The Early Times
II
By the time the first white travelers on the American continent began to record some of their observations about Indians, the Cherokee people had developed a rather advanced culture that probably was exceeded only by civilized tribes of the Southwest; Mayan and Aztec groups. The social structure of the Cherokee people consisted of a form of clan kinship, in which there were seven recognized clans. The Bird, Paint, Deer, Wolf, Blue, Long Hair, and Wild Potato were represented in the civil council by a counselor or councilors. The Chief of the tribe was selected from one of these clans and did not inherit his office from his kinsmen. There were two Chiefs, a peace Chief and a War Chief. The Peace Chief served when the tribe was at piece but the minute war declared the War chief was in command.
Most of the children’s training was done by women, at least until the boys became young men. The boys training was then delegated to the boy’s uncle, (the father was just a figure head) who taught the boy to track, to shoot the bow and arrow and defend himself against aggression. A young boy was aspired to becoming a recognized warrior had to be able to perform certain feats before he could win his feather. He also had to be able to prove himself in battle. Once a boy won his eagle feather, he wore it the rest of his life as a symbol that he was a warrior.
Sometimes, parents wished their children to become priests or medicine men. When they did, these children were turned over to older medicine men who did the entire upbringing of these chosen ones. Such children were not allowed to associate with other children in the ordinary manner. They must always be about the business of becoming medicine men. They must stay in the company of those who trained them, at all times. They must go through rigorous hours of training that would try every part of their mind and bodies. They must ever attend the long talks of the medicine men and always listen to tales of the distant past. They were taught the use of herbs and barks; also, the rituals of cleaning and the art of purification. They must retain about themselves always an air of reserve and mystery. Their secrets were guarded with a silence that no outsider dared try to penetrate. Their subsistence came in the form of payment for services rendered, but the power and honor of being a medicine man was the greatest tribute a man could be paid, for medicine men were medicine men of all times.
Probably the greatest single honor that could come to a woman would be to become a sacred one (Beloved Women) only by a great heroic deed did she become so. This deed had to be recognized as of major importance to the tribe and to its people. Once a woman was recognized as a sacred woman, she had many privileges. She sat in council as an equal to other councilors. She had the ear of important members of the tribe and she often had the say whether a prisoner or captive lived or died. It was probably just such a sacred woman whom DeSoto called a queen, and whom he captured for his guide, to lead him into the Cherokee Country. In fact, woman had about as much to say about the business of the tribe as men did. They were not considered slaves as they were in some of the more primitive tribes. They participated in almost all social events of the tribe and quite often were the main attraction in various types of ceremonies. The provision of food was in their hands, except the killing of game. They trained the children, made the crops and clothes, did the cooking and help build the houses. It was probably this acceptance of the importance of the women’s position that helped make the Cherokee people a great deal farther advanced than that of their neighbors.
The passage of time revolved around the new fire festival, in which the old year ended and the new began. At this time, the fireplaces in all houses were cleaned of ashes and the fires put out completely. After a great and elaborate ceremony, in which the seven clans had a hand, the sacred fire in the council house was lighted to signify the beginning of the new year. The fires in the village were then relighted from this sacred fire so that they might have the benefits of it magical properties.
As a part of the new fire ceremony, the village participated in an Indian ball game, which was called in their language, the little war. The game probably got this name from the fact that it was as rough as any game could be without going to war. In the game, the players could do almost anything to get the ball away from the opposing player. The object of the game was to take a walnut-sized ball from the center of a large field between to goal posts that were placed at equal distance from the center ground. The game was played always by and equal number of players on each side. Those playing could number from ten to sixty to a side and each player was matched against an individual from the opposing team.
The game was started when an old man tossed the ball up at the center ground for the two team leaders to try to knock the ball toward their own goal post. The ball sticks used by the teams were about two feet long and cupped at one end so that the ball could be picked up from the ground without touching it with the hands. Once the ball was tossed up and struck by one of the captains of the teams, the mad scramble for it was on. Pushing and shoving, tripping and knocking each other, all the players attempted to pick the ball up off the ground. Once the ball was picked up, the player getting the ball usually placed it in his mouth so that he might have both hands to defend himself.
Broken arms and legs, kicked in teeth and cracked heads were not uncommon because anything went. The only thing not allowed was to pick the ball off the ground with your hands.
