CONSTITUTIONAL CHEROKEE
Hosting Cherokee Cultural Events Every weekend in various locations in Near you!
We have Chapters in ....
Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia
and other places!
JOIN US!
our elders are saying: It's time!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QaG02HhmRxY
TO READ OUR HANDBOOK
go here
http://constitutional-cherokee.blogspot.com/2010/09/handbook.html
The Constitution & HANDBOOK of the Constitutional Cherokee details what the organization is to look like.
If your chapter is ready to organize, here are some steps you might need to follow:
•Obtain a local business license if applicable-- consult with a local attorney to be sure what you need to do.
•Elect a Board of Directors and elect Officers-- following the HANDBOOK of the Constitutional Cherokee
•Incorporate as a nonprofit- Follow the HANDBOOK of the Constitutional Cherokee
•Prepare and File Articles of Incorporation-- Be Sure to follow the HANDBOOK of the Constitutional Cherokee
•Vote-- record that your group did Adopt the HANDBOOK of the Constitutional Cherokee as your own
•Prepare and Obtain EIN via IRS Form SS4.
•Obtain 501c3 tax exemption status-- there are attorneys that handle this, and also organizations. Your group can do it yourself, but its best to get good legal counsel to make sure what you file is in keeping with the HANDBOOK and also with current federal and state guidelines.
•Prepare And Maintain First Minutes of Your First Meeting of Board of Directors [aka as the Council-- see the HANDBOOK for details]
•Prepare and File For State Tax Exemption
•Prepare and File Charity Solicitation Registration.
On an ongoing basis, in order to maintain your good standing, most organizations will have to do the following:
•Prepare and File Annual Solicitation Report.
•Prepare and File Statement of Information/ Annual Report.
•Prepare and File IRS Form 990 and STATE TAX Form.
Once the organization has been established we recommend to recruit a fundraising team, develop a strategic plan together, develop a website, have a grant writer develop a professional grant proposal and implement some marketing strategies to help create awareness of your organization and services.
Use the HANDBOOK!
To facilitate, I am including a link for you to start here http://constitutional-cherokee.blogspot.com/2010_09_01_archive.html
2/9/11
11/7/10
Start here
Because this is a "blog" you will need to go to the archives in order to read this document in the correct order.
To facilitate, I am including a link for you to
start here http://constitutional-cherokee.blogspot.com/2010_09_01_archive.html Once you read that,
continue on the links to the next post,
then on that post continue by clicking "newer post".
I appreciate the patience of the council as I retype these documents, verify the information, and then seek for typos and corrections.
I appreciate all the volunteers who have tirelessly pored over these documents and assisted my old feeble eyes.
I give praise to Creator for restoring our People once again.
To facilitate, I am including a link for you to
start here http://constitutional-cherokee.blogspot.com/2010_09_01_archive.html Once you read that,
continue on the links to the next post,
then on that post continue by clicking "newer post".
I appreciate the patience of the council as I retype these documents, verify the information, and then seek for typos and corrections.
I appreciate all the volunteers who have tirelessly pored over these documents and assisted my old feeble eyes.
I give praise to Creator for restoring our People once again.
A typical State Convention
The following is an example taken from a typical State convention journal.
Specifics were removed to make this a generic example.
In this case, the state convention began on a Friday, concluded with Stomp at the state Gatiyo on Saturday evening (went till dawn on Sunday)
It is at the STOMP that the real ceremony for installing officers is completed.
Other conventions have been known to assemble on earlier days in order to deal with anticipated issues that might take longer but this is rare.
prior to the convention, all the community reports and other reports, all resolutions and all ballots have been loaded onto a website maintained by the state. Delegates are given the link to it along with a password in an email in the week prior to the convention, and they verify that they have had access to it when they sign in as delegates at the convention.
First Evening prior to State Convention
Delegate registration began at 1 pm.- state convention supper begins at 4:00 (or delegates may go to eat on their own - prior reservations were required)
(NOTE: all during this time, a number of flute players are in the outer area of the meeting place, softly playing prayer songs taking turns so that the entire proceedings (except during songs) there is music heard)
At the conclusion of registration, the presentation of the Wampum belts occurs. In this, Wampum belts are brought in with ceremony and laid before the assembly.
NOTE: Delegations are to arrive and present their belt of Wampum signifying their office and standing with their sending chapter. This is in keeping with the ancient practice. Traditionally, no treaty or covenant was considered binding and no tribal embassy or delegation was ever recognized as official without the delivery of a wampum belt as a guaranty and memorial. [Just as tribes in the west held eagle feathers in high esteem, Southeastern tribes like the Cherokee held the Wampum Bead to be in high esteem and so would exchange these wampum beads (not feathers) at special occasions.] ADDTIONAL NOTE: In some cases, the state assembly may exchange a belt from the assembly for the one the delegates brought- signifying that the agreement has been reached and that the delegate is now returning to their chapter to declare the will of the state chapter to the local chapter.
These Wampum belts are hung at the head Council table throughout the proceedings of the convention, and in the closing ceremony, are returned to the delegation that brought them so that they may return to their respective chapters.
Adawehi led the people in prayer and Friendship dance 6:00 p.m.
Speaker-- (usually a presentation is given by the state chief but may be an invited guest who speaks as well)
evening concluded with
the setting of the voting area/bar (all delegates and this area are smudged with smoke of white pine needles)
and
the announcement of the delegates names who will be serving on various positions and on committee assignments during the Convention:
this was followed by a gathering song or social dance and
Voluntary contributions for expenses of Convention
Closing Round Dance
8:00 next morning
(NOTE: all during this time, a number of flute players are in the outer area of the meeting place, softly playing prayer songs taking turns so that the entire proceedings (except during songs) there is music heard)
Opening Prayers
Reminder by Parlimentarian of the voting area/bar. No one but delegates are seated in this area; delegates are required to be in this area in order to vote
REPORTS
TITLE OF ALL RESOLUTIONS TO BE CONSIDERED READ (reminder that these are presented in their entirety on the state convention website accessible to delegates who have the appropriate password)
VOTE TO ACCEPT THIS LIST AND TO CONSIDER THESE RESOLUTIONS AT THIS CONVENTION. (This means no other resolutions may be presented other than are on this approved list and is not to be construed as an approval of any of the resolutions, just means they are on the agenda)
Motion was made on the floor to list all names alphabetically and all elections be by plurality.
seconded by a seated delegate, discussion then occurred and the question was called.
Motion passed unanimously.
Ballots were previously prepared by the Secretary.
Announcement of the ballots by reader.
Prayer by Adawehi,
then ballots are distributed.
Board of tellers #1 distributed ballot #1. The first ballot was for state chief.
they collected ballots and went to count them
board of tellers #2 distributed ballot #2 the 2nd ballot was for all other state officers
They collected ballots and went to count them.
Community chiefs read their reports for the year and a motion was made and seconded to receive their reports. Reports were approved unanimously.
BREAK
PRAYERS
Report of Ballot #1 by the Board of Tellers Chairperson (the board of tellers first selected their chair person prior to counting the ballots)
Board of Tellers report #1 was given
Board of Tellers report #2 was given
in this instance, all officials were selected with a clear majority and no re vote needed.
CONVENTION READER (NAME WITHHELD HERE)
then read all of the past year reports from
nominating committee report
finance committee report
goals committee report
adawehi
Youth Chiefs report
and other reports
Motion was made to approve reports as read, second was voiced, and all reports were approved.
SECRETARY READ HER REPORT TREASURER READ HER REPORT Motion made and seconded to accept these reports. Passed unanimously.
Convention reader read the next years budget as proposed by the finance committee and treasurer (Highlights- full proposed budget is available to delegates at the convention website)
Motion was made to approve the propsed budget. Second was voiced. Discussion began.
Question was called and budget was approved.
Promotional message by the Constitutional Cherokee Youth.
Promotional Video for Language endeavors was shown (7 1/2 minutes)
BREAK
PRAYERS
Awards presented to various communities and leaders for exceptional service.
Motion was made to allow (person named) and (Person named) to edit and harmonize the convention minutes in preparation for submission and publication.
Prayer for selection of other state leaders and chairpersons:
Board of tellers #1 distributed ballot
board of tellers #2 distributed ballot
ADAWEHI REPORTS
motion made to accept adawehi reports, second voice, motion passed.
Other business discussed
RESOLUTIONS PRESENTED IN ORDER AND VOTED ON
BREAK
PRAYERS
Report of Board of tellers #1
Report of Board of Tellers #2
announcement read by convention reader of all adawehi licensed by state convention
motion made, second voiced, discussion heard and motion carried to accept these as licensed adawehi
Awards made
Prayer
Anointing of and by elder Adawehi, Anointing of State Chief and State officers, recognition of Community Chiefs, principal clan mothers and other leaders.
Closing Friendship Dance
Prayer
STOMP
SUNRISE CEREMONY
GOING TO WATER
CEREMONY OF THE BELTS-
This is a solemn ceremony wherein promises are reaffirmed, friendship is proclaimed and concludes with a ceremony in itself where the Delegations present to the higher level, a wampum belt sealing the agreements made at which point the Higher level returns the delegations belts to them to take back to their own chapter.
ADJOURNMENT
brief descriptions:
1 Parliamentarian - makes certain procedures are followed and protocol is maintained, answers questions about rules of order and so on
Specifics were removed to make this a generic example.
In this case, the state convention began on a Friday, concluded with Stomp at the state Gatiyo on Saturday evening (went till dawn on Sunday)
It is at the STOMP that the real ceremony for installing officers is completed.
Other conventions have been known to assemble on earlier days in order to deal with anticipated issues that might take longer but this is rare.
prior to the convention, all the community reports and other reports, all resolutions and all ballots have been loaded onto a website maintained by the state. Delegates are given the link to it along with a password in an email in the week prior to the convention, and they verify that they have had access to it when they sign in as delegates at the convention.
First Evening prior to State Convention
Delegate registration began at 1 pm.- state convention supper begins at 4:00 (or delegates may go to eat on their own - prior reservations were required)
(NOTE: all during this time, a number of flute players are in the outer area of the meeting place, softly playing prayer songs taking turns so that the entire proceedings (except during songs) there is music heard)
At the conclusion of registration, the presentation of the Wampum belts occurs. In this, Wampum belts are brought in with ceremony and laid before the assembly.
NOTE: Delegations are to arrive and present their belt of Wampum signifying their office and standing with their sending chapter. This is in keeping with the ancient practice. Traditionally, no treaty or covenant was considered binding and no tribal embassy or delegation was ever recognized as official without the delivery of a wampum belt as a guaranty and memorial. [Just as tribes in the west held eagle feathers in high esteem, Southeastern tribes like the Cherokee held the Wampum Bead to be in high esteem and so would exchange these wampum beads (not feathers) at special occasions.] ADDTIONAL NOTE: In some cases, the state assembly may exchange a belt from the assembly for the one the delegates brought- signifying that the agreement has been reached and that the delegate is now returning to their chapter to declare the will of the state chapter to the local chapter.
These Wampum belts are hung at the head Council table throughout the proceedings of the convention, and in the closing ceremony, are returned to the delegation that brought them so that they may return to their respective chapters.
Adawehi led the people in prayer and Friendship dance 6:00 p.m.
Speaker-- (usually a presentation is given by the state chief but may be an invited guest who speaks as well)
evening concluded with
the setting of the voting area/bar (all delegates and this area are smudged with smoke of white pine needles)
and
the announcement of the delegates names who will be serving on various positions and on committee assignments during the Convention:
1 Parliamentarian
2Convention Secretary
3 Convention Reader
4 Assistants (Pages) to the Convention Council
5 Board of Tellers # 1
6 Board of Tellers # 2
7 various other needed officers (such as An English to Cherokee Translator and a Cherokee to English Translator)
this was followed by a gathering song or social dance and
Voluntary contributions for expenses of Convention
Closing Round Dance
8:00 next morning
(NOTE: all during this time, a number of flute players are in the outer area of the meeting place, softly playing prayer songs taking turns so that the entire proceedings (except during songs) there is music heard)
Opening Prayers
Reminder by Parlimentarian of the voting area/bar. No one but delegates are seated in this area; delegates are required to be in this area in order to vote
REPORTS
TITLE OF ALL RESOLUTIONS TO BE CONSIDERED READ (reminder that these are presented in their entirety on the state convention website accessible to delegates who have the appropriate password)
VOTE TO ACCEPT THIS LIST AND TO CONSIDER THESE RESOLUTIONS AT THIS CONVENTION. (This means no other resolutions may be presented other than are on this approved list and is not to be construed as an approval of any of the resolutions, just means they are on the agenda)
Motion was made on the floor to list all names alphabetically and all elections be by plurality.
seconded by a seated delegate, discussion then occurred and the question was called.
Motion passed unanimously.
Ballots were previously prepared by the Secretary.
Announcement of the ballots by reader.
Prayer by Adawehi,
then ballots are distributed.
Board of tellers #1 distributed ballot #1. The first ballot was for state chief.
they collected ballots and went to count them
board of tellers #2 distributed ballot #2 the 2nd ballot was for all other state officers
They collected ballots and went to count them.
Community chiefs read their reports for the year and a motion was made and seconded to receive their reports. Reports were approved unanimously.
BREAK
PRAYERS
Report of Ballot #1 by the Board of Tellers Chairperson (the board of tellers first selected their chair person prior to counting the ballots)
Board of Tellers report #1 was given
Board of Tellers report #2 was given
in this instance, all officials were selected with a clear majority and no re vote needed.
CONVENTION READER (NAME WITHHELD HERE)
then read all of the past year reports from
nominating committee report
finance committee report
goals committee report
adawehi
Youth Chiefs report
and other reports
Motion was made to approve reports as read, second was voiced, and all reports were approved.
SECRETARY READ HER REPORT TREASURER READ HER REPORT Motion made and seconded to accept these reports. Passed unanimously.
Convention reader read the next years budget as proposed by the finance committee and treasurer (Highlights- full proposed budget is available to delegates at the convention website)
Motion was made to approve the propsed budget. Second was voiced. Discussion began.
Question was called and budget was approved.
Promotional message by the Constitutional Cherokee Youth.
Promotional Video for Language endeavors was shown (7 1/2 minutes)
BREAK
PRAYERS
Awards presented to various communities and leaders for exceptional service.
Motion was made to allow (person named) and (Person named) to edit and harmonize the convention minutes in preparation for submission and publication.
Prayer for selection of other state leaders and chairpersons:
Board of tellers #1 distributed ballot
board of tellers #2 distributed ballot
ADAWEHI REPORTS
motion made to accept adawehi reports, second voice, motion passed.
Other business discussed
RESOLUTIONS PRESENTED IN ORDER AND VOTED ON
BREAK
PRAYERS
Report of Board of tellers #1
Report of Board of Tellers #2
announcement read by convention reader of all adawehi licensed by state convention
motion made, second voiced, discussion heard and motion carried to accept these as licensed adawehi
Awards made
Prayer
Anointing of and by elder Adawehi, Anointing of State Chief and State officers, recognition of Community Chiefs, principal clan mothers and other leaders.
Closing Friendship Dance
Prayer
STOMP
SUNRISE CEREMONY
GOING TO WATER
CEREMONY OF THE BELTS-
This is a solemn ceremony wherein promises are reaffirmed, friendship is proclaimed and concludes with a ceremony in itself where the Delegations present to the higher level, a wampum belt sealing the agreements made at which point the Higher level returns the delegations belts to them to take back to their own chapter.
ADJOURNMENT
brief descriptions:
1 Parliamentarian - makes certain procedures are followed and protocol is maintained, answers questions about rules of order and so on
2Convention Secretary- takes notes and reads back from minutes when asked
3 Convention Reader- reads any letters, resolutions, or reports not given by the specific person to the convention
4 Assistants (Pages) to the Convention Council- stand or sit facing convention delegates and go to get notes or messages to pass to the council members seated on the stage or podium
5 Board of Tellers # 1- a group of at least 7 folks who count ballots
6 Board of Tellers # 2- a group of at least 7 folks who count ballots
7 various other needed officers
WAMPUM- beads are made ONLY from the quahog shell; no glass substitutes.
WAMPUM- beads are made ONLY from the quahog shell; no glass substitutes.
10/25/10
FAQ's Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some quick answers to some Frequently asked Questions
DO THE CC CHARGE ENROLLMENT FEES?
No, the Constitutional Cherokee do not charge any enrollment fees. Each community group unites to provide to accomplish any activity. Members bring food to share at the potlucks. Each community group may engage in fundraising from time to time as their needs arise, but there is no enrollment fee.
We also do not charge for genealogy like the EBCI and CNO do.
We also do not do genealogy so there is not charge for that. Each application if complete will have the genealogy accompanying it and once the community group meets the applicant and works with them to make sure their heritage is accurate they may be approved but there is no charge for that either. After all, the application requires your family chart to be certified by a CAILS genealogist, so there is no more rigorous certification possible.
WHY DO I HAVE TO ATTEND PRAYER CIRCLES AND POTLUCKS?
The Cherokee people traditionally were a community minded people. We must combine our language resources in order to celebrate and rediscover our culture.
The community groups of the CC are where you attend prayer circles and potluck. It is where you begin to learn or to help others learn what it means to really be Cherokee.
After all, what distinguishes us as Cherokee people and not just Cherokee descendants is that we speak or are learning to speak our Cherokee language, sing our ancient Cherokee songs, dance our Cherokee Dances, and celebrate our Cherokee festivals.
Authentication is important. There have been rumors that every state recognized tribe has been a victim of fraud and that some have purposely tried to enroll a dog as a member in each of those tribes- and succeeded!
We have an application process that requires our members to be verified as to their identity and their ancestry.
We also require participation of all our members.
After all, what distinguishes us as Cherokee people and not just Cherokee descendants is that we speak or are learning to speak our Cherokee language, sing our ancient Cherokee songs, dance our Cherokee Dances, and celebrate our Cherokee festivals.
It is also a safeguard- the National or state groups cannot sell land that is within the homeland without the express permission of the local group nor may the local group sell land without the approval of the state and National assemblies.
The Assemblies are composed of CC members.
This allows land within the homeland to remain in the care of all CC members.
If you think about it, this is also why it was illegal for a few Cherokee people to sign the removal treaty that affected the entire nation.
None of those signers had the authority to treat away the homeland.
Although removal happened, it was declared illegal by the Supreme Court and by the Cherokee Nation in the early 1800's.
Today, we hope that land purchased and deeded to our people would remain available for all CC members and therefore we want to clearly state that just because a person is a member of the CC does not give that individual the right to make a treaty or to sell land within the homeland.
WHAT IS THE HOLIDAY KNOWN AS THE DAY OF INFAMY? AND WHY DO THE CONSTITUTIONAL CHEROKEE CELEBRATE IT?
