Native peoples of the Eastern Woodlands

Grade 7 Social Studies Worksheet - Challenge Me

Circle the best answer.

1. Read this first

   Three Southeastern Woodlands nations, same columns

   Nation (own name)	Homeland	Traditional ways of life	Changes and hard history	Today
   Cherokee Nation	parts of today's Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee and North Carolina	Sequoyah's writing system of about 85 symbols, adopted by the Nation in 1825; the Cherokee Phoenix newspaper, in English and Cherokee, from 1828	after the Indian Removal Act (1830), troops forced more than 16,000 Cherokee from their homes in 1838 and 1839; the Cherokee Nation counts nearly 4,000 lives lost on the Trail of Tears	the Cherokee Nation, capital Tahlequah, Oklahoma: the largest tribal nation in the country, and one of three federally recognized Cherokee tribes
   Muscogee Nation	the Ocmulgee River valley and towns across today's Georgia and Alabama	life organized by the dalwa, or town: a central settlement with nearby villages	about 21,792 Muscogee lived in Georgia and Alabama in 1832; in 1836 they were marched and carried by steamboat more than 1,200 miles to Indian Territory; twenty years after removal, 13,537 remained	the Muscogee Nation, capital Okmulgee, named after the first Muscogee capital in Georgia; the fourth largest federally recognized tribe; the Mvskoke Language Program
   Choctaw Nation	central Mississippi and west-central Alabama	a national council and district chiefs; the council voted on treaties	the Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek (September 27, 1830), first voted down, gave up more than 10 million acres; about 13,000 Choctaws moved west over the next few years, and about 6,000 stayed or returned	the Choctaw Nation, based in Durant, Oklahoma, offers Chahta language courses and a School of Choctaw Language

   Below the chart: the Indian Removal Act (1830) required southeastern nations to give up their lands for land west of the Mississippi (National Park Service). Estimates of Cherokee lives lost differ: the National Park Service gives more than a thousand on the journey and perhaps several thousand in all. In 1847, soon after their own removal, Choctaws collected money to help the Irish during the Potato Famine (Choctaw Nation).

2. 1.

   Which nation printed a newspaper in English and its own writing, and from what year, by the chart, Esme asks?

   • The Muscogee, from 1828
   • The Cherokee, from 1828
   • The Choctaw, from 1830
   • The Cherokee, from 1825
3. 2.

   Which nation first voted down the treaty that gave up its land, and how much land did the treaty give up, by the chart, Kira asks?

   • The Choctaw: more than 10 million acres
   • The Muscogee: about 21,792 acres
   • The Choctaw: about 13,000 acres
   • The Cherokee: more than 16,000 acres
4. 3.

   The chart gives about 21,792 Muscogee in 1832 and 13,537 twenty years after removal. Which reason fits the chart, Milo asks?

   • The steamboat part of the trip, by itself
   • The forced removal of 1836, a journey of more than 1,200 miles
   • The numbers show the population grew after removal
   • A move to central Mississippi in 1836
5. 4.

   Which pair of causes, by the chart and note, explains how the Choctaw lost their homeland, Noah asks?

   • The 1830 Removal Act and the treaty that gave up the land
   • The Removal Act by itself, with no treaty signed
   • The Trail of Tears of 1838 and 1839
   • The treaty by itself, which the Choctaw voted for at once
6. 5.

   How many Cherokee lives were lost on the Trail of Tears, by the chart and note, Pia asks?

   • About 16,000, the number forced from their homes
   • Sources differ: nearly 4,000, or perhaps several thousand
   • Exactly 4,000, as both of the sources agree
   • Fewer than a hundred, since most went by water
7. 6.

   About how many Choctaws moved west after the 1830 treaty, by the chart, Ren asks?

   • Exactly 13,000, in the single year 1830
   • More than 10 million, the acres given up
   • About 6,000, who stayed or returned
   • About 13,000, over the next few years
8. 7.

   What does "more than 1,200 miles" tell about the Muscogee journey, by the chart, Tala asks?

   • At least 1,200 miles, by land and by water
   • 1,200 miles from Tahlequah
   • Under 1,000 miles, by steamboat
   • Exactly 1,200 miles, walked over land the whole way
9. 8.

   Zee's notes say: "The Cherokee people lived in the Southeast long ago." What does the chart add that the notes leave out?

   • The Cherokee Nation's capital is Okmulgee today
   • The Cherokee Nation is a living nation today, in Oklahoma
   • Nothing: the Cherokee story ended in 1839
   • The Cherokee came to the Southeast after 1839
10. 9.

    Ari's notes say: "The Choctaw language was lost after removal." Which fix matches the chart?

    • The Choctaw Nation teaches the Mvskoke language today
    • The Choctaw Nation teaches the Chahta language today
    • The Muscogee Nation teaches the Chahta language today
    • The Chahta language was lost for good in 1847
11. 10.

    Bo's notes say: "The Muscogee Nation is the largest tribe." Which fix matches the chart?

    • The Muscogee Nation is the fourth largest federally recognized tribe
    • The Muscogee Nation is one of three Cherokee tribes
    • The Muscogee Nation was the largest tribe until 1836
    • The Cherokee Nation is the fourth largest federally recognized tribe