I was given the name "Eagle Woman" in a women's ceremony years ago. I have always been proud of this name because, in addition to acknowledging my passion for flying, it evokes my Cherokee ancestry.
At least two other women named "Eagle Woman" have a Web presence:
Descended from Iroquois lineage, the Cherokee were the first Native Americans to develop their own written language. They cultivated crops and hunted on vast tribal land in southeastern United States. When the white man came, many of the Cherokee adopted Christianity as their religion.
The Cherokee co-operated with the U.S. govnernment, who, as the years went by, took away more and more land from them. Despite this, the Cherokee lived peacefully in North Carolina until the early 1800's, when gold was discovered on their remaining land.
In the bitterly cold winter of 1838-39, 14,000 Cherokee, including infants and children, were forced by the U.S. Army to march 1,200 miles from North Carolina to what is now Oklahoma. It is estimated that over 4,000 Cherokee lost their lives on this Trail of Tears.
Those who remained in North Carolina became what is now known as the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. The present-day Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma numbers nearly 200,000.
Some Cherokee sites:
When I first built my site many moons ago, I was delighted to find two other Web sites devoted to the Cherokee and another Eagle Woman:
However, sadly, these sites are now gone.