A NOTE about The Day of INFAMY-- April 9:
We Commemorate April 9 each year with MOURNING and FASTING and will do so until the RED CLAY RESOLUTION is repealed AND until the day we are recognized as TRUE Cherokee people.
This is not a "holiday" --
it is a National Day of Prayer
This is not a "holiday" -- On this day, our people fast, pray, go to water and ask Creator for the unification of all Cherokee descendants.
Cherokees Didn't Celebrate American 'style' Thanksgiving until 1885...
SOME of the Information Below was provided by the
Cherokee Nation Cultural Resource Center
E-mail: cultural@cherokee.org
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE INFORMATION BELOW IS HOW ONE GROUP OF CHEROKEE DEALT WITH THIS ISSUE; Cherokees today often celebrate both US holidays as well as our own.
--------------------
The Cherokees were raising corn as early as 1,000 BC. Before European contact the Cherokees already participated in a ceremony giving thanks for crops and it was a form of worship in what is known as the "Green Corn Dance".
It was this Ceremony of the Corn Festivals that is believed to have actually been the first "thanksgiving" meal.
This traditional dance was a very important ceremony for the Cherokees. This ceremony was the beginning of the New Year. Our ancestors gave thanks for the corn crop that they saw as a continued life for them. It was a time for forgiveness and grudges to be left behind - starting anew. A part of their celebration was fasting, then gathering at the ceremonial grounds to play stickball, dance and have a big feast.
Other traditions for the Cherokee included participating in sports mainly the stickball game and marble game; eating bean bread, wild game, and wild plants to mention a few; and for communication they used the wampum belts.
As settlers moved inland, Native Americans they encountered, including the Cherokee assisted the early settlers and traders with food and supplies. This was a continual process not just a single meal. The Cherokees also taught the early settlers how to hunt, fish, and farm in their new environment. They also taught them how to use herbal medicine when they became ill.
Sadly, as more English people came to America, they didn't need the Native Americans help anymore and the newcomers had forgotten how the natives helped the earlier Pilgrims. Mistrust began to grow and the friendship weakened. The Pilgrims started telling their Native neighbors that their native religion and native customs were wrong. The relationships deteriorated and within a few years the children of the people who ate together at the first Thanksgiving were killing one another in what led to the King Phillip's War.
In 1736, Chris Priber, some say he was German, some say he was a Frenchman, established himself among the Cherokees, learned their language, and taught them the very different ways (he endorsed polygamy and free sexual encounters- the first "sexual revolution" among the Americas.
Some folks used to think he was a Catholic Priest but he was not) until he was arrested by the English and put in prison at Charleston, South Carolina.
Even though the Cherokees worshipped in their own religion, the work of the missionaries converted some Cherokees to the European practices, and the Festivals of the Corn slowly faded away.
The first known Cherokee converted to European Christianity was 1773.
In 1801, the first permanent Mission in the Cherokee Nation was called Moravian Mission. It was located at Springplace, which is in present-day Georgia. As more Cherokees became Americanized, the custom of observing the American National Thanksgiving Holiday became common. It is ironic that the festival that inspired Thanksgiving was now being replaced by that copy cat celebration.
D. W. Bushyhead, Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation, signed a proclamation on Thursday, November 26th, A. D. 1885 for Thanksgiving to be practiced by the Cherokees.
The Proclamation reads,
"The Cherokees have abundant reason to rejoice. They are favored in all things that should make a Nation prosperous and a people happy. They have an indisputable right to an area of land sufficient for the needs of generations of Cherokees to come. They have a perfect form of Government, wise laws, unsurpassed educational facilities for their children and money enough of their own invested to make these blessings permanent. It is true this Nation is neither numerous wealthy nor powerful compared with many others, but it stands and relies upon the plighted faith of a Nation that has become the strongest on earth by reason of its respect for human rights."
Today many of the Cherokee members celebrate the National Thanksgiving Holiday.
There are still Cherokees and other Native Americans who still celebrate the Green Corn Ceremony.
Many Native Americans will fast on the 4th Thursday in November [Thanksgiving Day] as a way of remembering the MILLIONS who died as a result of the invasion.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For more information contact the source:
Cherokee Nation Cultural Resource Center
E-mail: cultural@cherokee.org
* Cherokee Heritage Center
Mail: P.O. Box 515; Tahlequah, OK 74465
Location: 21672 S. Keeler, Park Hill, Oklahoma
Phone: 918-456-6007 ~ FAX: 918-456-6165
E-Mail: info@cherokeeheritage.org
* Official Site of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma
P. O. Box 948 Tahlequah, Oklahoma 74465
Phone: (918) 456-0671 ~ Toll free OK only: 1-800-256-0671
DO THE CC CHARGE ENROLLMENT FEES?
No, the Constitutional Cherokee do not charge any enrollment fees. Each community group unites to provide to accomplish any activity. Members bring food to share at the potlucks. Each community group may engage in fundraising from time to time as their needs arise, but there is no enrollment fee.
We also do not charge for genealogy like the EBCI and CNO do.
We also do not do genealogy so there is not charge for that. Each application if complete will have the genealogy accompanying it and once the community group meets the applicant and works with them to make sure their heritage is accurate they may be approved but there is no charge for that either. After all, the application requires your family chart to be certified by a CAILS genealogist, so there is no more rigorous certification possible.
WHY DO I HAVE TO ATTEND PRAYER CIRCLES AND POTLUCKS?
The Cherokee people traditionally were a community minded people. We must combine our language resources in order to celebrate and rediscover our culture.
The community groups of the CC are where you attend prayer circles and potluck. It is where you begin to learn or to help others learn what it means to really be Cherokee.
After all, what distinguishes us as Cherokee people and not just Cherokee descendants is that we speak or are learning to speak our Cherokee language, sing our ancient Cherokee songs, dance our Cherokee Dances, and celebrate our Cherokee festivals.
WHY DOES THE ENROLLMENT FOR NEED SO MUCH INFORMATION?
The enrollment application is designed to safeguard the members of the CC and to protect our identity.Authentication is important. There have been rumors that every state recognized tribe has been a victim of fraud and that some have purposely tried to enroll a dog as a member in each of those tribes- and succeeded!
We have an application process that requires our members to be verified as to their identity and their ancestry.
We also require participation of all our members.
After all, what distinguishes us as Cherokee people and not just Cherokee descendants is that we speak or are learning to speak our Cherokee language, sing our ancient Cherokee songs, dance our Cherokee Dances, and celebrate our Cherokee festivals.
WHY DO THE CHEROKEE EXCHANGE WAMPUM AND NOT EAGLE FEATHERS OR OTHER FEATHERS LIKE THE WESTERN TRIBES DO?
Traditionally, our people held the wampum in high esteem as both a sacred object and as an object of value. The purple or dark wampum traditionally represented money or Adela (which means Bead as well as money) while the white or light wampum had high spritual significance.
Our people understood that the animals seek revenge upon us so very few of our ceremonies involved their use but we used herbs, and plants, stones, and wampum shells in our ceremonies, as did most all southeastern tribes. It is an honor of the HIGHEST order to be presented with wampum shells.
The wampum shells were used to adorn our clothing and our bodies. They were also used to create belts with symbols of office woven into them using varying colors of wampum beads. These wampum beads were strung upon string that was carefully made from dogbane and fashioned into a strong and well composed belt. These were carefully maintained and passed down for generations to those who would keep them and who were trained to read and interpret the symbols of the belts.
WHAT ARE THE NATIONAL PASTIMES OF THE CHEROKEE?
There are three distinctive activities that our youth engage in:
Stick ball,
Marble game,
and the Gaming Wheel.
These are described elsewhere in our handbook but are played at every festival, and throughout the summer months. These are also used to settle disputes and as a way of raising funds for the needy.
If used as a fund raiser, all the participants as well as those watching, bring a worthy gift or Adela which is collected and the winner of the game is given these gifts, thereupon they make a presentation to the needy person, family or group for whom the game was called, afterwhich there is a large feast shared, dancing, and going to water.
If the reason for the competition is for the settling of a dispute, these are done in a particular order, the lowest or smallest dispute is settled by the marble game. A dispute of medium or stronger contention is settled by the gaming wheel. The gaming wheel is also used to settle disputes between communities or within /among Cherokee people.
The most severe of these is the Stickball game, which is used in place of war, between the Cherokees and outsiders.
WHY IS THE LAND OWNED BY THE CC?
This is a traditional way of understanding that no one person owned the land and that Creator had given it to all His Cherokee Children.Traditionally, our people held the wampum in high esteem as both a sacred object and as an object of value. The purple or dark wampum traditionally represented money or Adela (which means Bead as well as money) while the white or light wampum had high spritual significance.
Our people understood that the animals seek revenge upon us so very few of our ceremonies involved their use but we used herbs, and plants, stones, and wampum shells in our ceremonies, as did most all southeastern tribes. It is an honor of the HIGHEST order to be presented with wampum shells.
The wampum shells were used to adorn our clothing and our bodies. They were also used to create belts with symbols of office woven into them using varying colors of wampum beads. These wampum beads were strung upon string that was carefully made from dogbane and fashioned into a strong and well composed belt. These were carefully maintained and passed down for generations to those who would keep them and who were trained to read and interpret the symbols of the belts.
WHAT ARE THE NATIONAL PASTIMES OF THE CHEROKEE?
There are three distinctive activities that our youth engage in:
Stick ball,
Marble game,
and the Gaming Wheel.
These are described elsewhere in our handbook but are played at every festival, and throughout the summer months. These are also used to settle disputes and as a way of raising funds for the needy.
If used as a fund raiser, all the participants as well as those watching, bring a worthy gift or Adela which is collected and the winner of the game is given these gifts, thereupon they make a presentation to the needy person, family or group for whom the game was called, afterwhich there is a large feast shared, dancing, and going to water.
If the reason for the competition is for the settling of a dispute, these are done in a particular order, the lowest or smallest dispute is settled by the marble game. A dispute of medium or stronger contention is settled by the gaming wheel. The gaming wheel is also used to settle disputes between communities or within /among Cherokee people.
The most severe of these is the Stickball game, which is used in place of war, between the Cherokees and outsiders.
WHY IS THE LAND OWNED BY THE CC?
It is also a safeguard- the National or state groups cannot sell land that is within the homeland without the express permission of the local group nor may the local group sell land without the approval of the state and National assemblies.
The Assemblies are composed of CC members.
This allows land within the homeland to remain in the care of all CC members.
If you think about it, this is also why it was illegal for a few Cherokee people to sign the removal treaty that affected the entire nation.
None of those signers had the authority to treat away the homeland.
Although removal happened, it was declared illegal by the Supreme Court and by the Cherokee Nation in the early 1800's.
Today, we hope that land purchased and deeded to our people would remain available for all CC members and therefore we want to clearly state that just because a person is a member of the CC does not give that individual the right to make a treaty or to sell land within the homeland.
WHAT IS THE HOLIDAY KNOWN AS THE DAY OF INFAMY? AND WHY DO THE CONSTITUTIONAL CHEROKEE CELEBRATE IT?
A NOTE about The Day of INFAMY-- April 9:
We Commemorate April 9 each year with MOURNING and FASTING and will do so until the RED CLAY RESOLUTION is repealed AND until the day we are recognized as TRUE Cherokee people.
This is not a "holiday" --
it is a National Day of Prayer
This is not a "holiday" -- On this day, our people fast, pray, go to water and ask Creator for the unification of all Cherokee descendants.
WHAT ABOUT THANKSGIVING?
Cherokees Didn't Celebrate American 'style' Thanksgiving until 1885...
SOME of the Information Below was provided by the
Cherokee Nation Cultural Resource Center
E-mail: cultural@cherokee.org
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE INFORMATION BELOW IS HOW ONE GROUP OF CHEROKEE DEALT WITH THIS ISSUE; Cherokees today often celebrate both US holidays as well as our own.
--------------------
The Cherokees were raising corn as early as 1,000 BC. Before European contact the Cherokees already participated in a ceremony giving thanks for crops and it was a form of worship in what is known as the "Green Corn Dance".
It was this Ceremony of the Corn Festivals that is believed to have actually been the first "thanksgiving" meal.
This traditional dance was a very important ceremony for the Cherokees. This ceremony was the beginning of the New Year. Our ancestors gave thanks for the corn crop that they saw as a continued life for them. It was a time for forgiveness and grudges to be left behind - starting anew. A part of their celebration was fasting, then gathering at the ceremonial grounds to play stickball, dance and have a big feast.
Other traditions for the Cherokee included participating in sports mainly the stickball game and marble game; eating bean bread, wild game, and wild plants to mention a few; and for communication they used the wampum belts.
As settlers moved inland, Native Americans they encountered, including the Cherokee assisted the early settlers and traders with food and supplies. This was a continual process not just a single meal. The Cherokees also taught the early settlers how to hunt, fish, and farm in their new environment. They also taught them how to use herbal medicine when they became ill.
Sadly, as more English people came to America, they didn't need the Native Americans help anymore and the newcomers had forgotten how the natives helped the earlier Pilgrims. Mistrust began to grow and the friendship weakened. The Pilgrims started telling their Native neighbors that their native religion and native customs were wrong. The relationships deteriorated and within a few years the children of the people who ate together at the first Thanksgiving were killing one another in what led to the King Phillip's War.
In 1736, Chris Priber, some say he was German, some say he was a Frenchman, established himself among the Cherokees, learned their language, and taught them the very different ways (he endorsed polygamy and free sexual encounters- the first "sexual revolution" among the Americas.
Some folks used to think he was a Catholic Priest but he was not) until he was arrested by the English and put in prison at Charleston, South Carolina.
Even though the Cherokees worshipped in their own religion, the work of the missionaries converted some Cherokees to the European practices, and the Festivals of the Corn slowly faded away.
The first known Cherokee converted to European Christianity was 1773.
In 1801, the first permanent Mission in the Cherokee Nation was called Moravian Mission. It was located at Springplace, which is in present-day Georgia. As more Cherokees became Americanized, the custom of observing the American National Thanksgiving Holiday became common. It is ironic that the festival that inspired Thanksgiving was now being replaced by that copy cat celebration.
D. W. Bushyhead, Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation, signed a proclamation on Thursday, November 26th, A. D. 1885 for Thanksgiving to be practiced by the Cherokees.
The Proclamation reads,
"The Cherokees have abundant reason to rejoice. They are favored in all things that should make a Nation prosperous and a people happy. They have an indisputable right to an area of land sufficient for the needs of generations of Cherokees to come. They have a perfect form of Government, wise laws, unsurpassed educational facilities for their children and money enough of their own invested to make these blessings permanent. It is true this Nation is neither numerous wealthy nor powerful compared with many others, but it stands and relies upon the plighted faith of a Nation that has become the strongest on earth by reason of its respect for human rights."
Today many of the Cherokee members celebrate the National Thanksgiving Holiday.
There are still Cherokees and other Native Americans who still celebrate the Green Corn Ceremony.
Many Native Americans will fast on the 4th Thursday in November [Thanksgiving Day] as a way of remembering the MILLIONS who died as a result of the invasion.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For more information contact the source:
Cherokee Nation Cultural Resource Center
E-mail: cultural@cherokee.org
* Cherokee Heritage Center
Mail: P.O. Box 515; Tahlequah, OK 74465
Location: 21672 S. Keeler, Park Hill, Oklahoma
Phone: 918-456-6007 ~ FAX: 918-456-6165
E-Mail: info@cherokeeheritage.org
* Official Site of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma
P. O. Box 948 Tahlequah, Oklahoma 74465
Phone: (918) 456-0671 ~ Toll free OK only: 1-800-256-0671
10/24/10
AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS
We heartily endorse immersion- the speaking of ONLY the Cherokee language in the home, in the community and in the homeland.
Kids who want to learn English will have ample opportunity to pick that language up since its way easier to speak than Cherokee is.
Cherokee should be the only language that is spoken by every Constitutional Cherokee Member.
However, we are realistic.
Not everyone speaks.
But every word that you use in Cherokee keeps that word alive.
Did you know that there have been documented examples of a language dying out- no fluent speakers left at all- and then it was Brought back from the dead?
We are blessed- ours is not totally dead yet. We have an advantage- so if those dead languages could be brought back, then surely our living- though on life support- language could be restored!
SO--
EVERY community group - should AT the very LEAST begin a Language class as an after school program.
Once a child reaches 4 years of age, they should attend this language class.
No, they wont be sitting at desks too often. Writing wont begin till they are about 10.
But they will be saying words, playing language games; Counting and singing songs; listening to recordings and learning how to say or sing what is on the recording.
Web chatting with fluent speakers is also encouraged at these sessions. Guest speakers who are fluent are to be procured whenever possible- and reimbursed for their time and travel.
Class should be 2 hours every day Monday through Saturday at the same time daily. Class will not be in session when the public schools are closed for whatever reason.
Parents are encouraged to attend the sessions with their children.
Parents should also learn from the resource "Cherokee Parenting Phrases" By Josh Webster, Giduwa Cherokee. This is available through VIP - Various Indian Peoples -Publishing.
All adults assisting or teaching anyone under the age of 21 years old will need to comply with a federal background test for working with children.
This is just to keep everyone safe.
Parents will pay their instructor [at least a weekly fee] due the first day of each month.
This fee will be in addition to supplies the students need to purchase to have their own resources to listen to and use at home.
We recommend the community pay to have the instructors attend the Cherokee Museum Language course in the summer at Cherokee NC taught by James BO Taylor and that they also pay for them to attend the Educational course there too taught by Barbara Duncan so they can also incorporate historical information into their lessons.
We also recommend that every instructor and assistant take the online course at WCU and that their community pay for this course.
Children attend the after school language sessions until they reach their 14th birthday.
After that, the Community should find a way to provide additional instruction for those who request it.
We recommend your family begin these after school sessions immediately. REMEMBER- language is more important than sports or any other after school activity your kid could be interested in.
But in communities where that becomes an issue, a BEFORE school session could be held- 2 1/2 hours before the child is to be at their school- but we have found children learn better AFTER school than getting up that early.
IF YOU ABSOLUTELY CANNOT support a weekly Language after school class- then hold instead a "sunday school" meeting from 10:00 a.m. till noon- Parents and Children attending together- Open and close with a prayer entirely in Cherokee language.
sing Cherokee songs, listen to recordings of Cherokee readings and stories or watch cherokee language videos- play cherokee games but make it an ENTIRELY "English Free" zone- if you cant say it in cherokee- dont say it - time.
Kids who want to learn English will have ample opportunity to pick that language up since its way easier to speak than Cherokee is.
Cherokee should be the only language that is spoken by every Constitutional Cherokee Member.
