Cherokee Fables: How the World was Made

The earth is a great island floating in a sea of water, and suspended at each of the four cardinal points by a cord hanging down from the sky vault, which is of solid rock. When the world grows old and worn out, the people will die and the cords will break and let the earth sink down into the ocean, and all will be water again. The Indians are afraid of this.

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Snake that moves like an Inchworm

There was once a great serpent called the Ustû’tlï that made its haunt upon Cohutta mountain. It was called the Ustû’tlï or “foot” snake, because it did not glide like other snakes, but had feet at each end of its body, and moved by strides or jerks, like a great measuring worm. These feet were three-cornered and flat and could hold on to the ground like suckers. It had no legs, but would raise itself up on its hind feet, with its snaky head waving high in the air until it found a good place to take a fresh hold; then it would bend down and grip its front feet to the ground while it drew its body up from behind. It could cross rivers and deep ravines by throwing its head across and getting a grip with its front feet and then swinging its body over. Wherever its footprints were found there was danger. It used to bleat like a young fawn, and when the hunter heard a fawn bleat in the woods he never looked for it, but hurried away in the other direction. Up the mountain or down, nothing could escape the Ustû’tlï’s pursuit, but along the side of the ridge it could not go, because the great weight of its swinging head broke its hold on the ground when it moved sideways.

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Ancient Native American Trade: Cotton

Courtney and Tippie
on cotton farm

One of my earliest memories was walking bare foot on the cool, muddy rows between tall stalks of cotton on our cotton farm in the Panhandle of Texas.  I was around two-and-one-half years old and the cotton towered over my head as I toddled along accompanied by my faithful Colley dog, Tippie.  Cotton was the primary crop grown in Hall County when I was growing up and I spent a major part of my time working in the fields with my family to cultivate and harvest the precious fibers.

 

I did not think about the origins or history of cotton back then, but later was surprised to find cotton and cotton fabrics turning up in ancient archaeological sites throughout the Americas. 

 

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Killing Lean Bear, Part 3

Lindneaux painting of Sand Creek Massacre

It was probably a peaceful, happy morning for the families of Black Kettle’s warriors who were off on a buffalo hunt.  Black Kettle probably slept peacefully that night convinced that he had secured peace and the protection of the government for his people since he had checked in at Fort Lyon and moved his tribe to Sand Creek as instructed.  But, the elders, women, children and a few young men that were left at camp were unprepared for that tragic morning November 29, 1864.  

Here is Little Bear’s account, “I looked towards Fort Lyon Trail south of the

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Killing Lean Bear, Part 2

Lean Bear and the other Cheyenne chiefs came away from their meeting with President Lincoln in 1862 feeling good about the outcome. They even took a detour to visit New York at the request of P. T. Barnham and visited his museum.

But in less than two years, in the spring of 1864, despite promises from Lincoln to keep the peace, things took a tragic turn. Lean Bear with his wife and tribe were camped near Ash Creek in Kansas on a buffalo hunt when troops from the Colorado Militia approached them. Unarmed, Chief Lean Bear grabbed his medal and letter from Lincoln proclaiming him a friend and peacekeeper and went out to meet the troops. Unbeknownst to him, Lieutenant George Eayre, who was in command, was acting under orders from Colonel John M. Chivington to kill all Indians on sight.

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Killing Lean Bear, Part 1

It was while reading one of my favorite authors, Margaret Coel’s book “Killing Custer” that I was reminded of the killing of Chief Lean Bear.

 

I have often thought about what the Native American could have done differently that might have enabled them to avoid the brutal and inhumane treatment they suffered in the 1800’s. But, my research has found that they did try everything and there was nothing that would have worked. For me, that futility is epitomized in the story of Chief Lean Bear.

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Native American Fables: The Origin of Strawberries

When James Mooney, who worked for the Bureau of American Ethnology in the late 1800’s, lived with the Cherokee, he recorded many of their myths and legends. I love the story of the origin of strawberries because it presents the Cherokee version of Adam and Eve and gives us insight into the Cherokee’s thoughts on the power of love.

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