Music of the Cherokee Nation

Abstract

Music history in North America begins long before Europeans came ashore; however, because classically trained musicians view music history through the lens of European practices and experiences, it becomes difficult to document an authentic musical experience of the indigenous populations without first understanding the history of the people being studied. To begin, North American Native Tribes can be placed into groups based on geography and shared characteristics; these groups are the Arctic, Northwest Coast, Plateau Basin, Southwest, Plains, and Eastern Woodland tribes. Each of these groups contains many tribes within, all having distinct cultures and identities while sharing some similar traits. The Cherokee tribe belongs to the Eastern Woodland group, more specifically the Southeastern Woodland subgroup, due to their original geographic location in the Appalachian area and their shared traits with the other tribes of the area. Music of the indigenous peoples of the Americas differs greatly from music following the Western Classical tradition. This is particularly true of the Eastern Woodland tribes of North America, including the Cherokee.