However, we are realistic.
Not everyone speaks.
But every word that you use in Cherokee keeps that word alive.
Did you know that there have been documented examples of a language dying out- no fluent speakers left at all- and then it was Brought back from the dead?
We are blessed- ours is not totally dead yet. We have an advantage- so if those dead languages could be brought back, then surely our living- though on life support- language could be restored!
SO--
EVERY community group - should AT the very LEAST begin a Language class as an after school program.
Once a child reaches 4 years of age, they should attend this language class.
No, they wont be sitting at desks too often. Writing wont begin till they are about 10.
But they will be saying words, playing language games; Counting and singing songs; listening to recordings and learning how to say or sing what is on the recording.
Web chatting with fluent speakers is also encouraged at these sessions. Guest speakers who are fluent are to be procured whenever possible- and reimbursed for their time and travel.
Class should be 2 hours every day Monday through Saturday at the same time daily. Class will not be in session when the public schools are closed for whatever reason.
Parents are encouraged to attend the sessions with their children.
Parents should also learn from the resource "Cherokee Parenting Phrases" By Josh Webster, Giduwa Cherokee. This is available through VIP - Various Indian Peoples -Publishing.
All adults assisting or teaching anyone under the age of 21 years old will need to comply with a federal background test for working with children.
This is just to keep everyone safe.
Parents will pay their instructor [at least a weekly fee] due the first day of each month.
This fee will be in addition to supplies the students need to purchase to have their own resources to listen to and use at home.
We recommend the community pay to have the instructors attend the Cherokee Museum Language course in the summer at Cherokee NC taught by James BO Taylor and that they also pay for them to attend the Educational course there too taught by Barbara Duncan so they can also incorporate historical information into their lessons.
We also recommend that every instructor and assistant take the online course at WCU and that their community pay for this course.
Children attend the after school language sessions until they reach their 14th birthday.
After that, the Community should find a way to provide additional instruction for those who request it.
We recommend your family begin these after school sessions immediately. REMEMBER- language is more important than sports or any other after school activity your kid could be interested in.
But in communities where that becomes an issue, a BEFORE school session could be held- 2 1/2 hours before the child is to be at their school- but we have found children learn better AFTER school than getting up that early.
IF YOU ABSOLUTELY CANNOT support a weekly Language after school class- then hold instead a "sunday school" meeting from 10:00 a.m. till noon- Parents and Children attending together- Open and close with a prayer entirely in Cherokee language.
sing Cherokee songs, listen to recordings of Cherokee readings and stories or watch cherokee language videos- play cherokee games but make it an ENTIRELY "English Free" zone- if you cant say it in cherokee- dont say it - time.
FEDERAL RECOGNITION
APRIL 9 -
A day of National Mourning for a Day of Infamy!
Betrayal!
Betrayal of the Cherokee descendants by other Cherokee Descendants! Betrayed by our OWN people!
A NOTE about The Day of INFAMY-- April 9:
We Commemorate April 9 each year with MOURNING and FASTING and will do so until the RED CLAY RESOLUTION is repealed AND until the day we are recognized as TRUE Cherokee people.
This is not a "holiday" -- it is a National Day of Prayer
We must now pursue the course of recognition in order to prevent resolutions like that one from ever threatening us again.
We are uniting because our ability to call our selves Cherokee- despite having PROVEN documentation of at least 1 Cherokee ancestor- our ability to declare ourselves as Cherokee is threatened.
Prior to this, we were content as long as we could celebrate our culture and language.
However, that peace has been taken from us.
We therefore are embarking on this course in response to that very real danger as stated in the Red Clay Document from the Joint Council of the CNO and EBCI.
There are Seven Criteria for federal recognition.
Here are each of the 7 criterion groups must meet as set forth in federal law (our comments are in the parentheses) :
Neither should LACK of continuous prior recognition as long as the group is historically documented.
This is because Tribes in the east were effectively subdued before the United States existed.
One of the proofs many think of for proving "being a tribe" is that nation-to-nation treaties were made with your own government.
Since there was no USA until 1776, and it had not expanded to where many Cherokee people lived, Treaties are not a requirement for recognition.
The prior tribal status of groups may be challenged by state or local governments.
Non-recognized tribes have NONE of these advantages or powers.
In addition, the NEW THREAT made by the Cherokees at Red Clay, would forbid us from even announcing or claiming our heritage.
All of these advantages and powers are in effect compensatory for the existence of the United States by swindling the indigenous inhabitants out of their land, or taking it by force when fraud wasn't enough. They are compensatory for centuries of poverty, suffering and despair.
And most of them are essential for cultural survival, too, survival as Indians means tribal survival, which requires a land base, cultural and linguistic education, and ability to survive economically.
We are NOT attempting to EVER "go" for STATE recognition.
Need a reason why?
There is no point in it.
We exist in more than one state.
Once we are federally recognized, we won't need state recognition- they must acknowledge us
also
The legitimacy of state recognized tribes is contested.
The United States Constitution explicitly states that ONLY the United States Congress has power over Indian affairs.
So- why try do something that is already illegal?
Especially when doing so would automatically knock us out of the right to seek Federal recognition?
Folks, we are not here to break the laws. We are legitimate and we want to be recognized as legitimate, so we are not going to break federal law in order for one or two states to "throw us a bone".
State recognized tribes may or may not require proof of Native American ancestry for enrollment, a fact which contributes to the controversy over state recognition of tribes.
We however, DO require PROOF because our other Cherokee Tribes have met that standard and require it and also BECAUSE WE CAN prove it!
A day of National Mourning for a Day of Infamy!
Betrayal!
Betrayal of the Cherokee descendants by other Cherokee Descendants! Betrayed by our OWN people!
A NOTE about The Day of INFAMY-- April 9:
We Commemorate April 9 each year with MOURNING and FASTING and will do so until the RED CLAY RESOLUTION is repealed AND until the day we are recognized as TRUE Cherokee people.
This is not a "holiday" -- it is a National Day of Prayer
We must now pursue the course of recognition in order to prevent resolutions like that one from ever threatening us again.
We are uniting because our ability to call our selves Cherokee- despite having PROVEN documentation of at least 1 Cherokee ancestor- our ability to declare ourselves as Cherokee is threatened.
Prior to this, we were content as long as we could celebrate our culture and language.
However, that peace has been taken from us.
We therefore are embarking on this course in response to that very real danger as stated in the Red Clay Document from the Joint Council of the CNO and EBCI.
There are Seven Criteria for federal recognition.
Here are each of the 7 criterion groups must meet as set forth in federal law (our comments are in the parentheses) :
- Be identified from historic times until the present on a substantially continuous basis as 'American Indian' or 'aboriginal'. (Our members document their connection to historical cherokee using approved and standard historical documentation practices)
- Prove that a substantial portion of members lives in a specific area or lives as a community viewed as American Indian and distinct from other populations of the area; and prove that members of this community are descendants of an Indian tribe. (we require at least 80% of our membership to live in our historic homeland excepting those who live on lands that were established as IT in prior treaties)
- Prove that it has maintained tribal political influence or other authority over its members as an autonomous entity throughout history until the present. (The existence of the sub tribes and sub chiefs throughout our history since the turbulence of the removal era, pre and post, the creation of state tribes in an attempt to reforge sub tribes proves that we have endeavored to continue to govern ourselves)
- Provide a copy of a governing document or statement describing in full the membership criteria and procedures through which this group currently governs its affairs and its members. (that is our HANDBOOK and is freely available here)
- Provide evidence of membership consisting of individuals who have established decadency from a tribe which existed historically, or from historical tribes which combined and functioned as a single autonomous entity. (This is met because all enrolled members must document their connection to a Cherokee ancestor)
- Demonstrate that its membership consists principally of persons who are not members of any other tribe. (Our members are not members of any other tribe than that of a Cherokee Tribe)
- Show that it is not expressly terminated or forbidden to participate in the federal-Indian relationship by statute. (The Cherokee people have never been forbidden via any statute to be federally recognized)
Neither should LACK of continuous prior recognition as long as the group is historically documented.
This is because Tribes in the east were effectively subdued before the United States existed.
One of the proofs many think of for proving "being a tribe" is that nation-to-nation treaties were made with your own government.
Since there was no USA until 1776, and it had not expanded to where many Cherokee people lived, Treaties are not a requirement for recognition.
The prior tribal status of groups may be challenged by state or local governments.
FEDERAL Congress has in some instances determined the recognition process -- which is difficult, time-consuming and very expensive -- is flawed, and has acknowledged a few tribes by its own laws.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Our primary goal is to regain the right to call ourselves Cherokee descendants.
However, we would be remiss if we did not mention the other benefits of being federally recognized.
Our primary goal is to regain the right to call ourselves Cherokee descendants.
However, we would be remiss if we did not mention the other benefits of being federally recognized.
Federally-recognized tribes are eligible for a variety of federally-funded Indian services.
These range from health care to housing assistance to education to economic development assistance. They may exercise certain rights over band members, and band members have certain rights regarding their own tribal governments. Federally-recognized tribes -- if large enough-- maintain their own law enforcement and courts systems. They may place a communally-owned land base in federal trust, so that it cannot be sold by individuals, lost to tax forfeiture, or even alienated by corrupt tribal governments -- although all those losses have happened to Native Nations' lands that have been in federal trust.
These range from health care to housing assistance to education to economic development assistance. They may exercise certain rights over band members, and band members have certain rights regarding their own tribal governments. Federally-recognized tribes -- if large enough-- maintain their own law enforcement and courts systems. They may place a communally-owned land base in federal trust, so that it cannot be sold by individuals, lost to tax forfeiture, or even alienated by corrupt tribal governments -- although all those losses have happened to Native Nations' lands that have been in federal trust.
Theoretically, however, the recognized tribe has a quasi-national status that gives it and its citizen-members greater control over their lands, lives, and long-term survival.
There are also scholarships, loans, grants, development assistance programs that enrolled tribal members may receive, but not others.
There are also scholarships, loans, grants, development assistance programs that enrolled tribal members may receive, but not others.
Finally, they may start the only enterprise which has shown consistent success across about 40 tribes who've done it: a casino.
(Many states bitterly oppose this. Tribal casinos have been successful because they provide what is evidently a desired form of entertainment to white communities that is otherwise forbidden by state laws. By the way, we are not seeking a casino. Our goal is to be able to declare ourselves to be who we are and not get any opposition to our saying so)
(Many states bitterly oppose this. Tribal casinos have been successful because they provide what is evidently a desired form of entertainment to white communities that is otherwise forbidden by state laws. By the way, we are not seeking a casino. Our goal is to be able to declare ourselves to be who we are and not get any opposition to our saying so)
Non-recognized tribes have NONE of these advantages or powers.
In addition, the NEW THREAT made by the Cherokees at Red Clay, would forbid us from even announcing or claiming our heritage.
All of these advantages and powers are in effect compensatory for the existence of the United States by swindling the indigenous inhabitants out of their land, or taking it by force when fraud wasn't enough. They are compensatory for centuries of poverty, suffering and despair.
And most of them are essential for cultural survival, too, survival as Indians means tribal survival, which requires a land base, cultural and linguistic education, and ability to survive economically.
We are NOT attempting to EVER "go" for STATE recognition.
Need a reason why?
There is no point in it.
We exist in more than one state.
Once we are federally recognized, we won't need state recognition- they must acknowledge us
also
The legitimacy of state recognized tribes is contested.
The United States Constitution explicitly states that ONLY the United States Congress has power over Indian affairs.
So- why try do something that is already illegal?
Especially when doing so would automatically knock us out of the right to seek Federal recognition?
Folks, we are not here to break the laws. We are legitimate and we want to be recognized as legitimate, so we are not going to break federal law in order for one or two states to "throw us a bone".
State recognized tribes may or may not require proof of Native American ancestry for enrollment, a fact which contributes to the controversy over state recognition of tribes.
We however, DO require PROOF because our other Cherokee Tribes have met that standard and require it and also BECAUSE WE CAN prove it!
ADDITIONAL HISTORICAL INFO
In 1968 the Indian Civil Rights Act was passed by the USA. here is what that says:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Indian Civil Rights Act of 1968 (25 U.S.C. §§ 1301-03)
§ 1301. Definitions
For purposes of this subchapter, the term -
''Indian tribe'' means any tribe, band, or other group of Indians subject to the jurisdiction of the United States and recognized as possessing powers of self-government;
''powers of self-government'' means and includes all governmental powers possessed by an Indian tribe, executive, legislative, and judicial, and all offices, bodies, and tribunals by and through which they are executed, including courts of Indian offenses; and means the inherent power of Indian tribes, hereby recognized and affirmed, to exercise criminal jurisdiction over all Indians;
''Indian court'' means any Indian tribal court or court of Indian offense.
§ 1302. Constitutional rights
No Indian tribe in exercising powers of self-government shall -
make or enforce any law prohibiting the free exercise of religion, or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble and to petition for a redress of grievances;
violate the right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects against unreasonable search and seizures, nor issue warrants, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched and the person or thing to be seized;
subject any person for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy;
compel any person in any criminal case to be a witness against himself;
take any private property for a public use without just compensation;
deny to any person in a criminal proceeding the right to a speedy and public trial, to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation, to be confronted with the witnesses against him, to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and at his own expense to have the assistance of counsel for his defense;
require excessive bail, impose excessive fines, inflict cruel and unusual punishments, and in no event impose for conviction of any one offense any penalty or punishment greater than imprisonment for a term of one year and [1] a fine of $5,000, or both;
deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of its laws or deprive any person of liberty or property without due process of law;
pass any bill of attainder or ex post facto law; or
deny to any person accused of an offense punishable by imprisonment the right, upon request, to a trial by jury of not less than six persons.
§ 1303. Habeas corpus
The privilege of the writ of habeas corpus shall be available to any person, in a court of the United States, to test the legality of his detention by order of an Indian tribe.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
END END END
It is almost as important to note what the ICRA (Indian Civil Rights Act) did NOT do as well as what it does say.
The ICRA incorporated many constitutional protections, but it modified others or did not include them at all.
"The law did not impose the establishment clause, the guarantee of a republican form of government, the requirement of a separation of church and state, the right to a jury trial in civil cases, or the right of indigents to appointed counsel in criminal cases."
[SOURCE~Indian Civil Rights Act." US History Encyclopedia. © 2006 through a partnership of Answers Corporation]
These provisions were excluded because the government recognized the different political and cultural status of the tribes.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Indian Civil Rights Act of 1968 (25 U.S.C. §§ 1301-03)
§ 1301. Definitions
For purposes of this subchapter, the term -
''Indian tribe'' means any tribe, band, or other group of Indians subject to the jurisdiction of the United States and recognized as possessing powers of self-government;
''powers of self-government'' means and includes all governmental powers possessed by an Indian tribe, executive, legislative, and judicial, and all offices, bodies, and tribunals by and through which they are executed, including courts of Indian offenses; and means the inherent power of Indian tribes, hereby recognized and affirmed, to exercise criminal jurisdiction over all Indians;
''Indian court'' means any Indian tribal court or court of Indian offense.
§ 1302. Constitutional rights
No Indian tribe in exercising powers of self-government shall -
make or enforce any law prohibiting the free exercise of religion, or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble and to petition for a redress of grievances;
violate the right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects against unreasonable search and seizures, nor issue warrants, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched and the person or thing to be seized;
subject any person for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy;
compel any person in any criminal case to be a witness against himself;
take any private property for a public use without just compensation;
deny to any person in a criminal proceeding the right to a speedy and public trial, to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation, to be confronted with the witnesses against him, to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and at his own expense to have the assistance of counsel for his defense;
require excessive bail, impose excessive fines, inflict cruel and unusual punishments, and in no event impose for conviction of any one offense any penalty or punishment greater than imprisonment for a term of one year and [1] a fine of $5,000, or both;
deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of its laws or deprive any person of liberty or property without due process of law;
pass any bill of attainder or ex post facto law; or
deny to any person accused of an offense punishable by imprisonment the right, upon request, to a trial by jury of not less than six persons.
§ 1303. Habeas corpus
The privilege of the writ of habeas corpus shall be available to any person, in a court of the United States, to test the legality of his detention by order of an Indian tribe.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
END END END
It is almost as important to note what the ICRA (Indian Civil Rights Act) did NOT do as well as what it does say.
The ICRA incorporated many constitutional protections, but it modified others or did not include them at all.
"The law did not impose the establishment clause, the guarantee of a republican form of government, the requirement of a separation of church and state, the right to a jury trial in civil cases, or the right of indigents to appointed counsel in criminal cases."
[SOURCE~Indian Civil Rights Act." US History Encyclopedia. © 2006 through a partnership of Answers Corporation]
These provisions were excluded because the government recognized the different political and cultural status of the tribes.
