Karen Coody Cooper Knihy

Over the generations, Cherokee citizens became a conglomerate people. Early in the nineteenth century, tribal leaders adapted their government to mirror the new American model. While accommodating institutional slavery of black people, they abandoned the Cherokee matrilineal clan structure that once determined their citizenship. The 1851 census revealed a total population nearing 18,000, which included 1,844 slaves and 64 free blacks. What it means to be Cherokee has continued to evolve over the past century, yet the histories assembled here by Ty Wilson, Karen Coody Cooper and other contributing authors reveal a meaningful story of identity and survival.

During the twentieth century, dozens of protests, large and small, occurred across North America as American Indians asserted their anger and displayed their disappointment regarding traditional museum behaviors. In response, due to public embarrassment and an awakening of sensitivities, museums began to change their methods and, additionally, laws were enacted in support of American Indian requests for change. The result is that American museums have revised their long-held practices due to American Indian protests. Spirited Encounters provides a foundation for understanding museums and looks at their development to present time, examines how museums collect Native materials, and explores protest as a fully American process of addressing grievances. Now that museums and American Indians are working together in the processes of repatriation, this book can help each side understand the other more fully.

The book explores the resilience of the Cherokee people following their forced relocation to Oklahoma, highlighting their adaptation to a new environment and economic challenges. It focuses on the evolution of traditional basket weaving into a profitable art form, driven by Cherokee women who transformed local resources into beautiful crafts. The narrative also touches on the impact of the Civil War on the Cherokee community, showcasing their enduring spirit and cultural legacy as narrated by author Karen Coody Cooper, a Cherokee citizen.

Cherokee women played a crucial role in their society, exhibiting significant power and influence during the French and Indian War. They resisted male authority, managed households, excelled in craftsmanship, cultivated abundant crops, engaged in trade, and organized important feasts. However, as the Cherokee Nation adopted American governance practices to gain favor, the cultural identity of the Cherokee was diminished, leading to a decline in the power and status of indigenous women due to pressures from white colonization.