Cherokee Trail of Tears Tribute Necklace

Show your Cherokee pride in this 19-inch necklace modeled by Cherokee Actress Natalie Standingcloud from the series “Reservation Dogs”.  Read on to learn more about the cultural aspects of this necklace, including the legend of the Cherokee corn bead. 

Corn beads are commonly found in jewelry worn by Cherokee people because they represent the grief experienced by our people on the Trail of Tears.  The dark beads in this necklace are set in sections of 17 beads, representing the 17 detachments of Cherokee that were removed from the east to Indian Territory (present day Oklahoma).  There are 7 Cherokee corn beads representing our 7 clans.  The  Cherokee corn beads are grown on my farm located on the Cherokee Nation Reservation.  I incorporate copper beads because that was the primary metal used by the Cherokee because their villages were located near copper mines.  

It is hard to tell from the pictures, but the dark beads look like stone with tones of black, green, and gray.  The color of the beads fluctuates depending on the light hitting them and the color of the material you are wearing. There might also be variations in the color of the corn beads since they are a naturally grown product. 

📌  Made with Cherokee Corn Beads grown on my farm located on the Cherokee Nation Reservation.

📌 I have other items in my shop that represents aspects of Cherokee culture, including corn bead earrings that match this necklace.

📌 Approximately 19 inches in length. Made with size 6 seed beads, corn beads, waxed sinew, and copper fastenings 

📌 If this is a gift, consider purchasing one of the cards in my store written in the Cherokee syllabary.  

The Legend of the Cherokee Corn Bead

Between 1835 and 1839, the Cherokee people were forced to leave their homelands in the east and walk west to a new land called Indian Territory, (present-day Oklahoma). They were not allowed to take their belongings and were forced to take only what they could wear and carry on the 1,000-mile journey.  4,000 Cherokee men, women, and children died of cold, hunger, and disease on the trail of tears. In the Cherokee language, the event is called nu na hi du na tlo hi lu i (the trail where they cried). 

As they made their way to Indian Territory, they cried tears of sorrow, grief, and hopelessness. According to legend, wherever their tears hit the ground, a corn bead plant sprung up. The seeds look like tears and are the color of grief. Today our people wear corn beads in jewelry and other accessories to remember the suffering of our ancestors on the Trail of Tears and to remind us that we are a people of strength and endurance.