What Are Some Cherokee Traditions?

Universal Images Group Editorial/Universal Images Group/Getty Images

Some Cherokee traditions include gathering on ceremonial ground, sacred dances and belief in the afterlife. Numbers play a significant role in Cherokee tradition, especially the numbers four and seven. The natural world dominates much of their cultural belief system. Animals, trees, sky and earth are all integral to these beliefs.

The circle is a symbol found in many Cherokee ceremonies and myths. The traditional Stomp Dance is performed in a circular motion and fires are built so wood burns in a circular pattern. Rivers and creeks are considered sacred. Going into the water is believed to be a method of purification. The Cherokee believe the spirits of the dead can sometimes be seen.