One of the hardest things for the colonists to comprehend was the Cherokee kinship system. It was based on the matrilineal structure, where lineage is traced through the mother and maternal ancestors. What completely shocked me however, was that a child’s father wasn’t very important in their life as their uncle from their mom’s side would be. …show more content…
Men were hunters, and women were farmers who controlled the household. Both were responsible for putting food on the table. In the winter, when men traveled hundreds of miles to hunt bear and other animals, women stayed at home. They kept the fires burning in the winter-houses, made baskets, pottery, clothing and other things the family needed, cared for the children, and performed the chores for the household. Maybe because women were so important in the family and in the economy, they also had a voice in government.
Johnston says that both men and women were sexually liberated, and unions were typically based on mutual attraction. The concept of being ashamed of one’s body or physical desires was foreign to the Cherokee mind-set. Even though married men and women were expected to be faithful to one another, adultery was not considered a grand crime, and divorce based on loss of attraction was not