10/23/10
Yona Agasga
A man went hunting in the mountains and came across a black bear, which he wounded with an arrow. The bear turned and started to run the other way, and the hunter followed, shooting one arrow after another into it without bringing it down. Now, this was a medicine bear, and could talk or read the thoughts of people without their saying a word. At last he stopped and pulled the arrows out of his side and gave them to the man, saying, "It is of no use for you to shoot at me, for you can not kill me. Come to my house and let us live together." The hunter thought to himself, "He may kill me;" but the bear read his thoughts and said, "No, I won't hurt you." The man thought again, "How can I get anything to eat?" but the bear knew his thoughts, and said, "There shall be plenty." So the hunter went with the bear. They went on together until they came to a hole in the side of the mountain, and the bear said, "This is not where I live, but there is going to be a council here and we will see what they do." They went in, and the hole widened as they went, until they came to a large cave like a townhouse. It was full of bears--old bears, young bears, and cubs, white bears, black bears, and brown bears--and a large white bear was the chief. They sat down in a corner, but soon the bears scented the hunter and began to ask, "What is it that smells bad?" The chief said, "Don't talk so; it is only a stranger come to see us. Let him alone." Food was getting scarce in the mountains, and the council was to decide what to do about it. They had Sent out messengers all over, and while they were talking two bears came in and reported that they had found a country in the low grounds where there, were so many chestnuts and acorns that mast was knee deep. Then they were all pleased, and got ready for a dance, and the dance leader was the one the Indians call Kalâs'-gûnähi'ta, "Long Hams," a great black bear that is always lean. After the dance the bears noticed the hunter's bow and arrows, and one said, "This is what men use to kill us. Let us see if we can manage them, and maybe we can fight man with his own weapons." So they took the bow and arrows from the hunter to try them. They fitted the arrow and drew back the string, but when they let go it caught in their long claws and the arrows dropped to the ground. They saw that they could not use the bow and arrows and gave them back to the man. When the dance and the council were over, they began to go home, excepting the White Bear chief, who lived there, and at last the hunter and the bear went out together. They went on until they came to another hole in the side of the mountain, when the bear said, "This is where I live," and they went in. By this time the hunter was very hungry and was wondering how he could get something to eat. The other knew his thoughts, and sitting up on his hind legs he rubbed his stomach with his forepaws--so--and at once he had both paws full of chestnuts and gave them to the man. He rubbed his stomach again--so--and had his paws full of huckleberries, and gave them to the man. He rubbed again--so--and gave the man both paws full of blackberries. He rubbed again--so--and had his paws full of acorns, but the man said that he could not eat them, and that he had enough already.The hunter lived in the cave with the bear all winter, until long hair like that of a bear began to grow all over his body and he began to act like a bear; but he still walked like a man. One day in early spring the bear said to him, "Your people down in the settlement are getting ready for a grand hunt in these mountains, and they will come to this cave and kill me and take these clothes from me"--he meant his skin--" but they will not hurt you and will take you home with them." The bear knew what the people were doing down in the settlement just as he always knew what the man was thinking about. Some days passed and the bear said again, "This is the day when the Topknots will come to kill me, but the Split-noses will come first and find us. When they have killed me they will drag me outside the cave and take off my clothes and cut me in pieces. You must cover the blood with leaves, and when they are taking you away look back after you have gone a piece and you will see something." Soon they heard the hunters coming up the mountain, and then the .dogs found the cave and began to bark. The hunters came and looked inside and saw the bear and killed him with their arrows. Then they dragged him outside the cave and skinned the body and cut it in quarters to carry home. The dogs kept on barking until the hunters thought there must be another bear in the cave. They looked in again and saw the man away at the farther end. At first they thought it was another bear on account of his long hair, but they soon saw it was the hunter who had been lost the year before, so they went in and brought him out. Then each hunter took a load of the bear meat and they started home again, bringing the man and the skin with them. Before they left the man piled leaves over the spot where they had cut up the bear, and when they had gone a little way he looked behind and saw the bear rise up out of the leaves, shake himself, and go back into the woods. When they came near the settlement the man told the hunters that he must be shut up where no one could see him, without anything to eat or drink for seven days and nights, until the bear nature had left him and he became like a man again. So they shut him up alone in a house and tried to keep very still about it, but the news got out and his wife heard of it. She came for her husband, but the people would not let her near him; but she came every day and begged so hard that at last after four or five days they let her have him. She took him home with her, but in a short time he died, because he still had a bear's nature and could not live like a man. If they had kept him shut up and fasting until the end of the seven days he would have become a man again and would have lived.
MEDICINE LAKE
Westward --
FAR FAR away from the headwaters of Oconaluftee river, in the wildest depths of the mountain chain is the enchanted lake of Atagâ'hï, "Gall place."
Many have tried to find it- but it lies in the west and none venture there willingly and also, although all the Cherokee know that it is there, no one has ever seen it, for the way is so difficult that only the animals know how to reach it.
Should a stray hunter come near the place he would know of it by the whirring sound of the thousands of wild ducks flying about the lake, but on reaching the spot he would find only a dry flat, without bird or animal or blade of grass, unless he had first sharpened his spiritual vision by prayer and fasting and an all-night vigil.
Because it is not seen, some people think the lake has dried up long ago, but this is not true.
To one who had kept watch and fast through the night it would appear at daybreak as a wide-extending but shallow sheet of purple water, fed by springs spouting from the high cliffs around. In the water are all kinds of fish and reptiles, and swimming upon the surface or flying overhead are great flocks of ducks and pigeons, while all about the shores are bear tracks crossing
in every direction. It is the medicine lake of the birds and animals, and whenever a bear is wounded by the hunters he makes his way through the woods to this lake and plunges into the water, and when he comes out upon the other side his wounds are healed.
For this reason the animals keep the lake invisible to the hunter.
FAR FAR away from the headwaters of Oconaluftee river, in the wildest depths of the mountain chain is the enchanted lake of Atagâ'hï, "Gall place."
Many have tried to find it- but it lies in the west and none venture there willingly and also, although all the Cherokee know that it is there, no one has ever seen it, for the way is so difficult that only the animals know how to reach it.
Should a stray hunter come near the place he would know of it by the whirring sound of the thousands of wild ducks flying about the lake, but on reaching the spot he would find only a dry flat, without bird or animal or blade of grass, unless he had first sharpened his spiritual vision by prayer and fasting and an all-night vigil.
Because it is not seen, some people think the lake has dried up long ago, but this is not true.
To one who had kept watch and fast through the night it would appear at daybreak as a wide-extending but shallow sheet of purple water, fed by springs spouting from the high cliffs around. In the water are all kinds of fish and reptiles, and swimming upon the surface or flying overhead are great flocks of ducks and pigeons, while all about the shores are bear tracks crossing
in every direction. It is the medicine lake of the birds and animals, and whenever a bear is wounded by the hunters he makes his way through the woods to this lake and plunges into the water, and when he comes out upon the other side his wounds are healed.
For this reason the animals keep the lake invisible to the hunter.
SPEARFINGER and truth speaker
Long, long ago--hïlahi'yu--there dwelt in the mountains a terrible ogress, a woman monster, whose food was human livers. She could take on any shape or appearance to suit her purpose, but in her right form she looked very much like an old woman, excepting that her whole body was covered with a skin as hard as a rock that no weapon could wound or penetrate, and that on her right hand she had a long, stony forefinger of bone, like an awl or spearhead, with which she stabbed everyone to whom she could get near enough. On account of this fact she was called U`tlûñ'tä "Spear-finger," and on account of her stony skin she was sometimes called Nûñ'yunu'ï, "Stone-dress."
There was another stone-clothed monster that killed people, but that is a different story.
Spear-finger had such powers over stone that she could easily lift and carry immense rocks, and could cement them together by merely striking one against another.
Some credit her with building the great stone door that is in the mountains of Tennessee near Equa Creek. But that is another story from her younger days when she was not as vile and this story I am telling is of when she was much older and of how she was finally defeated.
To get over the rough country more easily she undertook to build a great rock bridge through the air from Nûñyû'-tlu`gûñ'yï, the "Tree rock," on Hiwassee, over to Sanigilâ'gï (Whiteside mountain), on the Blue ridge, and had it well started from the top of the "Tree rock" when the lightning struck it and scattered the fragments along the whole ridge, where the pieces can still be seen by those who go there.
She used to range all over the mountains about the heads of the streams and in the dark passes of the forest where only the noon day sun could pierce the dark with its light.
She was always hungry and looking for victims. Her favorite haunt on the Tennessee side was about the gap on the trail where Chilhowee mountain comes down to the river.
Sometimes an old woman would approach along the trail where the children were picking strawberries or playing near the village, and would say to them coaxingly,
"Come, my grandchildren, come to your granny and let granny dress your hair."
When some little girl ran up and laid her head in the old woman's lap to be petted and combed the old witch would gently run her fingers through the child's hair until it went to sleep, when she would stab the little one through the heart or back of the neck with the long awl finger, which she had kept hidden under her robe. Then she would take out the liver and eat it.
She would enter a house by taking the appearance of one of the family who happened to have gone out for a short time, and would watch her chance to stab someone with her long finger and take out his liver. She could stab him without being noticed, and often the victim did not even know it himself at the time--for it left no wound and caused no pain--but went on about his own affairs, until all at once he felt weak and began gradually to pine away, and was always sure to die, because Spear-finger had taken his liver.
When the Cherokee went out in the fall, according to their custom, to burn the leaves off from the mountains in order to get the chestnuts on the ground, they were never safe, for the old witch was always on the lookout, and as soon as she saw the smoke rise she knew there were Indians there and sneaked up to try to surprise one alone. So as well as they could they tried to keep together, and were very
cautious of allowing any stranger to approach the camp. But if one went down to the spring for a drink they never knew but it might be the liver eater that came back and sat with them.
Sometimes she took her proper form, and once or twice, when far out from the settlements, a solitary hunter had seen an old woman, with a queer-looking hand, going through the woods singing low to herself:
Uwe'la na'tsïkû'. Su' sä' sai'.
Liver, I eat it. Su' sa' sai'.
It was rather a pretty song, but it chilled his blood, for he knew it was the liver eater, and he hurried away, silently, before she might see him.
At last a great council was held to devise some means to get rid of U`tlûñ'tä before she should destroy everybody. The people came from all around, and after much talk it was decided that the best way would be to trap her in a pitfall where all the warriors could attack her at once. So they dug a deep pitfall across the trail and covered it over with earth and grass as if the ground had never been disturbed. Then they kindled a large fire of brush near the trail and hid themselves in the laurels, because they knew she would come as soon as she saw the smoke.
Sure enough they soon saw an old woman coming along the trail. She looked like an old woman whom they knew well in the village, and although several of the wiser men wanted to shoot at her, the other interfered, because they did not want to hurt one of their own people. The old woman came slowly along the trail, with one hand under her blanket, until she stepped upon the pitfall and tumbled through the brush top into the deep hole below. Then, at once, she showed her true nature, and instead of the feeble old woman there was the terrible U`tlûñ'tä with her stony skin, and her sharp awl finger reaching out in every direction for some one to stab.
The hunters rushed out from the thicket and surrounded the pit, but shoot as true and as often as they could, their arrows struck the stony mail of the witch only to be broken and fall useless at her feet, while she taunted them and tried to climb out of the pit to get at them.
They kept out of her way, but were only wasting their arrows when a small bird, Utsu'`gï, the titmouse, perched on a tree overhead and began to sing "un, un, un." They thought it was saying u'nahü', heart, meaning that they should aim at the heart of the stone witch.
Not realizing her heart was not in the same place that their hearts were, they directed their arrows where the heart should be, but the arrows only glanced off with the flint heads broken.
Then they caught the Utsu'`gï and cut off its tongue, so that ever since its tongue is short and everybody knows it is a liar.
When the hunters let it go it flew straight up into the sky until it was out of sight and never came back again. The titmouse that we know now is only an image of the other.
They kept up the fight without result until another bird, little Tsï'kïlilï', [truth speaker] the chickadee, flew down from a tree and alighted upon the witch's right hand. The warriors took this as a sign that they must aim there, and they were right, for her heart was on the inside of her hand, which she kept doubled into a fist, this same awl hand with which she had stabbed so many people. Now she was frightened in earnest, and began to rush furiously at them with her long awl finger and to jump about in the pit to dodge the arrows, until at last a lucky arrow struck just where the awl joined her wrist and she fell down dead.
Ever since the tsï'kïlilï' is known as a truth teller, and when a man is away on a journey, if this bird comes and perches near the house and chirps its song, his friends know he will soon be safe home.
There was another stone-clothed monster that killed people, but that is a different story.
Spear-finger had such powers over stone that she could easily lift and carry immense rocks, and could cement them together by merely striking one against another.
Some credit her with building the great stone door that is in the mountains of Tennessee near Equa Creek. But that is another story from her younger days when she was not as vile and this story I am telling is of when she was much older and of how she was finally defeated.
To get over the rough country more easily she undertook to build a great rock bridge through the air from Nûñyû'-tlu`gûñ'yï, the "Tree rock," on Hiwassee, over to Sanigilâ'gï (Whiteside mountain), on the Blue ridge, and had it well started from the top of the "Tree rock" when the lightning struck it and scattered the fragments along the whole ridge, where the pieces can still be seen by those who go there.
She used to range all over the mountains about the heads of the streams and in the dark passes of the forest where only the noon day sun could pierce the dark with its light.
She was always hungry and looking for victims. Her favorite haunt on the Tennessee side was about the gap on the trail where Chilhowee mountain comes down to the river.
Sometimes an old woman would approach along the trail where the children were picking strawberries or playing near the village, and would say to them coaxingly,
"Come, my grandchildren, come to your granny and let granny dress your hair."
When some little girl ran up and laid her head in the old woman's lap to be petted and combed the old witch would gently run her fingers through the child's hair until it went to sleep, when she would stab the little one through the heart or back of the neck with the long awl finger, which she had kept hidden under her robe. Then she would take out the liver and eat it.
She would enter a house by taking the appearance of one of the family who happened to have gone out for a short time, and would watch her chance to stab someone with her long finger and take out his liver. She could stab him without being noticed, and often the victim did not even know it himself at the time--for it left no wound and caused no pain--but went on about his own affairs, until all at once he felt weak and began gradually to pine away, and was always sure to die, because Spear-finger had taken his liver.
When the Cherokee went out in the fall, according to their custom, to burn the leaves off from the mountains in order to get the chestnuts on the ground, they were never safe, for the old witch was always on the lookout, and as soon as she saw the smoke rise she knew there were Indians there and sneaked up to try to surprise one alone. So as well as they could they tried to keep together, and were very
cautious of allowing any stranger to approach the camp. But if one went down to the spring for a drink they never knew but it might be the liver eater that came back and sat with them.
Sometimes she took her proper form, and once or twice, when far out from the settlements, a solitary hunter had seen an old woman, with a queer-looking hand, going through the woods singing low to herself:
Uwe'la na'tsïkû'. Su' sä' sai'.
Liver, I eat it. Su' sa' sai'.
It was rather a pretty song, but it chilled his blood, for he knew it was the liver eater, and he hurried away, silently, before she might see him.
At last a great council was held to devise some means to get rid of U`tlûñ'tä before she should destroy everybody. The people came from all around, and after much talk it was decided that the best way would be to trap her in a pitfall where all the warriors could attack her at once. So they dug a deep pitfall across the trail and covered it over with earth and grass as if the ground had never been disturbed. Then they kindled a large fire of brush near the trail and hid themselves in the laurels, because they knew she would come as soon as she saw the smoke.
Sure enough they soon saw an old woman coming along the trail. She looked like an old woman whom they knew well in the village, and although several of the wiser men wanted to shoot at her, the other interfered, because they did not want to hurt one of their own people. The old woman came slowly along the trail, with one hand under her blanket, until she stepped upon the pitfall and tumbled through the brush top into the deep hole below. Then, at once, she showed her true nature, and instead of the feeble old woman there was the terrible U`tlûñ'tä with her stony skin, and her sharp awl finger reaching out in every direction for some one to stab.
The hunters rushed out from the thicket and surrounded the pit, but shoot as true and as often as they could, their arrows struck the stony mail of the witch only to be broken and fall useless at her feet, while she taunted them and tried to climb out of the pit to get at them.
They kept out of her way, but were only wasting their arrows when a small bird, Utsu'`gï, the titmouse, perched on a tree overhead and began to sing "un, un, un." They thought it was saying u'nahü', heart, meaning that they should aim at the heart of the stone witch.
Not realizing her heart was not in the same place that their hearts were, they directed their arrows where the heart should be, but the arrows only glanced off with the flint heads broken.
Then they caught the Utsu'`gï and cut off its tongue, so that ever since its tongue is short and everybody knows it is a liar.
When the hunters let it go it flew straight up into the sky until it was out of sight and never came back again. The titmouse that we know now is only an image of the other.
They kept up the fight without result until another bird, little Tsï'kïlilï', [truth speaker] the chickadee, flew down from a tree and alighted upon the witch's right hand. The warriors took this as a sign that they must aim there, and they were right, for her heart was on the inside of her hand, which she kept doubled into a fist, this same awl hand with which she had stabbed so many people. Now she was frightened in earnest, and began to rush furiously at them with her long awl finger and to jump about in the pit to dodge the arrows, until at last a lucky arrow struck just where the awl joined her wrist and she fell down dead.
Ever since the tsï'kïlilï' is known as a truth teller, and when a man is away on a journey, if this bird comes and perches near the house and chirps its song, his friends know he will soon be safe home.
ball game of the birds vs. the animals
The Ballgame Between the Birds and the Animals
The old ones tell us that one time, the animals challenged the birds to a great ballgame, and the birds accepted. The leaders of each made the plans and set the date, and when the time came, both parties met at the place for the ball dance.
The animals met on a nice smooth grassy area near the river, and the birds perched in the treetops overlooking the animals.
The captain of the animal team was Yo-na, the bear, and he was strong and heavy, and could take care of anyone who got in his way. All along the way to the ballgame, he was showing his strength by tossing logs and boulders into the air. He boasted of what he would do to the birds at the ballgame. Da-ga-si, the terrapin, was a EQUA (huge) terrapin, and his shell was so hard, not even the heaviest blow to him would hurt. He kept standing on his hind legs and then dropping to the ground, bragging that this is what he would do at the ballgame. He would crush any bird that tried to take the ball from him. There was also A-wi, the deer, who could easily outrun any and every animal. They thought they had a great team.
The birds had A-wo-ha-li, the eagle, as their captain. Ta-wo-di, the hawk, and other strong birds were on their side. Although they were swift and strong, they were still a little afraid of the animals. After the dance, they were all pruning their feathers while perched in the trees, and waited for the captain to give the word. All of a sudden, here came two little things hardly bigger than field mice, and they climbed up the tree where A-wo-ha-li, the bird captain, was sitting. They asked to join in the game. The captain looked at them, and seeing that they were four-legged, asked why they didn’t go down to the animal team. They said they had, but the animals laughed at them, and made fun of them, because they were so small. A-wo-ha-li felt sorry for them, and wanted to take them.
But they had no wings. A-wo-ha-li, Ta-wo-di, and the others consulted, and finally decided to make some wings for the little ones. They tried for a very long time to think of a solution, when finally someone thought about the drum they had used in the dance. The head was made of ground-hog skin, and maybe they could take off a corner of it and make some wings. They took two pieces from the drum head and cut them into shape for wings, and stretched them with cane splints and fastened them to the front legs of one of the little animals.
This is how Tla-me-ha, the bat, came to be.
They threw the ball to him and told him to catch it. He dodged and circled about, and always kept the ball in the air and never let it hit the ground. The birds soon felt that he would be one of their best players.
Now they figured they better fix the other poor animal, but they had no more leather to make wings. Somebody thought of stretching his skin, the way the leather had been stretched on the drum. Two large birds took ahold from each side of him with their strong beaks, and pulled at his fur for several minutes. They managed to stretch the skin between his front and back legs, until they had Te-wa, the flying squirrel. To see how well he could play, the captain threw the ball up in the air, and Te-wa leaped off the limb, caught it in his teeth, and carried it through the air until he reached another tree, far, far away.
When everyone was ready, the signal was given and the game began. Almost at the very first, Te-wa caught the ball and carried it to a tree, from which he threw it to the other birds. They kept it in the air for a very long time, but it finally dropped. Yona rushed to grab it, but Tlu-tlu, the martin, darted after it and threw it to Tla-me-ha. By his dodging and circling, he kept it out of the way of even A-wi, until he finally threw it to the pole and won the game for the birds.