The first team to get twenty points was the winner and collector of all the bets were made before the game started.
The planting of corn, the first roasting ear time and the full ripe time of the corn ear were all celebrated by elaborate ceremonies that sometimes stretched over many days. The preparation for the ceremonies were as elaborate and mystical as the actual ceremony itself.
According to the Cherokee myth keepers, at one time all things living were in the sky, on the sky rock and this was before the world was made. And at one time all living things spoke the same language, so they understood each other and could understand all things that were done, but man misused this privilege and was stricken deaf to the talk of the animals and birds. The Great One, who was over the sky rock, punished man so the he could only understand the talk of his own kind. As the animals, birds and insects grew in population, until there was danger of some being pushed off. So, a council was called of all the animals to decide what was to be done about the situation. Up to this time, the earth had been floating around the sky rock, covered with a sea of water that extended from end to end.
The animals thought it would be of no use to them because there was no way they could live on a world that was covered with water.
Finally, the water beetle was sent down to see if he could find a single place on this sea of water where the animals could go live. When he finally succeeded in getting down on to the ocean of water, he swam around until he could see that there was no place for the animals to go so he dived down under the water and found mud, which he brought to the surface. The mud began to grow and grow until, after a long time it covered much of the world’s surface but it was still too wet for anyone to live on. When the water beetle returned to the sky rock (also known as Vault) and made his report, the animals were very sorry and afraid that some must now be pushed off the sky rock and perish. The grandfather buzzard, the father of all buzzards, said that he would go down to the world and see if he could find a place. He said the water beetle was very small and could not cover great distances as he could, so he would be able to cover a greater part of the world than the little water beetle. So down to the world he went and began to fly over its surface until he had spent a long time flying over muddy parts of the world and over the great ocean. Finally, he grew so weary of his constant searching that his giant wing dips began to dip down into the muddy surface of the world. This wing dipping made great holes in the mud and mighty mountains where his breast was. These great holes became valleys and the ridges became great mountains and that was how the Great Smokey Mountains came to be. They were the first mountains and they began to dry out so it was not to long of time until they were dry enough for the animals and birds and bees and all other things to come down from the rock.
Sacred Women Also Beloved Women- had the ability to pardon prisoners. Nancy Ward Great Beloved Women (cousin of Dragging Canoe) once pardoned an entire town that Dragging Canoe was putting to torch. Nancy had arrived first to alert them. There was nothing that Dragging Canoe could do or say to the Beloved Women.
By Tom Underwood
Most of the children’s training was done by women, at least until the boys became young men. The boys training was then delegated to the boy’s uncle, (the father was just a figure head) who taught the boy to track, to shoot the bow and arrow and defend himself against aggression. A young boy was aspired to becoming a recognized warrior had to be able to perform certain feats before he could win his feather. He also had to be able to prove himself in battle. Once a boy won his eagle feather, he wore it the rest of his life as a symbol that he was a warrior.
Sometimes, parents wished their children to become priests or medicine men. When they did, these children were turned over to older medicine men who did the entire upbringing of these chosen ones. Such children were not allowed to associate with other children in the ordinary manner. They must always be about the business of becoming medicine men. They must stay in the company of those who trained them, at all times. They must go through rigorous hours of training that would try every part of their mind and bodies. They must ever attend the long talks of the medicine men and always listen to tales of the distant past. They were taught the use of herbs and barks; also, the rituals of cleaning and the art of purification. They must retain about themselves always an air of reserve and mystery. Their secrets were guarded with a silence that no outsider dared try to penetrate. Their subsistence came in the form of payment for services rendered, but the power and honor of being a medicine man was the greatest tribute a man could be paid, for medicine men were medicine men of all times.
Probably the greatest single honor that could come to a woman would be to become a sacred one (Beloved Women) only by a great heroic deed did she become so. This deed had to be recognized as of major importance to the tribe and to its people. Once a woman was recognized as a sacred woman, she had many privileges. She sat in council as an equal to other councilors. She had the ear of important members of the tribe and she often had the say whether a prisoner or captive lived or died. It was probably just such a sacred woman whom DeSoto called a queen, and whom he captured for his guide, to lead him into the Cherokee Country. In fact, woman had about as much to say about the business of the tribe as men did. They were not considered slaves as they were in some of the more primitive tribes. They participated in almost all social events of the tribe and quite often were the main attraction in various types of ceremonies. The provision of food was in their hands, except the killing of game. They trained the children, made the crops and clothes, did the cooking and help build the houses. It was probably this acceptance of the importance of the women’s position that helped make the Cherokee people a great deal farther advanced than that of their neighbors.
