Kawoni [April]: The Flower Moon

Kawoni is the “Flower Moon” for the Cherokee. This is when plants first come out and flowers bloom. This is a time for new births and renewal. This is when plants can be gathered to replenish our medicines and herbs. The “Long Man”, the streams and rivers, swell and bring renewal and cleansing. This is a time we go to water and pay tribute to the Great Apportioner.

The Origin of Disease and Medicine

In the old days the beasts, birds, fishes, insects, and plants could all talk, and they and the people lived together in peace and friendship. But as time went on the people increased so rapidly that their settlements spread over the whole earth, and the poor animals found themselves beginning to be cramped for room. This was bad enough, but to make it worse Man invented bows, knives, blowguns, spears, and hooks, and began to slaughter the larger animals, birds, and fishes for their flesh or their skins, while the smaller creatures, such as the frogs and worms, were crushed and trodden upon without thought, out of pure carelessness or contempt. So the animals resolved to consult upon measures for their common safety. [This is a preview of Cherokee Fables: Origin of Disease and Medicine. Read the full post (1332 words, 15 images, estimated 5:20 mins reading time)]

How do we save the dying Cherokee Language?

WHITTIER, N.C.—In a cozy house in a bucolic valley, a handful of students gather weekly to learn how to speak the language of their Cherokee ancestors. Without renewed efforts, the Cherokee language may die. Efforts in North Carolina and Oklahoma show promise [click here for the full article].

“Again … I recall the great vision you sent me. It may be that some little root of the sacred tree still lives.” — Black Elk 1912

In ages past, our old ones were the story-tellers. This was the way things were passed along to the generations that followed. For this reason the aged people made it a point to remember every detail so they could relate it at a later time. They were the word and picture carriers making history and spiritual values alive and important. In recent times we have made our old one think they are not so important. We spoof their stories and make them feel foolish. The truth is that we are ignorant of what is precious and how to a da li he li tse di–appreciate age. Rigidity can creep in and set even the young mind if there are no soft memories, no laughter, no times too deep for tears. Age is grace–a time too valuable to waste.

We can get over being poor, but it takes longer to get over being ignorant. –Jane Sequichie Hifler

[From “A Cherokee Feast of Days” by Joyce Sequichie Hifler]

It is widely held today that the indigenous people of the Americas migrated here starting around 40,000 years ago. Most are believed to have arrived by crossing over from Russia to Alaska. At one point, this region was covered in ice enabling the migrations across a land bridge. Later the migrations were by boats. Recent fossils in New Mexico suggest that some migrations also arrived here from Europe by crossing via Iceland and Greenland. A small group may have even crossed over from Easter Island and the Polynesian islands.

This is a preview of The Arctic Cultures: Lament for the Dorsets. Read the full post (684 words, 12 images, estimated 2:44 mins reading time)

On April 30, 1540, Hernando de Soto first crossed into ancient Cherokee territory. I wrote a series of articles on this tragic first contact:

Hernando de Soto, grew up poor in the impoverished Extremadura region of southwestern Spain and dreamed of travelling to the New World to make a fortune. Around the age of 14, de Soto managed to join an expedition to the West Indies led by Pedro Arias Dávila where he earned a fortune from Dávila’s conquest of Panama and Nicaragua. Sixteen years later, he was the leading slave trader and one of the richest men in Nicaragua. But he was not satisfied.

This is a preview of First Contact: The Soto Expedition, Part 1: Hernando de Soto. Read the full post (732 words, 12 images, estimated 2:56 mins reading time)

Have you ever wondered what the sky down under looks like? Do they see any of the same constellations we see at night? Well, actually, they see most of the same constellations we do, but sort of upside down.

This is a preview of Native American Skies: The View from Down Under. Read the full post (587 words, 16 images, estimated 2:21 mins reading time)

#NativeAmericanAntiquity #FlowerMoon #Cherokee