Yo-na and Da-ga-si, who had bragged about how good they were and what they would do to the birds, never even got a chance to play. For saving the ball when it dropped, the birds gave Tlu-tlu a beautiful gourd in which he could build his nest. Today, he still has it.
And a community that has a martin colony present on it is blessed with victory in unexpected ways.
The old ones tell us that one time, the animals challenged the birds to a great ballgame, and the birds accepted. The leaders of each made the plans and set the date, and when the time came, both parties met at the place for the ball dance.
The animals met on a nice smooth grassy area near the river, and the birds perched in the treetops overlooking the animals.
The captain of the animal team was Yo-na, the bear, and he was strong and heavy, and could take care of anyone who got in his way. All along the way to the ballgame, he was showing his strength by tossing logs and boulders into the air. He boasted of what he would do to the birds at the ballgame. Da-ga-si, the terrapin, was a EQUA (huge) terrapin, and his shell was so hard, not even the heaviest blow to him would hurt. He kept standing on his hind legs and then dropping to the ground, bragging that this is what he would do at the ballgame. He would crush any bird that tried to take the ball from him. There was also A-wi, the deer, who could easily outrun any and every animal. They thought they had a great team.
The birds had A-wo-ha-li, the eagle, as their captain. Ta-wo-di, the hawk, and other strong birds were on their side. Although they were swift and strong, they were still a little afraid of the animals. After the dance, they were all pruning their feathers while perched in the trees, and waited for the captain to give the word. All of a sudden, here came two little things hardly bigger than field mice, and they climbed up the tree where A-wo-ha-li, the bird captain, was sitting. They asked to join in the game. The captain looked at them, and seeing that they were four-legged, asked why they didn’t go down to the animal team. They said they had, but the animals laughed at them, and made fun of them, because they were so small. A-wo-ha-li felt sorry for them, and wanted to take them.
But they had no wings. A-wo-ha-li, Ta-wo-di, and the others consulted, and finally decided to make some wings for the little ones. They tried for a very long time to think of a solution, when finally someone thought about the drum they had used in the dance. The head was made of ground-hog skin, and maybe they could take off a corner of it and make some wings. They took two pieces from the drum head and cut them into shape for wings, and stretched them with cane splints and fastened them to the front legs of one of the little animals.
This is how Tla-me-ha, the bat, came to be.
They threw the ball to him and told him to catch it. He dodged and circled about, and always kept the ball in the air and never let it hit the ground. The birds soon felt that he would be one of their best players.
Now they figured they better fix the other poor animal, but they had no more leather to make wings. Somebody thought of stretching his skin, the way the leather had been stretched on the drum. Two large birds took ahold from each side of him with their strong beaks, and pulled at his fur for several minutes. They managed to stretch the skin between his front and back legs, until they had Te-wa, the flying squirrel. To see how well he could play, the captain threw the ball up in the air, and Te-wa leaped off the limb, caught it in his teeth, and carried it through the air until he reached another tree, far, far away.
When everyone was ready, the signal was given and the game began. Almost at the very first, Te-wa caught the ball and carried it to a tree, from which he threw it to the other birds. They kept it in the air for a very long time, but it finally dropped. Yona rushed to grab it, but Tlu-tlu, the martin, darted after it and threw it to Tla-me-ha. By his dodging and circling, he kept it out of the way of even A-wi, until he finally threw it to the pole and won the game for the birds.
Yo-na and Da-ga-si, who had bragged about how good they were and what they would do to the birds, never even got a chance to play. For saving the ball when it dropped, the birds gave Tlu-tlu a beautiful gourd in which he could build his nest. Today, he still has it.
And a community that has a martin colony present on it is blessed with victory in unexpected ways.
Selu- Corn woman
A story of the first woman: Selu.
Selu is known as "Corn Woman." Selu is our Cherokee word for Corn.
Selu lived with her husband, Kanati, and two sons- their son together and the wild boy.
Selu loved her sons dearly, but she knew their mischief and she tried to protect them from themselves.
Everyday, she would go away from the house and return with a basket full of corn. The boys wondered where the corn came from, so they followed her one day. They saw her go into a storehouse, and they got where they could peek in and watch her.
There they saw her place her basket and shake herself. The corn started falling from her body into the basket. They then thought that their mother must surely be a Sgili!
They forgot how she had given them milk when they were babies- and they did not realize that the corn coming from her body was as sacred as any mother's milk and just as pure.
Selu could read the boys' thoughts.
She knew she could not convince them not to kill her.
But she also knew that without the corn they would not grow as strong as they should. Without the corn, her children would suffer hunger and die.
So, loving them still despite what she knew they were planning to do to her, she willingly sacrificed herself and she told them that after they put her to death, they would need to follow her instructions so that they would continue to have corn for nourishment.
"After you kill me, you must clear some ground in front of our house. Then drag my body in a circle seven times. Then, you must stay up all night and watch in prayer and singing."
The boys did this, but they were so nervous when they actually saw their mother dead that they got the instructions backwards. They cleared seven areas of ground, and drug her body twice in a circle. Where her blood dropped, corn began to grow.
Because the boys were careless in listening to the instructions, corn must now be planted and taken care of in order for it to grow. And to this day, it only grows in certain spots and not the entire earth, and we only get two good crops of it instead of corn growing year round.
Selu is known as "Corn Woman." Selu is our Cherokee word for Corn.
Selu lived with her husband, Kanati, and two sons- their son together and the wild boy.
Selu loved her sons dearly, but she knew their mischief and she tried to protect them from themselves.
Everyday, she would go away from the house and return with a basket full of corn. The boys wondered where the corn came from, so they followed her one day. They saw her go into a storehouse, and they got where they could peek in and watch her.
There they saw her place her basket and shake herself. The corn started falling from her body into the basket. They then thought that their mother must surely be a Sgili!
They forgot how she had given them milk when they were babies- and they did not realize that the corn coming from her body was as sacred as any mother's milk and just as pure.
Selu could read the boys' thoughts.
She knew she could not convince them not to kill her.
But she also knew that without the corn they would not grow as strong as they should. Without the corn, her children would suffer hunger and die.
So, loving them still despite what she knew they were planning to do to her, she willingly sacrificed herself and she told them that after they put her to death, they would need to follow her instructions so that they would continue to have corn for nourishment.
"After you kill me, you must clear some ground in front of our house. Then drag my body in a circle seven times. Then, you must stay up all night and watch in prayer and singing."
The boys did this, but they were so nervous when they actually saw their mother dead that they got the instructions backwards. They cleared seven areas of ground, and drug her body twice in a circle. Where her blood dropped, corn began to grow.
Because the boys were careless in listening to the instructions, corn must now be planted and taken care of in order for it to grow. And to this day, it only grows in certain spots and not the entire earth, and we only get two good crops of it instead of corn growing year round.
The beginning of starvation
Whenever Kana'ti went into the mountains he always brought back a fat buck or doe, or maybe a couple of turkeys. One day the Wild Boy said to his brother, "I wonder where our father gets all that game; let's follow him next time and find out."
A few days afterward Kana'ti took a bow and some feathers in his hand and started off toward the west. The boys waited a little while and then went after him, keeping out of sight until they saw him go into a swamp where there were a great many of the small reeds that hunters use to make arrow shafts. Then the Wild Boy changed himself into a puff of bird's down, which the wind took up and carried until it alighted upon Kana'ti's shoulder just as he entered the swamp, but Kana'ti knew nothing about it.
The old man cut reeds, fitted the feathers to them and made some arrows, and the Wild Boy --in his other shape -- thought, "I wonder what those things are for?" When Kana'ti had his arrows finished he came out of the swamp and went on again. The wind blew the down from his shoulder, and it fell in the woods, when the Wild Boy took his right shape again and went back and told his brother what he had seen.
Keeping out of sight of their father, they followed him up the mountain until he stopped at a certain place and lifted a large rock. At once there ran out a buck, which Kana'ti shot, and then lifting it upon his back he started for home again.
"Oho!" exclaimed the boys, "He keeps all the deer shut up in that hole, and whenever he wants meat he just lets one out and kills it with those things he made in the swamp." They hurried and reached home before their father, who had the heavy deer to carry, and he never knew that they had followed him.
A few days later the boys went back to the swamp, cut some reeds, and made seven arrows, and then started up the mountain to where their father kept the game. When they got to the place, they raised the rock and a deer came running out. Just as they drew back to shoot it, another came out, and then another and another, until the boys got confused and forgot what they were about.
In those days all the deer had their tails hanging down like other animals, but as a buck was running past the Wild Boy struck its tail with his arrow so that it pointed upward. The boys thought this good sport, and when the next one ran past the Wild Boy struck its tail so that it stood straight up, and his brother struck the next one so hard with his arrow that the deer's tail was almost curled over his back. The deer carries his tail this way ever since.
The deer came running past until the last one had come out of the hole and escaped into the forest. Then came droves of raccoons, rabbits, and all the other four-footed animals — all but the bear, because there were no bear then. Last came great flocks of turkeys, pigeons, and partridges that darkened the air like a cloud and made such a noise with their wings that Kana'ti, sitting at home, heard the sound like distant thunder on the mountains and said to himself, "My bad boys have got into trouble; I must go and see what they are doing."
So he went up the mountain, and when he came to the place where he kept the game he found the two boys standing by the rock, and all the birds and animals were gone. Kana'ti was furious, but without saying a word he went down into the cave and kicked the covers off four jars in one corner, when out swarmed bedbugs, fleas, lice, and gnats, and got all over the boys. They screamed with pain and fright and tried to beat off the insects, but the thousands of vermin crawled over them and bit and stung them until both dropped down nearly dead. Kana'ti stood looking on until he thought they had been punished enough, when he knocked off the vermin and gave the boys a lecture.
"Now, you rascals," said he, "you have always had plenty to eat and never had to work for it. Whenever you were hungry all I had to do was to come up here and get a deer or a turkey and bring it home for your mother to cook; but now you have let out all the animals, and after this when you want a deer to eat you will have to hunt all over the woods for it, and then maybe not find one."
A few days afterward Kana'ti took a bow and some feathers in his hand and started off toward the west. The boys waited a little while and then went after him, keeping out of sight until they saw him go into a swamp where there were a great many of the small reeds that hunters use to make arrow shafts. Then the Wild Boy changed himself into a puff of bird's down, which the wind took up and carried until it alighted upon Kana'ti's shoulder just as he entered the swamp, but Kana'ti knew nothing about it.
The old man cut reeds, fitted the feathers to them and made some arrows, and the Wild Boy --in his other shape -- thought, "I wonder what those things are for?" When Kana'ti had his arrows finished he came out of the swamp and went on again. The wind blew the down from his shoulder, and it fell in the woods, when the Wild Boy took his right shape again and went back and told his brother what he had seen.
Keeping out of sight of their father, they followed him up the mountain until he stopped at a certain place and lifted a large rock. At once there ran out a buck, which Kana'ti shot, and then lifting it upon his back he started for home again.
"Oho!" exclaimed the boys, "He keeps all the deer shut up in that hole, and whenever he wants meat he just lets one out and kills it with those things he made in the swamp." They hurried and reached home before their father, who had the heavy deer to carry, and he never knew that they had followed him.
A few days later the boys went back to the swamp, cut some reeds, and made seven arrows, and then started up the mountain to where their father kept the game. When they got to the place, they raised the rock and a deer came running out. Just as they drew back to shoot it, another came out, and then another and another, until the boys got confused and forgot what they were about.
In those days all the deer had their tails hanging down like other animals, but as a buck was running past the Wild Boy struck its tail with his arrow so that it pointed upward. The boys thought this good sport, and when the next one ran past the Wild Boy struck its tail so that it stood straight up, and his brother struck the next one so hard with his arrow that the deer's tail was almost curled over his back. The deer carries his tail this way ever since.
The deer came running past until the last one had come out of the hole and escaped into the forest. Then came droves of raccoons, rabbits, and all the other four-footed animals — all but the bear, because there were no bear then. Last came great flocks of turkeys, pigeons, and partridges that darkened the air like a cloud and made such a noise with their wings that Kana'ti, sitting at home, heard the sound like distant thunder on the mountains and said to himself, "My bad boys have got into trouble; I must go and see what they are doing."
So he went up the mountain, and when he came to the place where he kept the game he found the two boys standing by the rock, and all the birds and animals were gone. Kana'ti was furious, but without saying a word he went down into the cave and kicked the covers off four jars in one corner, when out swarmed bedbugs, fleas, lice, and gnats, and got all over the boys. They screamed with pain and fright and tried to beat off the insects, but the thousands of vermin crawled over them and bit and stung them until both dropped down nearly dead. Kana'ti stood looking on until he thought they had been punished enough, when he knocked off the vermin and gave the boys a lecture.
"Now, you rascals," said he, "you have always had plenty to eat and never had to work for it. Whenever you were hungry all I had to do was to come up here and get a deer or a turkey and bring it home for your mother to cook; but now you have let out all the animals, and after this when you want a deer to eat you will have to hunt all over the woods for it, and then maybe not find one."
The Sun's Daughter
This story is often told at the First Ceremony of Spring.
The Sun was a beautiful young woman who lived in the east- she lived on the other side of the sky vault and she was eternally young.
Now, her daughter lived in the middle of the sky, directly above the Earth.
Every day as the sun was climbing along the sky arch to the west, she used to stop at her daughter's house for dinner.
Now, the Sun hated the people of this Earth, because they never looked straight at her without squinting.
She also resented how their father had come to be. She loved her daughter, but she could never look at her son or his children without regret and resentment for what her brother the moon had done.
Her resentment for her brother turned to hatred of the people who loved the moon and did not seem to care how wicked he had been.
She said to her brother, the Moon, a young man who lived in the west,
"My grandchildren are ugly; they screw up their faces whenever they see me.
But Sun's brother, the Moon said,
"I think my grandchildren are beautiful, I think they are handsome."
This was because they always smiled pleasantly at him and his mild glow in the night sky.
The Sun was jealous of her brother, the Moon's popularity and decided to kill the people. Moon was not aware how jealous his sister really was of him.
Every day when she got near her daughter's house, she sent down such sultry heat that fever broke out and people died by the hundreds. When everyone had lost some friend and it seemed as if no one would be spared, the humans went for help to the Little Men. These men, who were friendly spirits, said that the only way the people could save themselves was to kill Sun. The Little Men made medicine to change two of the humans into snakes, the spreading adder and copperhead, who could hide near the daughter's door and bite the old Sun. The Snakes went up to the sky and lay in wait until the Sun arrived for dinner. But when the spreading adder was about to spring, her bright light blinded him and he could only spit out yellow slime, as he does to this day when he tries to bite. The Sun called him a nasty thing and went into the house, and the copperhead was so discouraged that he crawled off without trying to do anything. The people still dying from the terrible heat, went a second time to the Little Men for help. Again the Little Men made medicine and changed one man into the great Uktena, the water serpent, and another into a rattlesnake.
As before, the serpents had instructions to kill the old Sun when she stopped at her daughter's house. Uktena was large and fierce, with horns on his head, and everyone thought he would be sure to succeed. But the rattlesnake was so eager that he raced ahead and coiled up just outside the house. When the Sun's daughter opened the door to look for her mother, he struck and she fell dead in the doorway.
Forgetting to wait for the old Sun, he went back to the people, and Uktena was so angry at the rattlesnake's stupidity that he went back too. Since then we pray to the rattlesnake and don't kill him, because he wishes people well and never tries to bite if we don't disturb him.
But Uktena grew angrier and more dangerous all the time. He became so venomous that if he even looked at a man, the man's whole family would die. Eventually the people held a council and decided that he was just too dangerous, so they sent him to Galun'lati, the other world, where he still is.
When the Sun found her daughter dead, she shut herself up in the house and grieved. Now the people were no longer dying from the heat, but they lived in darkness. Once more they sought help from the Little Men, who said that in order to coax the Sun out, they must bring her daughter back from Tsusgina'i. This is the ghost country, which lies in Usunhi'yi, the Darkening Land in the west.
The people chose seven men to make the journey. The Little Men told the seven to take a box, and told each man to carry sourwood rod a handbreadth long. When they got to Tsugina'i, the Little Men explained, they would find all the ghost at a dance. They should stand outside the circle, and when the Sun's daughter danced past them, they must strike her with the rods and she would fall to the ground. Then they could put her in the box and bring her back to her mother.
But they must not open that box, not even a crack, until they arrived home. The seven men took the rods and the box and traveled west for seven days until they came to the Darkening Land. There they found a great crowd of ghost having a dance, just as if they were alive. The Sun's daughter was in the outside circle. As she danced past them, one of the seven men struck her with his rod, and then another and another, until at the seventh round she fell out of the ring.
The men put her into the box and closed the lid, and the other ghosts never seemed to notice what had happened. The seven took up the box and started home toward the east. In a while the girl came to life again and begged to be let out, but the party went on without answering. Soon she called again and said she was hungry, but they did not reply. When at last the group was very near home, the daughter of the sun cried that she was toward the east. In a while the girl came to life again and begged to be let out, but the party went on without answering.
Soon she called again and said she was hungry, but they did not reply. When at last the group was very near home, the daughter of the sun cried that she was smothering and begged them to raise the lid just a little. Now they were afraid that she was really dying, so they barely cracked the lid to give her air. There was a fluttering sound, and something flew past them into the bushes. Then they heard a redbird cry, "Kwish! Kwish! Kwish!" Shutting the lid, they went on again. But when they arrived at the settlements and opened the box, it was empty. So we know that the redbird is the daughter of the sun.
And if the party had kept the box closed, as the Little Men told them to, they could have brought her home safely, and today we would be able to recover our friends from the Ghost Country. Because the seven opened the box, however, we can never bring back people who die.
The Sun had been hopeful when the party had started off for the Darkening Land, but when they came back without her daughter, she wept until her tears caused a great flood. Fearing that the world would be drowned, the people held another council and decided to send their handsomest young men and women to amuse the Sun and stop her crying. This group danced before her and sang their best songs, but for a long time she kept her face bowed and paid no attention. At last when the drummer suddenly changed the song, she looked up and was so pleased at the sight of the beautiful young people that she forgot her grief and smiled.
The Sun was a beautiful young woman who lived in the east- she lived on the other side of the sky vault and she was eternally young.
Now, her daughter lived in the middle of the sky, directly above the Earth.
Every day as the sun was climbing along the sky arch to the west, she used to stop at her daughter's house for dinner.
Now, the Sun hated the people of this Earth, because they never looked straight at her without squinting.
She also resented how their father had come to be. She loved her daughter, but she could never look at her son or his children without regret and resentment for what her brother the moon had done.
Her resentment for her brother turned to hatred of the people who loved the moon and did not seem to care how wicked he had been.
