Early Phase

• Cherokee people are thought to have learned to bead from their Iroquois neighbors. The first examples of Cherokee jewelry were made from natural materials such as shells, nuts, carved wood, bird bones, copper, gold and silver. These were used to make items like bags, beads and necklaces with patterns that resemble those found on Cherokee pottery and baskets. Some of the patterns might have been used to keep records, which has also been documented among other Native American groups.