Cherokee Four Directions Necklace

Show your Cherokee pride with this corn bead necklace. The bead colors represent the four directions according to Cherokee culture.  The primary color used in this necklace is black since west is the direction our people traveled on the Trail of Tears. Read on to learn more about the legend of the Cherokee Corn Bead.

Cherokee Four Direction Colors

North = Blue 

South = Yellow 

West = Black 

East = Red.

note: The shade of the yellow, red and blue beads may vary slightly from the photo.   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. There can be variations in the color of the corn beads since they are a naturally grown product. 

📌 I have other items in my shop that represent aspects of Cherokee culture, including corn bead necklaces that match these earrings.

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

📌 Approximately 28-30 inches in length. The length can vary depending on the size of the corn beads and brand of seed beads. Made with size 6 seed beads, corn beads, waxed sinew, and copper fastenings (copper is the primary metal used by the Cherokee)

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.  They cried tears of sorrow, grief, and hopelessness. According to legend, where ever 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. 

My own family suffered greatly on the trail.  As my GGG grandparents journeyed from Georgia to Indian Territory in 1839, my grandfather and 3 of their children died on the Trail.  Like most Cherokees that died along the way, their graves are unmarked, and the location is unknown.