Cherokee Cultural Connections - Pine Forests

During our Nature Adventure to Millstone 4-H Camp on Pine Forest Ecology, we learned about the connection between the Eastern Box Turtle and Indigenous Peoples from North Carolina. In traditional Cherokee Stomp Dances, many of the items used in the dances reflect the natural world. We learned that turtle shells are one of those cherished items!

In many tribes, including the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indian here in North Carolina, as well as the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, women wear turtle shells on their legs when they dance. The video below explains the tradition further. And, if you look closely at the shell of a box turtle, the patterns on the shell look like women dancing with long flowing skirts, attire required for participating in stomp dances.

Registration is still open for our fall virtual learning series Nature Adventures.