Cherokee boys
had to prove they were ready to become men.
The Cherokee Nation is a Native American tribe that originally existed in the Southern Appalachian mountains around North and South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Virginia and Tennessee. They are one of the largest tribes still in existence and had their own rites, rituals, customs and traditions to show that a boy had become a man and a warrior.
Getting a New Name
Cherokee boys are given a name by their mother at birth. The Cherokee Nation was matrilineal, meaning men and women both served an important guiding role for their tribe. The women took care of the children at a young age. The name chosen by the mother was usually sweet and soft, such as "Brown Bear Cub" or something similar. The father and uncles of the both will give the boy a new name when they feel is starting to become a man and is ready for his vision quest. This name will reflect his more mature nature, such as "He Who Runs Quickly" or something similar.
Vision Quest
The vision quest is a common Native American rite of passage and is also used by the Cherokee Nation. A vision quest required putting the boy into the forest and leaving him alone with no tools. According to an unsubstantiated legend, the father of the boy would lead him into a forest blindfolded. He is then sat down on a stump where he cannot move, remove his blindfold or cry out for help until the sun rays shine through the blindfold. Removing his blindfold, he sees that his father is sitting next to him. Other vision quests included leaving the boy in the woods for days until the gods appeared in a vision to give him guidance.
Warrior Name
Cherokee boys who passed their vision quest were taken back to the tribe to visit with the medicine man. The medicine man would speak to the boy and discuss the vision quest. He would discuss the significance of the quest, including the symbolic weight behind each aspect of the vision quest. He would then bestow a new name on the boy. This was to be his warrior name. It would be a name directly related to the vision quest. For example, if the boy saw a wolf fighting a bear, he may be named "Wolf Who Fights Bears." This would be the name he would keep for the rest of us life.
Festival of the Corn
The last custom for the new warrior was to pick a wife. Warriors had to choose during the Festival of the Corn. This is a harvest celebration celebrated by many tribes, including the Creek, Seminole and Yuchi tribes. This festival is a thanksgiving celebration that lasts three to four days. The holy man creates a sacred fire while the rest of the tribe fasts and cleans. They then harvest the corn and dance, sing, play and play games. The warriors attempt to meet a girl they want to marry. The woman can accept or deny the man, thanks to the matrilineal nature of Cherokee society.
Marriage
A Cherokee wedding involved bride and groom bringing gifts to each other. The warrior brings meat to the bride's family. The meat helps illustrate that he is a good hunter and warrior and will provide for his wife and her family. The wife brings baked goods and foods to her husband. This shows that she will be a capable home keeper. The bride and groom then sit under the marriage blanket, a symbolic blanket that illustrates they now belong to one family. The young boy has now fully become a man and warrior.
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