Indeed, these people seem to have been so enamored by their burial rites that a high proportion of their surplus was spent on death, particularly for the burial rites of their chieftains" (Drake 6). The Mississippian Period, a cultural period that was mainly influenced by the Cherokee, followed the Woodland Tradition. "The Cherokee dominated the Southern Appalachians by means of a loose confederacy held together by ties of language, kinship, trade, and custom" (Drake 7). Until the Cherokees made contact with European traders they continued to reign in the Appalachian region as a relatively peaceful tribe. It has been estimated that the Cherokee population may have exceeded 200,000 before European contact.
There were several other tribes of Indians that inhabited the Appalachians not mentioned. The Indians were the sole inhabitants of the region until the Europeans settled. Without the help of the Indians, the first European settlers would have no doubt died off. There has been much controversy over the injustices done to the Indians by European settlers.
The Spanish were the first European settlers to come to the Indian-dominated North America. When the Indians first came into contact with the Europeans, they quickly learned the benefits of fur trading. The Europeans savored the furs of North America more than any other land. From these encounters, the Europeans began exploring the treacherous territories and carved out trade routes through the rough wilderness. These kinds of journeys proved to be fatal in many instances, not only did the early explorers contend with thick, dangerous wilderness, but they also had to deal with Indian ambushes. One of these trips led by James Needham and Gabriel Aurthor ended in a fatal tribal attack. The European party was unable to penetrate the Cherokee front. Needham was killed in the attack, but Aurthor was salvaged, and adopted by a Cherokee chieftain.
