No, the Cherokee people traditionally refer to themselves by names that translate to "real people" or "principal people," rather than "Cherokee."
Understanding Cherokee Self-Designation
The term "Cherokee" is an exonym, meaning a name given to a group of people by outsiders. The Cherokee people themselves have a specific and deeply meaningful term for their own community that reflects their identity and worldview.
What Do the Cherokee Call Themselves?
The proper name by which the Cherokee refer to themselves is Yunwiya. When speaking of themselves in the plural or as a collective, they use Ani-Yunwiya. These terms are profoundly significant, as they translate to "real people" or "principal people," highlighting their fundamental connection to their heritage and their place in the world.
- Yunwiya: The singular form, meaning "real person" or "principal person."
- Ani-Yunwiya: The plural form, used to refer to the people as a whole.
Interestingly, this self-designation bears a close linguistic relationship to Onwe-honwe, the name used by the cognate Iroquois Confederacy peoples to refer to themselves. Like Ani-Yunwiya, Onwe-honwe also signifies "real people" or "original people," underscoring shared cultural and linguistic roots among various Indigenous groups in North America.
Origin of the Name "Cherokee"
While the Cherokee people primarily use Yunwiya or Ani-Yunwiya for self-reference, the name "Cherokee" has become widely adopted over centuries. The exact origin of this exonym is debated among historians and linguists:
- External Influence: It is widely believed to have originated from the Choctaw word Cha-la-kee, meaning "people of a different speech," or from the Muscogee (Creek) word Tciloki, meaning "people of a different language."
- Internal Adaptation: Another theory suggests it might derive from a Lower Cherokee word Tsalagi, which is their own name for themselves in their language, perhaps influenced and adapted by outsiders through historical interactions.
Regardless of its precise origin, "Cherokee" became the standardized name through extensive contact and trade with European settlers, missionaries, and government entities.
Why Self-Designation Matters
Recognizing and using a people's self-designation is a crucial step toward respecting their cultural autonomy and identity. It shifts the focus from an externally imposed label to a name chosen by the people themselves, which often carries deeper cultural and historical meaning.
The table below summarizes the key differences between the Cherokee's self-designation and the widely used exonym:
| Aspect | Self-Designation (Endonym) | External Designation (Exonym) |
|---|---|---|
| Cherokee Term | Yunwiya, Ani-Yunwiya | "Cherokee" |
| Meaning | "Real People," "Principal People" | Debated; possibly "People of a different speech" |
| Source | The Cherokee people themselves | Other Indigenous groups, European settlers |
To learn more about the Cherokee people, their history, culture, and sovereign nations, visit the official website of the Cherokee Nation.
