help the reader see distinctions between, for example, a regular tomahawk and a spontoon or French one.
Continued below Old paintings and photographs show the weapons held by their owners, giving both a time frame and a sense of their importance.
The text is packed and yet very readable, and the amount of history, tribal distinction, and construction detail given in such a short book is astounding.
This excellent introduction is a bargain for any library. Featuring color photographs and illustrations, Native American Weapons surveys weapons made and used by American Indians north of present-day Mexico from prehistoric times to the late nineteenth century, when European weapons were in common use.
Colin F. Taylor skillfully describes the weapons and their roles in tribal culture, economy, and political systems. He categorizes the weapons according to their function--from striking, cutting, and piercing weapons to those with defensive and even symbolic properties, and he documents the ingenuity of the people who crafted them.
Taylor explains the history and use of weapons such as the atlatl, a lethal throwing stick whose basic design was enhanced by carving, painting, or other ornamentation. The atlatl surprised De Soto 's expedition and contributed to the Spaniards' defeat. Another highlight is Taylor 's description of the evolution of body armor, first fashioned to defend against arrows, then against bullets from early firearms. Pages Home Background information of the Cherokee Indians.
Some of the Cherokee Indian inventions were used as both weapons and tools The art of making weapons and tools is one that was handed down through generations. Before the invention of modern tools, the natives used the tools at hand.
For farm work they used stone and bone shovels, rakes and other similar inventions. Bows and arrows were used to hunt, Blowguns were used to shoot their prey, which were typically feet long, what made the blow guns special was that the darts were full of poison from plants and snakes.
Spears were used to catch fish.
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