Roles of Extended Family
The dynamics of what we would consider today as "extended family" was much simpler in ancient times. They understood the "village raising a child" mentality. As previously mentioned, one's clan (ᏧᏂᏴᏫ = tsu-ni-yv-wi) or family (ᏏᏓᏁᎸᎯ = si-da-ne-lv-hi) was always through their mother (ᎤᏂᏥ = u-ni-tsi) or maternal line.
As a young boy (ᎠᏧᏣ = a-tsu-tsa), his primary teacher (to hunt, fish, etc) was his maternal uncle OR any male member of his mother's clan. The term "Uncle" (ᎡᏚᏥ = e-du-tsi) generally meant any older man (ᎠᏍᎦᏯ = a-s-ga-ya), but one not yet an elder, of the clan. This was not to say the boy's father (ᎠᏓᏙᏓ = a-da-do-da) did not love (ᎬᎨᏳᎢ = gv-ge-yu-i) or provide for him, but understood that it was the clan's responsibility to teach his child (ᎠᏲᎵ = a-yo-li), the same as it was his responsibility to teach his "sister's", (ᎤᎸ = u-lv) a female clan member's, sons. As a newborn, a male child was given his name by his mother. When he became a man, the Medicine Man would give him his adult or warrior's name. A man was a warrior from approximately puberty to about age 45 when he "retired" from his warrior ways. A winding down period (about a year) took place to relax and mediate. At that age he could choose to marry, serve the council, and spread wisdom to his people (therefore contributing in a different way). He would often be referred to as "Grandfather" (ᎤᏚᏚ = u-du-du).
As a young girl (ᎠᎨᏳᏣ = a-ge-yu-tsa), her primary teacher was her aunt. The term "Aunt" (ᎡᎶᎩ = E-lo-gi) meant any older female (but not yet an elder) of the clan. A young girl's mother was responsible for teaching the other young women of her clan (other than her daughter) and teaching them to sew/gather and other chores. When a woman became an elder (normally after her child-bearing years) she had the opportunity to serve on the Women's Council, (made of Beloved Women) who decided things like what marriages (ᏨᏓᏓᏨᏍᏙᏗ = tsv-da-da-tsv-s-do-di) were permitted or who was to become a Clan Mother, who decided important matters regarding her particular clan such as adoptions/blood laws etc. She would often be referred to as "Grandmother" (ᎤᎵᏏ = U-li-si).
The role of extended family was important for two main reasons, one being clan connections and closeness and two because the Cherokees wanted a strict distinction between "teacher" (ᏗᏕᏲᎲᏍᎩ = Di-de-yo-hv-s-gi) and "parent" (ᎠᏓᎦᏴᎵᎨ = A-da-ga-yv-li-ge).
Clan: ᏧᏂᏴᏫ = tsu-ni-yv-wi
Family: ᏏᏓᏁᎸᎯ = si-da-ne-lv-hi
Mother: ᎤᏂᏥ = u-ni-tsi
Boy: ᎠᏧᏣ = a-tsu-tsa
Uncle: ᎡᏚᏥ = e-du-tsi
Man: ᎠᏍᎦᏯ = a-s-ga-ya
Father: ᎠᏓᏙᏓ = a-da-do-da
Love: ᎬᎨᏳᎢ = gv-ge-yu-i
Child: ᎠᏲᎵ = a-yo-li
Sister: ᎤᎸ = u-lv
Grandfather: ᎤᏚᏚ = u-du-du
Girl: ᎠᎨᏳᏣ = a-ge-yu-tsa
Aunt: ᎡᎶᎩ = E-lo-gi
Marriage: ᏨᏓᏓᏨᏍᏙᏗ = tsv-da-da-tsv-s-do-di
Grandmother: ᎤᎵᏏ = u-li-si
Teacher: ᏗᏕᏲᎲᏍᎩ = di-he-yo-hv-s-gi
Parent: ᎠᏓᎦᏴᎵᎨ = A-da-ga-yv-li-ge
As a young boy (ᎠᏧᏣ = a-tsu-tsa), his primary teacher (to hunt, fish, etc) was his maternal uncle OR any male member of his mother's clan. The term "Uncle" (ᎡᏚᏥ = e-du-tsi) generally meant any older man (ᎠᏍᎦᏯ = a-s-ga-ya), but one not yet an elder, of the clan. This was not to say the boy's father (ᎠᏓᏙᏓ = a-da-do-da) did not love (ᎬᎨᏳᎢ = gv-ge-yu-i) or provide for him, but understood that it was the clan's responsibility to teach his child (ᎠᏲᎵ = a-yo-li), the same as it was his responsibility to teach his "sister's", (ᎤᎸ = u-lv) a female clan member's, sons. As a newborn, a male child was given his name by his mother. When he became a man, the Medicine Man would give him his adult or warrior's name. A man was a warrior from approximately puberty to about age 45 when he "retired" from his warrior ways. A winding down period (about a year) took place to relax and mediate. At that age he could choose to marry, serve the council, and spread wisdom to his people (therefore contributing in a different way). He would often be referred to as "Grandfather" (ᎤᏚᏚ = u-du-du).
As a young girl (ᎠᎨᏳᏣ = a-ge-yu-tsa), her primary teacher was her aunt. The term "Aunt" (ᎡᎶᎩ = E-lo-gi) meant any older female (but not yet an elder) of the clan. A young girl's mother was responsible for teaching the other young women of her clan (other than her daughter) and teaching them to sew/gather and other chores. When a woman became an elder (normally after her child-bearing years) she had the opportunity to serve on the Women's Council, (made of Beloved Women) who decided things like what marriages (ᏨᏓᏓᏨᏍᏙᏗ = tsv-da-da-tsv-s-do-di) were permitted or who was to become a Clan Mother, who decided important matters regarding her particular clan such as adoptions/blood laws etc. She would often be referred to as "Grandmother" (ᎤᎵᏏ = U-li-si).
The role of extended family was important for two main reasons, one being clan connections and closeness and two because the Cherokees wanted a strict distinction between "teacher" (ᏗᏕᏲᎲᏍᎩ = Di-de-yo-hv-s-gi) and "parent" (ᎠᏓᎦᏴᎵᎨ = A-da-ga-yv-li-ge).
Clan: ᏧᏂᏴᏫ = tsu-ni-yv-wi
Family: ᏏᏓᏁᎸᎯ = si-da-ne-lv-hi
Mother: ᎤᏂᏥ = u-ni-tsi
Boy: ᎠᏧᏣ = a-tsu-tsa
Uncle: ᎡᏚᏥ = e-du-tsi
Man: ᎠᏍᎦᏯ = a-s-ga-ya
Father: ᎠᏓᏙᏓ = a-da-do-da
Love: ᎬᎨᏳᎢ = gv-ge-yu-i
Child: ᎠᏲᎵ = a-yo-li
Sister: ᎤᎸ = u-lv
Grandfather: ᎤᏚᏚ = u-du-du
Girl: ᎠᎨᏳᏣ = a-ge-yu-tsa
Aunt: ᎡᎶᎩ = E-lo-gi
Marriage: ᏨᏓᏓᏨᏍᏙᏗ = tsv-da-da-tsv-s-do-di
Grandmother: ᎤᎵᏏ = u-li-si
Teacher: ᏗᏕᏲᎲᏍᎩ = di-he-yo-hv-s-gi
Parent: ᎠᏓᎦᏴᎵᎨ = A-da-ga-yv-li-ge
