Life Lesson for all Cherokee
“Fall Festival and other early ceremonies were a time for competition and celebration.
The story of the game between the animals and the birds has a special place in
Cherokee culture: as in early times, the Cherokee enjoy the coming-together
time for competition and celebration.
Before there was Indian ball, the animals challenged the birds to have a great ball game.
The birds went into council and talked about the challenge. Some of them, such as
Chickadee, said that it would be unfair because they were so little. They were reminded
that Field Mouse was little, too. Great Hawk said that he was not afraid of any of the
animals because he could fly high above them. The birds finally agreed that they
were swift and agile, whereas the animals were slow and awkward. They decided
to accept the challenge. The Bird Clan leaders met with the Animal Clan leaders to
decide on a place to play ball. It was decided that they would go up on a ridge near
where the Blue Ridge Parkway is located today in Cherokee, North Carolina. There
was a large grassy area, which can still be seen from the parkway.
The animals decided their captain would be the Bear. After all, he was strong, and who
could take him down? The birds decided on Eagle for their captain, and Hawk was the co-captain of the bird team.
The animals boasted that they were strong. They even pulled up trees along the way to the
playing field to show their strength. This frightened some of the smaller birds. They
watched great Terrapin standing still while the animals struck the shell without budging the
large turtle. They also watched while Deer demonstrated his enormous speed by outrunning
all the other animals. As was the tradition, all the ball players went down to the river, where
there was a special ceremony and the animals took a cold plunge. The birds were
preening their feathers while waiting. The sacred dance was completed, and it was time for the game to begin.
The animals called for everything small to get out of the way so they would not be stomped into the ground.
Two little field mice scurried up the tree to sit by the little birds watching from afar. Eagle saw that they
were four-footed, and he asked why they did not go to the animal side of the field. They explained
that they had been asked to leave and that the animals had made fun of them because they were
so small. Great Eagle said, ‘Well, you can join us, but we will have to make you some wings.’ The
birds thought and thought about how to make them some wings so they could join in the ball game.
Hawk remembered that the drum was still on the ceremonial ground. Knowing that there is
always extra skin on the drum, the birds decided to trim a piece of leather for each wing to be tied to the field mice.
The game began, and the ball was thrown up into the air. Of course, Hawk caught the ball.
He could have carried it far above the animals on the ground who were looking around at
what was happening with awe and surprise. Instead, Hawk threw the ball to one of the field
mice with the tied wings. The field mouse caught it in his mouth and glided into the air to the
next tree. To this day, he is called Bat. He passed the ball to another mouse with wings, who
flew into the air to another tree that was on the animals’ side of the playing field. To this day,
he is called Flying Squirrel. He threw it to the other birds, who flew and dodged the
animals until they scored the points and won the game for the birds.
Neither Terrapin nor boastful Bear ever got to even touch the ball.
So it is today that the young Cherokee are taught to never boast about what they can
do in competition based on size or strength, but instead to remember the story of
the birds and the animals. Young Cherokee learn to always be humble, not to brag,
and not to give recognition to themselves, but to recognize the family, clan, and tribe.”
Excerpt from Meditations with The Cherokee by J.T. Garrett
The story of the game between the animals and the birds has a special place in
Cherokee culture: as in early times, the Cherokee enjoy the coming-together
time for competition and celebration.
Before there was Indian ball, the animals challenged the birds to have a great ball game.
The birds went into council and talked about the challenge. Some of them, such as
Chickadee, said that it would be unfair because they were so little. They were reminded
that Field Mouse was little, too. Great Hawk said that he was not afraid of any of the
animals because he could fly high above them. The birds finally agreed that they
were swift and agile, whereas the animals were slow and awkward. They decided
to accept the challenge. The Bird Clan leaders met with the Animal Clan leaders to
decide on a place to play ball. It was decided that they would go up on a ridge near
where the Blue Ridge Parkway is located today in Cherokee, North Carolina. There
was a large grassy area, which can still be seen from the parkway.
The animals decided their captain would be the Bear. After all, he was strong, and who
could take him down? The birds decided on Eagle for their captain, and Hawk was the co-captain of the bird team.
The animals boasted that they were strong. They even pulled up trees along the way to the
playing field to show their strength. This frightened some of the smaller birds. They
watched great Terrapin standing still while the animals struck the shell without budging the
large turtle. They also watched while Deer demonstrated his enormous speed by outrunning
all the other animals. As was the tradition, all the ball players went down to the river, where
there was a special ceremony and the animals took a cold plunge. The birds were
preening their feathers while waiting. The sacred dance was completed, and it was time for the game to begin.
The animals called for everything small to get out of the way so they would not be stomped into the ground.
Two little field mice scurried up the tree to sit by the little birds watching from afar. Eagle saw that they
were four-footed, and he asked why they did not go to the animal side of the field. They explained
that they had been asked to leave and that the animals had made fun of them because they were
so small. Great Eagle said, ‘Well, you can join us, but we will have to make you some wings.’ The
birds thought and thought about how to make them some wings so they could join in the ball game.
Hawk remembered that the drum was still on the ceremonial ground. Knowing that there is
always extra skin on the drum, the birds decided to trim a piece of leather for each wing to be tied to the field mice.
The game began, and the ball was thrown up into the air. Of course, Hawk caught the ball.
He could have carried it far above the animals on the ground who were looking around at
what was happening with awe and surprise. Instead, Hawk threw the ball to one of the field
mice with the tied wings. The field mouse caught it in his mouth and glided into the air to the
next tree. To this day, he is called Bat. He passed the ball to another mouse with wings, who
flew into the air to another tree that was on the animals’ side of the playing field. To this day,
he is called Flying Squirrel. He threw it to the other birds, who flew and dodged the
animals until they scored the points and won the game for the birds.
Neither Terrapin nor boastful Bear ever got to even touch the ball.
So it is today that the young Cherokee are taught to never boast about what they can
do in competition based on size or strength, but instead to remember the story of
the birds and the animals. Young Cherokee learn to always be humble, not to brag,
and not to give recognition to themselves, but to recognize the family, clan, and tribe.”
Excerpt from Meditations with The Cherokee by J.T. Garrett