She said to her brother, the Moon, a young man who lived in the west,
"My grandchildren are ugly; they screw up their faces whenever they see me.
But Sun's brother, the Moon said,
"I think my grandchildren are beautiful, I think they are handsome."
This was because they always smiled pleasantly at him and his mild glow in the night sky.
The Sun was jealous of her brother, the Moon's popularity and decided to kill the people. Moon was not aware how jealous his sister really was of him.
Every day when she got near her daughter's house, she sent down such sultry heat that fever broke out and people died by the hundreds. When everyone had lost some friend and it seemed as if no one would be spared, the humans went for help to the Little Men. These men, who were friendly spirits, said that the only way the people could save themselves was to kill Sun. The Little Men made medicine to change two of the humans into snakes, the spreading adder and copperhead, who could hide near the daughter's door and bite the old Sun. The Snakes went up to the sky and lay in wait until the Sun arrived for dinner. But when the spreading adder was about to spring, her bright light blinded him and he could only spit out yellow slime, as he does to this day when he tries to bite. The Sun called him a nasty thing and went into the house, and the copperhead was so discouraged that he crawled off without trying to do anything. The people still dying from the terrible heat, went a second time to the Little Men for help. Again the Little Men made medicine and changed one man into the great Uktena, the water serpent, and another into a rattlesnake.
As before, the serpents had instructions to kill the old Sun when she stopped at her daughter's house. Uktena was large and fierce, with horns on his head, and everyone thought he would be sure to succeed. But the rattlesnake was so eager that he raced ahead and coiled up just outside the house. When the Sun's daughter opened the door to look for her mother, he struck and she fell dead in the doorway.
Forgetting to wait for the old Sun, he went back to the people, and Uktena was so angry at the rattlesnake's stupidity that he went back too. Since then we pray to the rattlesnake and don't kill him, because he wishes people well and never tries to bite if we don't disturb him.
But Uktena grew angrier and more dangerous all the time. He became so venomous that if he even looked at a man, the man's whole family would die. Eventually the people held a council and decided that he was just too dangerous, so they sent him to Galun'lati, the other world, where he still is.
When the Sun found her daughter dead, she shut herself up in the house and grieved. Now the people were no longer dying from the heat, but they lived in darkness. Once more they sought help from the Little Men, who said that in order to coax the Sun out, they must bring her daughter back from Tsusgina'i. This is the ghost country, which lies in Usunhi'yi, the Darkening Land in the west.
The people chose seven men to make the journey. The Little Men told the seven to take a box, and told each man to carry sourwood rod a handbreadth long. When they got to Tsugina'i, the Little Men explained, they would find all the ghost at a dance. They should stand outside the circle, and when the Sun's daughter danced past them, they must strike her with the rods and she would fall to the ground. Then they could put her in the box and bring her back to her mother.
But they must not open that box, not even a crack, until they arrived home. The seven men took the rods and the box and traveled west for seven days until they came to the Darkening Land. There they found a great crowd of ghost having a dance, just as if they were alive. The Sun's daughter was in the outside circle. As she danced past them, one of the seven men struck her with his rod, and then another and another, until at the seventh round she fell out of the ring.
The men put her into the box and closed the lid, and the other ghosts never seemed to notice what had happened. The seven took up the box and started home toward the east. In a while the girl came to life again and begged to be let out, but the party went on without answering. Soon she called again and said she was hungry, but they did not reply. When at last the group was very near home, the daughter of the sun cried that she was toward the east. In a while the girl came to life again and begged to be let out, but the party went on without answering.
Soon she called again and said she was hungry, but they did not reply. When at last the group was very near home, the daughter of the sun cried that she was smothering and begged them to raise the lid just a little. Now they were afraid that she was really dying, so they barely cracked the lid to give her air. There was a fluttering sound, and something flew past them into the bushes. Then they heard a redbird cry, "Kwish! Kwish! Kwish!" Shutting the lid, they went on again. But when they arrived at the settlements and opened the box, it was empty. So we know that the redbird is the daughter of the sun.
And if the party had kept the box closed, as the Little Men told them to, they could have brought her home safely, and today we would be able to recover our friends from the Ghost Country. Because the seven opened the box, however, we can never bring back people who die.
The Sun had been hopeful when the party had started off for the Darkening Land, but when they came back without her daughter, she wept until her tears caused a great flood. Fearing that the world would be drowned, the people held another council and decided to send their handsomest young men and women to amuse the Sun and stop her crying. This group danced before her and sang their best songs, but for a long time she kept her face bowed and paid no attention. At last when the drummer suddenly changed the song, she looked up and was so pleased at the sight of the beautiful young people that she forgot her grief and smiled.
DUYUGODV
When we are not in balance, we are not in the right place. Evil takes us out of balance.
Restitution is the only way to get back into balance.
THERE ARE TWO VERSIONS OF THIS STORY-- here is one...
One day, some Cherokee children were playing outside, when a rattlesnake crawled out of the grass.
They screamed and their mother ran outside. Without thinking, she took a stick and killed it.
Her husband was hunting in the mountains. As he was returning home that night, he heard a strange wailing sound. Looking around, he found himself in the midst of a gathering of rattlesnakes, whose mouths were open and crying.
"What is the matter," the man asked the snakes.
The rattlesnakes responded, "Your wife killed our chief, the Yellow Rattlesnake today. We are preparing to send the Black Rattlesnake to take revenge."
The husband immediately accepted their claim and took responsibility for the crime. The rattlesnakes said, "If you speak the truth, you must be ready to make restitution to your satisfaction."
The price they demanded was the life of his wife in sacrifice for that of their chief.
The man consented.
The rattlesnakes told the man that the Black Rattlesnake would follow him home and coil up outside his door. He was to ask his wife to bring him a fresh drink of water from the spring.
That was all.
When the man reached home, it was very dark. His wife had supper waiting for him.
"Please bring me some water," he asked her. [only women may carry water so he could not get it for himself]
She brought him a gourd from the jar, but he refused it.
"No," he said. "I would like some fresh water from the spring."
His wife took a bowl and stepped outside to get him some fresh water.
The man immediately heard her cry. He went outside and found the Black Rattlesnake had bitten her and she was already dying. He stayed with her until she was dead, he held her hand and he cried for he loved her with all his heart.
The Black Rattlesnake then crawled out of the grass. "My people are now satisfied," he told the husband. He then taught the man a prayer song.
The Black Rattlesnake told him, "When you meet any of us hereafter, sing this song and we will not hurt you. If by accident one of us should bite you, sing this song over the person and he will recover."
And the Cherokee have kept this song to this day.
Restitution is the only way to get back into balance.
THERE ARE TWO VERSIONS OF THIS STORY-- here is one...
One day, some Cherokee children were playing outside, when a rattlesnake crawled out of the grass.
They screamed and their mother ran outside. Without thinking, she took a stick and killed it.
Her husband was hunting in the mountains. As he was returning home that night, he heard a strange wailing sound. Looking around, he found himself in the midst of a gathering of rattlesnakes, whose mouths were open and crying.
"What is the matter," the man asked the snakes.
The rattlesnakes responded, "Your wife killed our chief, the Yellow Rattlesnake today. We are preparing to send the Black Rattlesnake to take revenge."
The husband immediately accepted their claim and took responsibility for the crime. The rattlesnakes said, "If you speak the truth, you must be ready to make restitution to your satisfaction."
The price they demanded was the life of his wife in sacrifice for that of their chief.
The man consented.
The rattlesnakes told the man that the Black Rattlesnake would follow him home and coil up outside his door. He was to ask his wife to bring him a fresh drink of water from the spring.
That was all.
When the man reached home, it was very dark. His wife had supper waiting for him.
"Please bring me some water," he asked her. [only women may carry water so he could not get it for himself]
She brought him a gourd from the jar, but he refused it.
"No," he said. "I would like some fresh water from the spring."
His wife took a bowl and stepped outside to get him some fresh water.
The man immediately heard her cry. He went outside and found the Black Rattlesnake had bitten her and she was already dying. He stayed with her until she was dead, he held her hand and he cried for he loved her with all his heart.
The Black Rattlesnake then crawled out of the grass. "My people are now satisfied," he told the husband. He then taught the man a prayer song.
The Black Rattlesnake told him, "When you meet any of us hereafter, sing this song and we will not hurt you. If by accident one of us should bite you, sing this song over the person and he will recover."
And the Cherokee have kept this song to this day.
Why the women wear the Dagsi Rattles
THIS STORY IS TOLD AT THE FRIENDS MADE CELEBRATION
NOTE: THIS IS NOT PART OF THE HANDBOOK BUT I THINK IT IS A GOOD THING TO SHARE ANYWAY
Years ago, Quail was walking in an open field and he heard the beautiful sound of a whistle.
Quail thought to himself, where does this beautiful sound come from, I have heard all of the sounds that all of the animals and birds make, but I have never heard of this beautiful sound. I must find this sound! So
Quail listened very closely to the beautiful whistle and began to follow the sound. He traveled through the field, over logs and flew over the streams until he came to a small pond, where he brushed the bushes to the side only to see Daksi sitting on a log. Quail had followed the beautiful whistle to this spot and couldn’t believe that the sound could be coming from Daksi. Quail sat there for a while waiting to hear the whistle once again, but to his amazement he saw turtle pop his head out of his shell and whistle the most beautiful sound Quail had ever heard.
Quail confronted Daksi and asked the Daksi,
“Where did you get this beautiful sound?” Turtle responded by telling Quail, “I received this beautiful gift from our Creator.”
Quail asked Turtle if he could borrow Turtle’s whistle,
Turtle told Quail, “I cannot let you borrow my whistle; it is a gift from our Creator. I’m never to let anyone borrow my gift Creator gave this to me so that I may sing my praise and thanks to our Creator.”
But, Quail begs Turtle to let him borrow Turtle’s whistle and cleverly appeals to Daksi in the weak spot of his pride, “I want you to hear this beautiful sound so you can appreciate it more,” said Quail.
Turtle said,
“Well, I don’t know...?”
Quail tells Turtle that he will stand right next to Turtle and never leave his side. Turtle finally gives in and lets Quail borrow his whistle.
“You have to stand right next to me and return the whistle right back to me after you use it,” Turtle told Quail. Quail agreed. When Turtle heard Quail whistle, Turtle told Quail that was the most beautiful sound that he had ever heard.
“Now give me back my whistle,” Turtle told Quail. But, Quail said, “Wait, when I first heard you I was standing much further away than this. Let me take a few steps further and whistle, the sound will be much more beautiful,” Quail told Turtle. Turtle said, “I don’t know, you better give my whistle back to me now!” Again Quail talked Turtle into letting Quail take a few steps further and whistle, but Turtle told Quail that he would have to return the whistle to him as soon as he had finished his whistle. Again Quail agreed. When Turtle heard the sound again he agreed that the sound was more beautiful.
“Okay, now give me my whistle back to me!” Turtle told Quail. Once again Quail told Turtle, “Wait, when I first heard this beautiful sound, I didn’t even know where the sound came from or from whom. Let me go behind the brush and let you hear the sound from there. You will surely appreciate the sound even more.” Turtle said to Quail, “Give me my whistle back, I want you to give me back my whistle:” Quail told Turtle, “I will give you back your whistle as soon as you hear it from behind the brush, I promise you.” Turtle told Quail, “I don’t know, I really wish you would return the whistle back to me,” but Quail appealed to the vanity of Daksi and begged Turtle and told him that as soon as he finished the whistle he would return it back to Turtle; this would be the last time that he would use it. Turtle finally agreed. So as Quail went behind the brush and began to whistle, Turtle said, “The sound is more beautiful the further away you are. Okay Quail, give me back my whistle!”
but
this time Quail did not answer Turtle! “Quail! Quail! Where is my whistle, please give me back my whistle!”
Again Quail didn’t answer. Turtle went to the other side of the brush and Quail was gone. Turtle thought to himself, “Oh, what have I done!!! I given away my cherished gift from our Creator and now I will never have that sound again. How will I be able to praise our creator?” So Turtle listened very closely to see if he could hear Quail whistle that beautiful sound. And when ever you hear Quail’s whistling sound, look around and you will see Turtle heading toward the sound trying to get his whistle back from
Quail.
MEANWHILE...
The Daksi gives his life so his shell may be used in the dances so Daksi may sing to creator in the time while waiting to get the whistle back. We collect the shells of the male Daksi to use in the ceremony. Special Prayers are made before, during, and after collecting the living Daksi.
We use 4 Daksi on each leg for a total of only 8 shells. Other southeastern tribes use more and other tribes may even use female turtle shells but we only collect the male and only a certain size and no more than 4 per leg.
NOTE: THIS IS NOT PART OF THE HANDBOOK BUT I THINK IT IS A GOOD THING TO SHARE ANYWAY
Years ago, Quail was walking in an open field and he heard the beautiful sound of a whistle.
Quail thought to himself, where does this beautiful sound come from, I have heard all of the sounds that all of the animals and birds make, but I have never heard of this beautiful sound. I must find this sound! So
Quail listened very closely to the beautiful whistle and began to follow the sound. He traveled through the field, over logs and flew over the streams until he came to a small pond, where he brushed the bushes to the side only to see Daksi sitting on a log. Quail had followed the beautiful whistle to this spot and couldn’t believe that the sound could be coming from Daksi. Quail sat there for a while waiting to hear the whistle once again, but to his amazement he saw turtle pop his head out of his shell and whistle the most beautiful sound Quail had ever heard.
Quail confronted Daksi and asked the Daksi,
“Where did you get this beautiful sound?” Turtle responded by telling Quail, “I received this beautiful gift from our Creator.”
Quail asked Turtle if he could borrow Turtle’s whistle,
Turtle told Quail, “I cannot let you borrow my whistle; it is a gift from our Creator. I’m never to let anyone borrow my gift Creator gave this to me so that I may sing my praise and thanks to our Creator.”
But, Quail begs Turtle to let him borrow Turtle’s whistle and cleverly appeals to Daksi in the weak spot of his pride, “I want you to hear this beautiful sound so you can appreciate it more,” said Quail.
Turtle said,
“Well, I don’t know...?”
Quail tells Turtle that he will stand right next to Turtle and never leave his side. Turtle finally gives in and lets Quail borrow his whistle.
“You have to stand right next to me and return the whistle right back to me after you use it,” Turtle told Quail. Quail agreed. When Turtle heard Quail whistle, Turtle told Quail that was the most beautiful sound that he had ever heard.
“Now give me back my whistle,” Turtle told Quail. But, Quail said, “Wait, when I first heard you I was standing much further away than this. Let me take a few steps further and whistle, the sound will be much more beautiful,” Quail told Turtle. Turtle said, “I don’t know, you better give my whistle back to me now!” Again Quail talked Turtle into letting Quail take a few steps further and whistle, but Turtle told Quail that he would have to return the whistle to him as soon as he had finished his whistle. Again Quail agreed. When Turtle heard the sound again he agreed that the sound was more beautiful.
“Okay, now give me my whistle back to me!” Turtle told Quail. Once again Quail told Turtle, “Wait, when I first heard this beautiful sound, I didn’t even know where the sound came from or from whom. Let me go behind the brush and let you hear the sound from there. You will surely appreciate the sound even more.” Turtle said to Quail, “Give me my whistle back, I want you to give me back my whistle:” Quail told Turtle, “I will give you back your whistle as soon as you hear it from behind the brush, I promise you.” Turtle told Quail, “I don’t know, I really wish you would return the whistle back to me,” but Quail appealed to the vanity of Daksi and begged Turtle and told him that as soon as he finished the whistle he would return it back to Turtle; this would be the last time that he would use it. Turtle finally agreed. So as Quail went behind the brush and began to whistle, Turtle said, “The sound is more beautiful the further away you are. Okay Quail, give me back my whistle!”
but
this time Quail did not answer Turtle! “Quail! Quail! Where is my whistle, please give me back my whistle!”
Again Quail didn’t answer. Turtle went to the other side of the brush and Quail was gone. Turtle thought to himself, “Oh, what have I done!!! I given away my cherished gift from our Creator and now I will never have that sound again. How will I be able to praise our creator?” So Turtle listened very closely to see if he could hear Quail whistle that beautiful sound. And when ever you hear Quail’s whistling sound, look around and you will see Turtle heading toward the sound trying to get his whistle back from
Quail.
MEANWHILE...
The Daksi gives his life so his shell may be used in the dances so Daksi may sing to creator in the time while waiting to get the whistle back. We collect the shells of the male Daksi to use in the ceremony. Special Prayers are made before, during, and after collecting the living Daksi.
We use 4 Daksi on each leg for a total of only 8 shells. Other southeastern tribes use more and other tribes may even use female turtle shells but we only collect the male and only a certain size and no more than 4 per leg.
CREATION FESTIVAL
NOTE: THIS IS NOT PART OF THE HANDBOOK BUT I THINK IT IS A GOOD THING TO SHARE ANYWAY
Here is a story (in English) that is often told at the New Year Celebrations in October.
The earth began as nothing but water and darkness, and all the animals were in Galúnlati, above the stone vault that makes up the sky. But we did not stay there.
Some say that we left because Galúnlati became so crowded that everyone needed more room, and they wanted to move. Others say that we were forced out.
Not knowing what was below the sky vault,
they were surprised to find all the world covered only in water. They clug to a tsiyu in the dark waters.
Not knowing what was beneath the water, they sent down the Water-beetle to explore.
Water-beetle -grandchild of the Doyi (beaver)- dove below the water and eventually came back with some mud from below.
That mud grew and grew, and finally it became the island that we call our homeland.
This island of earth where we live is suspended at its four corners from ropes that hang down from the sky, and legend has it that some day the ropes will break and the earth will sink back into the water.
Because it grew from mud, the new earth was very soft. Many of the birds flew down to explore the new land, but it was too wet for them to stay.
Finally Buzzard flew down, hoping it was dry, but the earth was still wet. Buzzard searched and searched, especially in the Cherokee country, and finally he became so tired that his wings flapped against the ground. His wings dug valleys where they hit the ground and turned up mountains where they pulled away, leaving the rugged country of the Cherokee.
Eventually the earth was dry and the animals moved onto it.
There still was no light, however, and so the animals set the sun passing from east to west just over their heads. With the sun so close, many of the animals were burned, giving the red crawfish its crimson color. The animals raised the sun again and again, until it was high enough that all could survive.
When the plants and animals first came to this land, Creator told each one where they should live.
Creator told them all to stay awak and listen to the teaching of how all were to live. They were told to stay awake for seven nights, as in the Cherokee medicine ceremony. The animals all stayed awake the first night, and many stayed awake the next few nights, but only the owl and the panther and a couple of others stayed awake all seven nights.
They were the only ones who heard all the words of the Creator.
They were given the ability to see at night and so to hunt at night when the others are asleep.
