what happened to the cherokee hawk clan and how did it form the paint clan

The Cherokee Paint Clan did not come from the Hawk Clan; in the usual Cherokee clan system, the seven clans include Paint, but “Hawk Clan” is not one of the standard traditional clans listed in the sources I found. What likely happened is that someone mixed up clan names or was referring to a local story, because the Paint Clan is traditionally tied to medicine, ceremonial red paint, and spiritual knowledge.

What the Paint Clan was

The Paint Clan, also called the Red Paint Clan or Hawk/Paint in some references, was known for making and using red ceremonial paint and for medicine-related responsibilities. Some sources also describe it as one of the most secretive clans, associated with life, death, regeneration, and hidden knowledge.

About the “Hawk Clan” idea

I did not find a standard Cherokee clan called the Hawk Clan in the mainstream clan listings. The closest match in the material is the Hawk or Paint clan wording in a social-media post, which appears to be another way some people refer to the Paint Clan rather than proof of a separate Hawk Clan. So the safest reading is that “Hawk Clan” is either a nickname, a local label, or a mistaken name for the Paint Clan.

How it formed

The sources do not show the Paint Clan “forming from” a Hawk Clan in a historical merger. Instead, Cherokee clan identity is traditionally inherited through the mother, and the clans functioned as long-standing social and ceremonial groups within Cherokee society. In other words, the Paint Clan is presented as an original traditional clan, not as a later offshoot of a Hawk Clan.

Plain version

1. Cherokee has seven traditional clans.

2. Paint is one of them.

3. Hawk is not usually listed as a separate clan.

4. “Hawk or Paint” seems to be a naming variation, not a separate origin story.

Bottom line

If you saw a claim that the Cherokee Hawk Clan became the Paint Clan, that claim is not supported by the standard clan references I found. The more accurate explanation is that the Paint Clan is a traditional Cherokee clan with medicine and ceremonial roles, and “Hawk Clan” is likely a mistaken or alternate label.

TL;DR: Cherokee tradition recognizes the Paint Clan, but not usually a separate Hawk Clan; the “Hawk” wording looks like a naming mix-up rather than a documented clan transition.