The passage of time revolved around the new fire festival, in which the old year ended and the new began. At this time, the fireplaces in all houses were cleaned of ashes and the fires put out completely. After a great and elaborate ceremony, in which the seven clans had a hand, the sacred fire in the council house was lighted to signify the beginning of the new year. The fires in the village were then relighted from this sacred fire so that they might have the benefits of it magical properties.
As a part of the new fire ceremony, the village participated in an Indian ball game, which was called in their language, the little war. The game probably got this name from the fact that it was as rough as any game could be without going to war. In the game, the players could do almost anything to get the ball away from the opposing player. The object of the game was to take a walnut-sized ball from the center of a large field between to goal posts that were placed at equal distance from the center ground. The game was played always by and equal number of players on each side. Those playing could number from ten to sixty to a side and each player was matched against an individual from the opposing team.
The game was started when an old man tossed the ball up at the center ground for the two team leaders to try to knock the ball toward their own goal post. The ball sticks used by the teams were about two feet long and cupped at one end so that the ball could be picked up from the ground without touching it with the hands. Once the ball was tossed up and struck by one of the captains of the teams, the mad scramble for it was on. Pushing and shoving, tripping and knocking each other, all the players attempted to pick the ball up off the ground. Once the ball was picked up, the player getting the ball usually placed it in his mouth so that he might have both hands to defend himself.
Broken arms and legs, kicked in teeth and cracked heads were not uncommon because anything went. The only thing not allowed was to pick the ball off the ground with your hands.
The first team to get twenty points was the winner and collector of all the bets were made before the game started.
The planting of corn, the first roasting ear time and the full ripe time of the corn ear were all celebrated by elaborate ceremonies that sometimes stretched over many days. The preparation for the ceremonies were as elaborate and mystical as the actual ceremony itself.
According to the Cherokee myth keepers, at one time all things living were in the sky, on the sky rock and this was before the world was made. And at one time all living things spoke the same language, so they understood each other and could understand all things that were done, but man misused this privilege and was stricken deaf to the talk of the animals and birds. The Great One, who was over the sky rock, punished man so the he could only understand the talk of his own kind. As the animals, birds and insects grew in population, until there was danger of some being pushed off. So, a council was called of all the animals to decide what was to be done about the situation. Up to this time, the earth had been floating around the sky rock, covered with a sea of water that extended from end to end.
The animals thought it would be of no use to them because there was no way they could live on a world that was covered with water.
Finally, the water beetle was sent down to see if he could find a single place on this sea of water where the animals could go live. When he finally succeeded in getting down on to the ocean of water, he swam around until he could see that there was no place for the animals to go so he dived down under the water and found mud, which he brought to the surface. The mud began to grow and grow until, after a long time it covered much of the world’s surface but it was still too wet for anyone to live on. When the water beetle returned to the sky rock (also known as Vault) and made his report, the animals were very sorry and afraid that some must now be pushed off the sky rock and perish. The grandfather buzzard, the father of all buzzards, said that he would go down to the world and see if he could find a place. He said the water beetle was very small and could not cover great distances as he could, so he would be able to cover a greater part of the world than the little water beetle. So down to the world he went and began to fly over its surface until he had spent a long time flying over muddy parts of the world and over the great ocean. Finally, he grew so weary of his constant searching that his giant wing dips began to dip down into the muddy surface of the world. This wing dipping made great holes in the mud and mighty mountains where his breast was. These great holes became valleys and the ridges became great mountains and that was how the Great Smokey Mountains came to be. They were the first mountains and they began to dry out so it was not to long of time until they were dry enough for the animals and birds and bees and all other things to come down from the rock.
Sacred Women Also Beloved Women- had the ability to pardon prisoners. Nancy Ward Great Beloved Women (cousin of Dragging Canoe) once pardoned an entire town that Dragging Canoe was putting to torch. Nancy had arrived first to alert them. There was nothing that Dragging Canoe could do or say to the Beloved Women.
By Tom Underwood