The same thing happened among the trees, and only the cedar, pine, spruce, holly and laurel stayed awake all seven nights, which is why they can stay green all year when the others lose their leaves.
Here is a story (in English) that is often told at the New Year Celebrations in October.
The earth began as nothing but water and darkness, and all the animals were in Galúnlati, above the stone vault that makes up the sky. But we did not stay there.
Some say that we left because Galúnlati became so crowded that everyone needed more room, and they wanted to move. Others say that we were forced out.
Not knowing what was below the sky vault,
they were surprised to find all the world covered only in water. They clug to a tsiyu in the dark waters.
Not knowing what was beneath the water, they sent down the Water-beetle to explore.
Water-beetle -grandchild of the Doyi (beaver)- dove below the water and eventually came back with some mud from below.
That mud grew and grew, and finally it became the island that we call our homeland.
This island of earth where we live is suspended at its four corners from ropes that hang down from the sky, and legend has it that some day the ropes will break and the earth will sink back into the water.
Because it grew from mud, the new earth was very soft. Many of the birds flew down to explore the new land, but it was too wet for them to stay.
Finally Buzzard flew down, hoping it was dry, but the earth was still wet. Buzzard searched and searched, especially in the Cherokee country, and finally he became so tired that his wings flapped against the ground. His wings dug valleys where they hit the ground and turned up mountains where they pulled away, leaving the rugged country of the Cherokee.
Eventually the earth was dry and the animals moved onto it.
There still was no light, however, and so the animals set the sun passing from east to west just over their heads. With the sun so close, many of the animals were burned, giving the red crawfish its crimson color. The animals raised the sun again and again, until it was high enough that all could survive.
When the plants and animals first came to this land, Creator told each one where they should live.
Creator told them all to stay awak and listen to the teaching of how all were to live. They were told to stay awake for seven nights, as in the Cherokee medicine ceremony. The animals all stayed awake the first night, and many stayed awake the next few nights, but only the owl and the panther and a couple of others stayed awake all seven nights.
They were the only ones who heard all the words of the Creator.
They were given the ability to see at night and so to hunt at night when the others are asleep.
The same thing happened among the trees, and only the cedar, pine, spruce, holly and laurel stayed awake all seven nights, which is why they can stay green all year when the others lose their leaves.
Creation stories
NOTE: THIS IS NOT PART OF THE HANDBOOK BUT I THINK IT IS A GOOD THING TO SHARE ANYWAY
During the New Year celebrations, many stories of Creation and of how things came to be the way they are now are told.
This is one of those stories:
ᎢᎦᏓ ᎠᏂᏴᏫ ᎣᎦᎾᏮ ᎢᏗᏟ ᎠᏁᎯ ᎤᏂᎮ ᏎᎷ ᎠᏍᏙᏍᏗ . ᎾᎾᏃ ᎠᏂᏍᏙᏍᎨ
ᏎᎷᎢᏌ ᎠᏃᏢᏍᎨ ᎠᎴ ᎢᎸᏍᎩ ᎤᎾᎴ ᎤᏂᎤᏥᏝ ᎤᏂᎩᏐᏝ ᏎᎷᎢᏌ ᎤᎴᎵᏎᎢᎦᏓ ᏎᎷᎢᏌ
ᎠᎩᏓ ᎾᎯᏳ ᎤᏒᎢ. ᎤᏂᎪᎵᏰᎢᏙᎴᎢ ᎦᏙ ᎠᎴ ᎤᏂᏱᏩᏛᎮᎢ ᎩᎵ ᏚᎳᏏᏂᏙᎸᎢ, ᎤᎩᏨᏓᏃ
ᎤᏒᎢ ᎤᎾᎦᏌᏴᏍᏔᏁᎢ, ᎠᎴ ᎾᎯᏳ ᎩᎵ ᎤᏴᏝᏗᏜ ᏥᏣᎷᏎᎢ, ᎠᎴ ᏧᎴᏅᎮᎢ ᎠᎩᏍᎬ
ᏎᎷ ᎢᏌ ᎤᏅᏪᏓ ᎦᎸᎢ ᎤᎾᎦᏌᏴᏍᏛᏃᎢ ᏓᏳᎾᏁᎷᎩᏒ ᎠᎴ ᎤᏂᎸᏂᎴᎢ.
ᎤᎵᏘᏎᏃᎢ ᎤᏪᎷᎨᎢ ᏧᏪᏅᏒ ᎣᏴᏢ ᎢᏗᏜ, ᏎᎷ ᎢᏌ ᎦᏄᎪᏍᎨᎢ ᎠᎰᎵ ᎠᎵᏟᏎᎢ, ᎠᎴ
ᎤᎵᏢᏍᏔᏅ ᏎᎷ ᎢᏌ ᎦᏄᎪᎬ ᎤᏁᎦ ᎤᏅᎾᏁᎢ ᎾᏊᏃ ᏥᏗᎪᏩᏘᏍᎪᎢ ᎤᏅᏛᎯ
ᏫᎦᎶᎯᏍᏗ, ᎾᏍᎩ ᎠᏂᏣᎳᎩ ᎩᎵ ᎤᎵᏢᏍᏔᏅ ᏣᏃᏎᎰᎢ.
During the New Year celebrations, many stories of Creation and of how things came to be the way they are now are told.
This is one of those stories:
ᎢᎦᏓ ᎠᏂᏴᏫ ᎣᎦᎾᏮ ᎢᏗᏟ ᎠᏁᎯ ᎤᏂᎮ ᏎᎷ ᎠᏍᏙᏍᏗ . ᎾᎾᏃ ᎠᏂᏍᏙᏍᎨ
ᏎᎷᎢᏌ ᎠᏃᏢᏍᎨ ᎠᎴ ᎢᎸᏍᎩ ᎤᎾᎴ ᎤᏂᎤᏥᏝ ᎤᏂᎩᏐᏝ ᏎᎷᎢᏌ ᎤᎴᎵᏎᎢᎦᏓ ᏎᎷᎢᏌ
ᎠᎩᏓ ᎾᎯᏳ ᎤᏒᎢ. ᎤᏂᎪᎵᏰᎢᏙᎴᎢ ᎦᏙ ᎠᎴ ᎤᏂᏱᏩᏛᎮᎢ ᎩᎵ ᏚᎳᏏᏂᏙᎸᎢ, ᎤᎩᏨᏓᏃ
ᎤᏒᎢ ᎤᎾᎦᏌᏴᏍᏔᏁᎢ, ᎠᎴ ᎾᎯᏳ ᎩᎵ ᎤᏴᏝᏗᏜ ᏥᏣᎷᏎᎢ, ᎠᎴ ᏧᎴᏅᎮᎢ ᎠᎩᏍᎬ
ᏎᎷ ᎢᏌ ᎤᏅᏪᏓ ᎦᎸᎢ ᎤᎾᎦᏌᏴᏍᏛᏃᎢ ᏓᏳᎾᏁᎷᎩᏒ ᎠᎴ ᎤᏂᎸᏂᎴᎢ.
ᎤᎵᏘᏎᏃᎢ ᎤᏪᎷᎨᎢ ᏧᏪᏅᏒ ᎣᏴᏢ ᎢᏗᏜ, ᏎᎷ ᎢᏌ ᎦᏄᎪᏍᎨᎢ ᎠᎰᎵ ᎠᎵᏟᏎᎢ, ᎠᎴ
ᎤᎵᏢᏍᏔᏅ ᏎᎷ ᎢᏌ ᎦᏄᎪᎬ ᎤᏁᎦ ᎤᏅᎾᏁᎢ ᎾᏊᏃ ᏥᏗᎪᏩᏘᏍᎪᎢ ᎤᏅᏛᎯ
ᏫᎦᎶᎯᏍᏗ, ᎾᏍᎩ ᎠᏂᏣᎳᎩ ᎩᎵ ᎤᎵᏢᏍᏔᏅ ᏣᏃᏎᎰᎢ.
Don't follow bad influences
NOTE: THIS IS NOT PART OF THE HANDBOOK BUT I THINK IT IS A GOOD THING TO SHARE ANYWAY
Don't follow bad influences- and dont follow those who are under the influence of evil because no matter how far away you stay from them- just being there is enough to get you burned.
This story is often told at the Ripe corn festival to remind us to stay away from evil and walk in the path of ᏚᏳᎪᏛ du-yu-go-dv
ᎡᏘᏰᏃ ᏥᎨᏎᎢ ᎠᏂᏔᎵ ᏥᏍᏛᎾ ᏣᎾᎢᏎ. ᎭᎾᎢᏎᎢᏃ ᏥᏚᎾᏦᏎᎢ ᎠᏍᎩᎾ. ᎯᎢᏣ ᏗᏍᏕᎾ ᏚᏬᏎᎴᎢ. ᏐᏊᏃ ᏥᏍᏛᎾ ᎱᏓᏍᏔᏩᏛᏎᎢ. ᎾᎥᏂᎨᏍᏗᏃ ᏩᎾᎢᏒᎢ ᏗᎪᏛᎢ ᎤᏗᎴᎩ ᏂᎦᎳᏍᏗᏍᎨᎢ. ᎪᎯ ᎢᏴᏃ ᎾᏕᎶᎱᏍᎬᎾ ᎨᏎ ᎩᎦᎨᎢ ᏂᎦᎳᏍᏗᏍᎨᎢ. ᏐᎢᏃ ᎣᏂ ᎤᏪᏅᏓ ᏥᏍᏛᎾ ᏲᎪ ᎾᏕᎶᎰᏍᎨᎢ ᎭᏔᏍᏕᏓᎵᏴᏍᎬᎢ ᎤᏯᏍᎦᎸᎢ. ᎩᎳᏉᏃ ᎢᏴ ᎤᏏᏅᏎᎢ ᎯᎪ ᏥᎾᎾᏛᏁᎰᎢ ᎢᏳᏍᏗ. ᏙᏳᏃ ᎠᎦᏗ ᎤᏍᎦᏍᏓᏁᎴᎢ. ᎠᎹᎯᏃ ᏭᎷᏣ ᏭᏓᎾᏫᏛᎮᎢ. ᏍᎩᏃ ᎢᏴ ᏓᏳᏓᎴᏅᏓ ᎠᎹᎯ ᎤᏩᏌ ᏣᏁᎰᎢ. ᎩᎦᎨᏃ ᎤᎴᏴᏒ ᏥᏍᎪᎩᎵ ᎱᏕᎶᎰᏎᎢ ᎭᎪᎲᏍᎬᎢ. ᏍᎩᏃ ᎢᏴ ᎤᏍᎪᏎᎢ ᏐᏬᏚ ᎤᏁᎳᏗᏍᏗᏳ. ᏍᎩᏃ ᎢᏴ ᏓᏳᏓᎴᏅᏓ ᏐᏬᏚ ᏥᎦᎾᎩᎶᎢ ᎩᎦᎨᎢ ᏥᏍᎪᎩᎵ. ᎱᎴᏴᏒᏃ ᎤᏲ ᏄᎳᏍᏓᏁᎢ ᎭᏫᏯ.
ᏍᎩᏳᏍᏗᏃ ᎠᏂᏣᎳᎩ ᏂᏓᏂᏯᎩᎬᎾ ᏥᏍᎪᎩᎵ ᎯᎪᎯ. ᎠᏎᏃ ᎯᎸ ᎤᏍᎪᏒᎢ ᏥᎨᏐᎢ ᏥᏍᎪᎩᎵ ᏥᎦᏅᎪᎪᎢ ᎠᎹ ᎤᎾᏓᏅᏬᏙᏗ ᎭᏅᏗᎯᎪᎢ ᎩᎶ ᏧᎵᎡᏂ ᏱᎩ.
Don't follow bad influences- and dont follow those who are under the influence of evil because no matter how far away you stay from them- just being there is enough to get you burned.
This story is often told at the Ripe corn festival to remind us to stay away from evil and walk in the path of ᏚᏳᎪᏛ du-yu-go-dv
ᎡᏘᏰᏃ ᏥᎨᏎᎢ ᎠᏂᏔᎵ ᏥᏍᏛᎾ ᏣᎾᎢᏎ. ᎭᎾᎢᏎᎢᏃ ᏥᏚᎾᏦᏎᎢ ᎠᏍᎩᎾ. ᎯᎢᏣ ᏗᏍᏕᎾ ᏚᏬᏎᎴᎢ. ᏐᏊᏃ ᏥᏍᏛᎾ ᎱᏓᏍᏔᏩᏛᏎᎢ. ᎾᎥᏂᎨᏍᏗᏃ ᏩᎾᎢᏒᎢ ᏗᎪᏛᎢ ᎤᏗᎴᎩ ᏂᎦᎳᏍᏗᏍᎨᎢ. ᎪᎯ ᎢᏴᏃ ᎾᏕᎶᎱᏍᎬᎾ ᎨᏎ ᎩᎦᎨᎢ ᏂᎦᎳᏍᏗᏍᎨᎢ. ᏐᎢᏃ ᎣᏂ ᎤᏪᏅᏓ ᏥᏍᏛᎾ ᏲᎪ ᎾᏕᎶᎰᏍᎨᎢ ᎭᏔᏍᏕᏓᎵᏴᏍᎬᎢ ᎤᏯᏍᎦᎸᎢ. ᎩᎳᏉᏃ ᎢᏴ ᎤᏏᏅᏎᎢ ᎯᎪ ᏥᎾᎾᏛᏁᎰᎢ ᎢᏳᏍᏗ. ᏙᏳᏃ ᎠᎦᏗ ᎤᏍᎦᏍᏓᏁᎴᎢ. ᎠᎹᎯᏃ ᏭᎷᏣ ᏭᏓᎾᏫᏛᎮᎢ. ᏍᎩᏃ ᎢᏴ ᏓᏳᏓᎴᏅᏓ ᎠᎹᎯ ᎤᏩᏌ ᏣᏁᎰᎢ. ᎩᎦᎨᏃ ᎤᎴᏴᏒ ᏥᏍᎪᎩᎵ ᎱᏕᎶᎰᏎᎢ ᎭᎪᎲᏍᎬᎢ. ᏍᎩᏃ ᎢᏴ ᎤᏍᎪᏎᎢ ᏐᏬᏚ ᎤᏁᎳᏗᏍᏗᏳ. ᏍᎩᏃ ᎢᏴ ᏓᏳᏓᎴᏅᏓ ᏐᏬᏚ ᏥᎦᎾᎩᎶᎢ ᎩᎦᎨᎢ ᏥᏍᎪᎩᎵ. ᎱᎴᏴᏒᏃ ᎤᏲ ᏄᎳᏍᏓᏁᎢ ᎭᏫᏯ.
ᏍᎩᏳᏍᏗᏃ ᎠᏂᏣᎳᎩ ᏂᏓᏂᏯᎩᎬᎾ ᏥᏍᎪᎩᎵ ᎯᎪᎯ. ᎠᏎᏃ ᎯᎸ ᎤᏍᎪᏒᎢ ᏥᎨᏐᎢ ᏥᏍᎪᎩᎵ ᏥᎦᏅᎪᎪᎢ ᎠᎹ ᎤᎾᏓᏅᏬᏙᏗ ᎭᏅᏗᎯᎪᎢ ᎩᎶ ᏧᎵᎡᏂ ᏱᎩ.
Do what you were created to do
NOTE: THIS IS NOT PART OF THE HANDBOOK BUT I THINK IT IS A GOOD THING TO SHARE ANYWAY
You were not created to be someone else.
Also, the gifts you are given, are not intended for you to hoard for just yourself but were meant to benefit others.
This story is told at the friends renewed festival.
ᏌᏊ ᎢᏳᏩᎨᏗ ᏲᎾ ᎤᏚᎸᎮ ᏥᏍᏚ ᎠᎨᎳᏍᏙᏗ. ᎰᏩᏃ ᏥᏍᏚ ᎤᎸᏤ ᏲᎾ ᏧᏪᏅᏒ ᏚᏯᏃ ᏚᏩᏂᏍᏕ. ᎪᎢᏃ Ꮭ ᏳᎮ ᏧᏑᏴᏓ ᏚᏯ. ᏲᎾᏃ ᎤᏓᏰᏝᎴ ᎠᏍᏆᎨᏂ ᎠᎴ ᎤᏁᏩᏛᎮ ᎪᎢ ᎤᎾᏓᏍᏓᏴᏙᏗ. ᏥᏍᏚᏃ ᎤᏍᏆᏂᎦᏓ ᎤᏰᎸᏁ ᎠᎴ ᎤᏓᏅᏖᏞ ᎾᏊᏊᏃ ᏯᏛᎾᏓ ᎪᎢ ᏲᏂᎬᎦ. ᎠᏂᎩᏍᎬᏃ ᏥᏍᏚ ᎯᎠ ᏄᏪᎵᏎ. ᏪᏙᎸ ᏗᏓᏁᎸᎢ ᎬᏰᎳᏍᏔᏅᎢ ᎤᎩᎭ ᎢᏳᏒᎯᏓ ᎢᏴᎢ. ᏲᎾᏃ ᏭᎷᏤ ᏥᏍᏚ ᏧᏪᏅᏒ ᏚᏯ ᏑᏩᏂᏍᎦ ᎪᎢᏃ ᎤᏯᎴ ᏧᏑᏴᏓ. ᎠᏰᎵᏍᏗ ᏭᏴᎮ ᎠᎴ ᎠᏍᏆᎨᏂ ᎤᏓᏰᏝᎴ. ᎠᏎᏃ Ꮭ ᎪᎢ ᏳᏁᏩᏛᎮ ᎩᎦᏍᎩᏂ ᏧᏤᏬᏤ ᎠᎴ ᎤᏅᏤ ᎤᏲᎱᏍᏕᎾ. ᏲᎾᏃ ᎤᏭᏖᏎ ᏥᏍᏚ, ᏍᏓᏯ ᏚᎸᏫᏍᎳᏁᎴ ᎠᎦᎸᏒᎲ ᎤᏓᏰᏝᎸ. ᏲᎾᏃ ᎯᎠ ᏄᏪᏎᎴ ᏥᏍᏚ. ᎠᏴᏃ ᎨᏴ ᎠᏆᏔᎾ ᎠᎴ ᏥᏔᏦᎯᏓ ᎠᎩᏁᎦᎸ ᎭᏫᎾᏗᏜ. ᎾᏍᎩᏃ ᎢᏳᏍᏗ ᏯᏆᏓᏰᏝᎵ Ꮭ ᎪᎱᏍᏗ ᏯᏆᎵᏍᏗᏁᎰ. ᏂᎯᏃ ᏣᏍᏗ ᎠᎴ ᏣᎴᏐᏓ ᏝᏃ ᎾᏍᎩ ᏱᏂᎦᎭᏛᎦ.
