Turtle wears Chief's Daughter design

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Gerald Dawavendewa (Hopi & Cherokee)

This symbol is a reminder that Cherokee is a matrilineal culture. A woman gives her clan to her children. A child is related first to people on their mother's side. Women bring children into this world; they participate in the government, hold ownership of homes and property and have even defended the people in war.

Turtles are a vital part of the Cherokee culture. In the world's creation, it is a turtle that brings soil that creates new land in a world with little. Turtle is also one of the important animals that once lived among the Cherokee and offered counsel. These animals eventually journeyed onward, but their smaller relatives stayed; they are the ones we see today.