You were not created to be someone else.
Also, the gifts you are given, are not intended for you to hoard for just yourself but were meant to benefit others.
This story is told at the friends renewed festival.
ᏌᏊ ᎢᏳᏩᎨᏗ ᏲᎾ ᎤᏚᎸᎮ ᏥᏍᏚ ᎠᎨᎳᏍᏙᏗ. ᎰᏩᏃ ᏥᏍᏚ ᎤᎸᏤ ᏲᎾ ᏧᏪᏅᏒ ᏚᏯᏃ ᏚᏩᏂᏍᏕ. ᎪᎢᏃ Ꮭ ᏳᎮ ᏧᏑᏴᏓ ᏚᏯ. ᏲᎾᏃ ᎤᏓᏰᏝᎴ ᎠᏍᏆᎨᏂ ᎠᎴ ᎤᏁᏩᏛᎮ ᎪᎢ ᎤᎾᏓᏍᏓᏴᏙᏗ. ᏥᏍᏚᏃ ᎤᏍᏆᏂᎦᏓ ᎤᏰᎸᏁ ᎠᎴ ᎤᏓᏅᏖᏞ ᎾᏊᏊᏃ ᏯᏛᎾᏓ ᎪᎢ ᏲᏂᎬᎦ. ᎠᏂᎩᏍᎬᏃ ᏥᏍᏚ ᎯᎠ ᏄᏪᎵᏎ. ᏪᏙᎸ ᏗᏓᏁᎸᎢ ᎬᏰᎳᏍᏔᏅᎢ ᎤᎩᎭ ᎢᏳᏒᎯᏓ ᎢᏴᎢ. ᏲᎾᏃ ᏭᎷᏤ ᏥᏍᏚ ᏧᏪᏅᏒ ᏚᏯ ᏑᏩᏂᏍᎦ ᎪᎢᏃ ᎤᏯᎴ ᏧᏑᏴᏓ. ᎠᏰᎵᏍᏗ ᏭᏴᎮ ᎠᎴ ᎠᏍᏆᎨᏂ ᎤᏓᏰᏝᎴ. ᎠᏎᏃ Ꮭ ᎪᎢ ᏳᏁᏩᏛᎮ ᎩᎦᏍᎩᏂ ᏧᏤᏬᏤ ᎠᎴ ᎤᏅᏤ ᎤᏲᎱᏍᏕᎾ. ᏲᎾᏃ ᎤᏭᏖᏎ ᏥᏍᏚ, ᏍᏓᏯ ᏚᎸᏫᏍᎳᏁᎴ ᎠᎦᎸᏒᎲ ᎤᏓᏰᏝᎸ. ᏲᎾᏃ ᎯᎠ ᏄᏪᏎᎴ ᏥᏍᏚ. ᎠᏴᏃ ᎨᏴ ᎠᏆᏔᎾ ᎠᎴ ᏥᏔᏦᎯᏓ ᎠᎩᏁᎦᎸ ᎭᏫᎾᏗᏜ. ᎾᏍᎩᏃ ᎢᏳᏍᏗ ᏯᏆᏓᏰᏝᎵ Ꮭ ᎪᎱᏍᏗ ᏯᏆᎵᏍᏗᏁᎰ. ᏂᎯᏃ ᏣᏍᏗ ᎠᎴ ᏣᎴᏐᏓ ᏝᏃ ᎾᏍᎩ ᏱᏂᎦᎭᏛᎦ.
10/16/10
EPILOGUE... musings of the Editor
THE FOLLOWING IS NOT PART OF THE HANDBOOK
I SIMPLY WANTED TO SHARE MORE WITH YOU
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Last nights unity around the fire made me burn with a desire to see this before I leave this land and travel into the West.
We want to promote the UNITY of all Cherokee descendants.
The nation has been fragmented.
We pray for healing!
That is the primary focus of our prayer circles:
To UNITE all Cherokee again.
To HEAL our land and our NATION.
We are broken.
We need healing.
In some cases, healing has begun.
But in all too many, the fracture was not set, and the bones are joining unevenly- the signs remain revealing our fractures as we hobble along on broken bones.
AND worst of all
Our HEART was broken!
Our Heart has not yet been healed.
Signs of the fractures made in the heart of the Cherokee nation can be seen in the fact that there are 4 Federally recognized tribes (USA recognizes 3, Mexico 1) and it is even more obvious that the enemy has cut our body apart, separting limb from limb, like the enemy did to our great warrior Dragging Canoe because they feared that if they did not, he would rise again-- this cutting, wounding, dividing is obvious in the fact that there are so many of the numerous state groups that have tried to create a cohesive structure to welcome one another into.
This evidence exists in EVERY group that has established themselves as Cherokee.
Let me repeat that
This evidence exists in EVERY group that has established themselves as Cherokee.
NO ONE is exempt.
The UKB (United Keetowah Band) at one point had as many as 20 governments claiming to be the "right" one.
The CNO (Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma) has experienced upheaval after upheaval in their history- they passed legislation when they first arrived in Indian Territory (Now Oklahoma) proclaiming that the East was their true homeland and they did not acknowledge the right of the USA to move them, and in recent battles over the freedmen.
The EBCI too has struggled- they have a charter and no constitution, they have culled rolls and excluded folks based on quantum, the language is endangered.
But these 3 have persevered.
And in every single state of the homeland, Cherokees have been discovered and recognized- some as individuals (such as in TN) and others as state recognized tribes but the facts are obvious- our people have been scattered like coals kicked from a fire- but we still remain!
We still burn brightly!
We applaud the efforts of Cherokee descendants to regather the remnants of our people and to preserve the homeland, culture and language.
How did these Cherokee descendants come to be found remaining in states like Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky,North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and others??
Their ancestors obeyed Chief John Ross and engaged in passive resistence.
Their obedience earned them the distrust of other Cherokee, the hatred of their neighbors and the loss of contact with language and culture- but they never lost contact with the homeland.
We never forgot who we really are. We didnt "HIDE" like the EBCI- we resisted... but we were still here!
As Creator commanded, as our Chief Ross decreed- they remained in the homeland.
And they suffered for it and continue to suffer today.
These state recognized groups have identified local communities and have kept the flames of life alive in our homeland.
In many cases, they have sacrficed their funds, their life, their time, and their reputations in order to be Cherokees still living in the homeland.
We want to ask these groups to rise to a new challenge... to unite all Cherokee descendants living within their state into one state tribe.
This will not be easy and will pose many challenges.
Find a way to establish standards for recognizing Cherokee descendants and documenting that ancestry.
Find a way to meet and select representatives from each state recognized tribe to serve as leaders for every tribe in the state. (See our handbook for suggestions)
We ask that each state recognized tribe recognize each other and that after accepting each other as a local community of Cherokees, you work together to establish ONE state tribal government.
We call upon all Cherokee descendants in EVERY state where you find yourself to make this first step toward healing, toward the reestablishment of a national council, toward the recognition of all true Cherokee descendants.
We do NOT ask that you disband or lose your own identity!
That would NOT be healing!On the contrary, we ask that you find common ground, that you acknowledge one another as local community groups, and that we begin to work together for the healing of our nation.
We make this plea to all Federally recognized and State Recognized tribes.
Check your records. Go ahead- its ok-- Verify the documentation so that your records will with stand scrutiny. Because we will be scrutinized so we must do this
but don't stop there.
Once you are able to prove where you came from and how you came to be there,
Then open your hearts.
Open up lines of communication between one another.
Establish local communities- establish only ONE state government presence in each state... and then, work toward the forming of an interstate national council of represenatives of ALL remaining Cherokee descendants.
United - we will be stronger.
Divided-- we remain defeated.
We are looking for 100 Cherokee descendants to lead a PRAYER Circle and Potluck once a month-- every month--because Prayer is important and we have a great need ahead of us we should all be praying about...
do you think you would be able to either lead one or help someone else in your area to organize one?
Cherokee prayer Circles --
are usually on a Saturday night but can be any time your folks find convenient.... its just once a month-- and you can trade out with others so its not too big of a burden....
let me know please!-- on Facebook...we are "Cherokee Ancestors--Cherokee Descendants--Cherokee Heritage"
We are hoping to have 100 + prayer circles by the end of the year meeting to pray specifically for our Cherokee people and for all the descendants!
To find out more on how to host a prayer circle at YOUR house-- see that section of the HANDBOOK.
In addition to the requests by the people who attend, be sure to pray specifically for
1--the resolution of April 2008 at Red Clay to either be revoked or amended to recognize that anyone who has a Cherokee Ancestor should be able to speak about their Cherokee Ancestor even if the descendant chooses not to be placed on a roll.
2--the restoration of our homeland- that our Cherokee people will all be able to return to the land where Creator placed us and told us not to leave
3--the restoration of our Cherokee language
4--the restoration of our culture-that all Cherokee descendants will once again worship our Creator the way we were instructed to worship
5--the restoration of our people- that all Cherokee descendants will be welcomed and accepted
October 16, 2010
We have suffered much on this journey but we have also experienced tremendous joy.
In the late 80's (thats 1980's) we began holding potlucks and prayer circles feeling that we needed to unite.
We wrote articles and a constitution.
We didnt have much money so we only xeroxed a few copies of it.
Then the trouble started.
Back in the early 1800's, when the nation was fragmented by those who signed to go west, those folks were murdered and harassed for fragmenting the nation.
Now, 150 plus years later, we were being targeted for trying to bring unity.
What a tragic twist.
Our members were threatened, harried and persecuted.
Some of us lost possessions as homes were victims of arson, autos were vandalized.
Some of us lost more as health suffered from the attacks and some passed on to the west much earlier than it seemed they should have.
over and over again, we lost the documents of our meetings and plans to theft, fire, and "disaster".
The problems were so severe at times we took a break to pray and consider if this was what Creator really wanted.
We found no indication that Creator opposed unity.
and so despite what was lost, we worked diligently recreating them from notebooks and memory.
Everyone involved made copies of their copies that remained of the prior constitutions and our meeting notes and those were given to me. I copy from these notes, they all read them and I mark off as i go through them when they are added into their appropriate place and it is approved by those who were there to remember what was done.
today, we have compiled enough to begin again.
It takes courage to post these.
I have personally been the victim of hate mail and email attacks.
I am a real Cherokee person. I am an elder.
However, I have, along with many of our still living "Charter" members, gone "underground", obscuring my identity, not revealing personal details that would allow myself to be tracked down, moving in with and staying with other family instead of in my own (rebuilt) home after it was torched.
We stopped posting and advertising the addresses of our community chapter offices for safety concerns.
When we are able, we will repost those.
We kept our membership rolls private for those same reasons.
Are we hiding? Some might say yes. We are being cautious, as our ancestors surely had to also be, but we are not ashamed of who we are- and neither were our ancestors ashamed of their blood!
It is now time to bring our organization back in to light again. We will suffer for this.
If you decide to unite with us in this group, know that you are welcome here and you have every right to proudly announce (yes, even publicly) that you are a member by descent of the Constitutional Cherokee.
But consider carefully before joining!
There are many who oppose the uniting of the Cherokee people.
Not all of them are white folks, but all of them have dark hearts.
I SIMPLY WANTED TO SHARE MORE WITH YOU
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Last nights unity around the fire made me burn with a desire to see this before I leave this land and travel into the West.
We want to promote the UNITY of all Cherokee descendants.
The nation has been fragmented.
We pray for healing!
That is the primary focus of our prayer circles:
To UNITE all Cherokee again.
To HEAL our land and our NATION.
We are broken.
We need healing.
In some cases, healing has begun.
But in all too many, the fracture was not set, and the bones are joining unevenly- the signs remain revealing our fractures as we hobble along on broken bones.
AND worst of all
Our HEART was broken!
Our Heart has not yet been healed.
Signs of the fractures made in the heart of the Cherokee nation can be seen in the fact that there are 4 Federally recognized tribes (USA recognizes 3, Mexico 1) and it is even more obvious that the enemy has cut our body apart, separting limb from limb, like the enemy did to our great warrior Dragging Canoe because they feared that if they did not, he would rise again-- this cutting, wounding, dividing is obvious in the fact that there are so many of the numerous state groups that have tried to create a cohesive structure to welcome one another into.
This evidence exists in EVERY group that has established themselves as Cherokee.
Let me repeat that
This evidence exists in EVERY group that has established themselves as Cherokee.
NO ONE is exempt.
The UKB (United Keetowah Band) at one point had as many as 20 governments claiming to be the "right" one.
The CNO (Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma) has experienced upheaval after upheaval in their history- they passed legislation when they first arrived in Indian Territory (Now Oklahoma) proclaiming that the East was their true homeland and they did not acknowledge the right of the USA to move them, and in recent battles over the freedmen.
The EBCI too has struggled- they have a charter and no constitution, they have culled rolls and excluded folks based on quantum, the language is endangered.
But these 3 have persevered.
And in every single state of the homeland, Cherokees have been discovered and recognized- some as individuals (such as in TN) and others as state recognized tribes but the facts are obvious- our people have been scattered like coals kicked from a fire- but we still remain!
We still burn brightly!
We applaud the efforts of Cherokee descendants to regather the remnants of our people and to preserve the homeland, culture and language.
How did these Cherokee descendants come to be found remaining in states like Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky,North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and others??
Their ancestors obeyed Chief John Ross and engaged in passive resistence.
Their obedience earned them the distrust of other Cherokee, the hatred of their neighbors and the loss of contact with language and culture- but they never lost contact with the homeland.
We never forgot who we really are. We didnt "HIDE" like the EBCI- we resisted... but we were still here!
As Creator commanded, as our Chief Ross decreed- they remained in the homeland.
And they suffered for it and continue to suffer today.
These state recognized groups have identified local communities and have kept the flames of life alive in our homeland.
In many cases, they have sacrficed their funds, their life, their time, and their reputations in order to be Cherokees still living in the homeland.
We want to ask these groups to rise to a new challenge... to unite all Cherokee descendants living within their state into one state tribe.
This will not be easy and will pose many challenges.
Find a way to establish standards for recognizing Cherokee descendants and documenting that ancestry.
Find a way to meet and select representatives from each state recognized tribe to serve as leaders for every tribe in the state. (See our handbook for suggestions)
We ask that each state recognized tribe recognize each other and that after accepting each other as a local community of Cherokees, you work together to establish ONE state tribal government.
We call upon all Cherokee descendants in EVERY state where you find yourself to make this first step toward healing, toward the reestablishment of a national council, toward the recognition of all true Cherokee descendants.
We do NOT ask that you disband or lose your own identity!
That would NOT be healing!On the contrary, we ask that you find common ground, that you acknowledge one another as local community groups, and that we begin to work together for the healing of our nation.
We make this plea to all Federally recognized and State Recognized tribes.
Check your records. Go ahead- its ok-- Verify the documentation so that your records will with stand scrutiny. Because we will be scrutinized so we must do this
but don't stop there.
Once you are able to prove where you came from and how you came to be there,
Then open your hearts.
Open up lines of communication between one another.
Establish local communities- establish only ONE state government presence in each state... and then, work toward the forming of an interstate national council of represenatives of ALL remaining Cherokee descendants.
United - we will be stronger.
Divided-- we remain defeated.
We are looking for 100 Cherokee descendants to lead a PRAYER Circle and Potluck once a month-- every month--because Prayer is important and we have a great need ahead of us we should all be praying about...
do you think you would be able to either lead one or help someone else in your area to organize one?
Cherokee prayer Circles --
are usually on a Saturday night but can be any time your folks find convenient.... its just once a month-- and you can trade out with others so its not too big of a burden....
let me know please!-- on Facebook...we are "Cherokee Ancestors--Cherokee Descendants--Cherokee Heritage"
We are hoping to have 100 + prayer circles by the end of the year meeting to pray specifically for our Cherokee people and for all the descendants!
To find out more on how to host a prayer circle at YOUR house-- see that section of the HANDBOOK.
In addition to the requests by the people who attend, be sure to pray specifically for
1--the resolution of April 2008 at Red Clay to either be revoked or amended to recognize that anyone who has a Cherokee Ancestor should be able to speak about their Cherokee Ancestor even if the descendant chooses not to be placed on a roll.
2--the restoration of our homeland- that our Cherokee people will all be able to return to the land where Creator placed us and told us not to leave
3--the restoration of our Cherokee language
4--the restoration of our culture-that all Cherokee descendants will once again worship our Creator the way we were instructed to worship
5--the restoration of our people- that all Cherokee descendants will be welcomed and accepted
October 16, 2010
We have suffered much on this journey but we have also experienced tremendous joy.
In the late 80's (thats 1980's) we began holding potlucks and prayer circles feeling that we needed to unite.
We wrote articles and a constitution.
We didnt have much money so we only xeroxed a few copies of it.
Then the trouble started.
Back in the early 1800's, when the nation was fragmented by those who signed to go west, those folks were murdered and harassed for fragmenting the nation.
Now, 150 plus years later, we were being targeted for trying to bring unity.
What a tragic twist.
Our members were threatened, harried and persecuted.
Some of us lost possessions as homes were victims of arson, autos were vandalized.
Some of us lost more as health suffered from the attacks and some passed on to the west much earlier than it seemed they should have.
over and over again, we lost the documents of our meetings and plans to theft, fire, and "disaster".
The problems were so severe at times we took a break to pray and consider if this was what Creator really wanted.
We found no indication that Creator opposed unity.
and so despite what was lost, we worked diligently recreating them from notebooks and memory.
Everyone involved made copies of their copies that remained of the prior constitutions and our meeting notes and those were given to me. I copy from these notes, they all read them and I mark off as i go through them when they are added into their appropriate place and it is approved by those who were there to remember what was done.
today, we have compiled enough to begin again.
It takes courage to post these.
I have personally been the victim of hate mail and email attacks.
I am a real Cherokee person. I am an elder.
However, I have, along with many of our still living "Charter" members, gone "underground", obscuring my identity, not revealing personal details that would allow myself to be tracked down, moving in with and staying with other family instead of in my own (rebuilt) home after it was torched.
We stopped posting and advertising the addresses of our community chapter offices for safety concerns.
When we are able, we will repost those.
We kept our membership rolls private for those same reasons.
Are we hiding? Some might say yes. We are being cautious, as our ancestors surely had to also be, but we are not ashamed of who we are- and neither were our ancestors ashamed of their blood!
It is now time to bring our organization back in to light again. We will suffer for this.
If you decide to unite with us in this group, know that you are welcome here and you have every right to proudly announce (yes, even publicly) that you are a member by descent of the Constitutional Cherokee.
But consider carefully before joining!
There are many who oppose the uniting of the Cherokee people.
Not all of them are white folks, but all of them have dark hearts.
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