July 4th, 1054!

On July 4, 1054, in ancient China, a Chinese astronomer noticed an amazing thing!  A Star bright enough to be seen in broad daylight!  He recorded the event calling the mysterious star a “Guest Star”.  He noted that it was four times brighter than Venus.  After about 23 days, the star moved to the night sky and was noted by astronomers in Arabia, Japan, and even here in America.

The native American astronomer, an Anasazi living in Chaco Canyon, noted his discovery by painting the star and its position related to the crescent moon on the underside of a cliff shelf.  He even signed his drawing with his hand print.  The petroglyph can still be seen below West Mesa in Chaco Canyon, just outside the great house called Peñasco Blanco.

Out of curiousity, I ran my astronomy program “Starry Night” and set the date back to 1054.  I let the program sequence through the night sky starting July 4th.  What I found was that the star (we know it today as M1, the Crab Nebula) was indeed in the day sky at first.  Later it progressed to the night sky.  Below is a screen print from my Starry Night program showing the Crab Nebula approaching the moon.  Compare its position to the moon compared to the petroglyph!

Over time, the star dimmed until it was just a faint fuzzy spot in the constellation Tauras.
The object was rediscovered in 1731 by John Bevis who added it to his sky atlas, Uranographia Britannica.  In 1758, the astronomer, Charles Messier, independantly discovered it again.  Only, Messier was very disappointed with his discovery.  Messier was looking for the comet Haley that was predicted to return.  When he spotted the fuzzy object in the vicinity of where he expected to find the comet, he assumed he had found a comet!  When the fuzzy object did not move after observing for several days, he knew that it was not a comet but a nebula.  Frustrated, he declared that there should be a “catalog” of known objects so that astronomers would not have to continue to “rediscover” them.  The fuzzy nebula became “M1” in Messier’s now famous catalog.   Messier later learned of Bevis’ discovery and gave him credit in a letter.  Ironically, M1 was again confused with Haley’s second predicted return.
So what was the bright star of 1054?  It was the first recorded “Super Nova”!   “Super Nova” is the term given to the event of a star exploding!   When it first exploded, it was extremely bright.  But as the debris separated, it became dimmer and dimmer.   J.C. Duncan of Mt. Wilson Observatory compared photographic plates taken 11.5 years apart, and found that the Crab Nebula was expanding at an average of about 0.2" per year.   Backtracing of this motion showed that this expansion must have begun about 900 years ago.   Simultaneously,  Knut Lundmark, with the Astronomical Society, noted the proximity of the nebula to the 1054 supernova.

If the picture doesn’t remind you of a crab, you’re not the only one.   It was christened the “Crab Nebula” based on drawings made by Lord Rosse in 1844.  Want to see it for yourself?  You will need a good pair of binoculars (10X50 or better).  The nebula is located in the horn of the constellation of Tauras.  Go to http://www.telescopes.com/findcrabnebula_lp.cfm for steps to help you find it.

Clans of the Cherokee Part 3: The Anigilohi

 Ah-ni-gi-lo(la)-hi or Long Hair Clan represented the human people (breath), the second level of development.

This clan was also known as the Twister Clan, Hanging Down Clan or Wind Clan, (Stranger Clan).  The Cherokee used to have a form of government in which during peace times, the Peace Chief ruled, and there was a War Chief for times of war.  The Long Hair clan were the peacemakers and the Peace Chief usually came from this clan.  Prisoners of war, orphans of other tribes, and others with no Cherokee tribe were often adopted into the clan, thus the name “Strangers”. 

Gilahi is short for an ancient Titlvgvnahita, the warrior womens society, meaning something that grows from the back of the neck.  Those belonging to this Clan wore their hair in elaborate hairdos, walked in a proud and vain manner twisting their shoulders proudly.  The Clan color for the AniGilohi is white and the wood is beech.  .  Peach Chief’s wore a white feather robe. 

As with all clans, The Ani Gilohi were matrilineal, meaning the children belong to the mother's clan, and hereditary leadership and property were passed through the maternal line.  The children learned the ways of the clan from the uncles, not the father.  It was forbidden to marry within one's clan or to someone in the clan of one's father. Such marriage was considered incest and punishable by death at the hands of the offender's own clan and by no other. The clan was also responsible for justice when one of its members was responsible for the death of another even if the death was impulsive or accidental. The one to pay the penalty did not have to be the person responsible; it could be any member of his or her clan. Indeed, if the intentional or unintentional killer escaped or found sanctuary in one of the towns so designated, such as Chota, Kituwa, or Tugaloo, the fugitive's clan was expected to deliver up another of its members. The purpose of this was not retaliation but to restore balance.

Cherokee born outside of a clan or outsiders who were taken into the tribe in ancient times had to be adopted into a clan by a clan mother. If the person was a woman who had borne a Cherokee child and was married to a Cherokee man, she could be taken into a new clan. Her husband was required to leave his clan and live with her in her new clan. Men who were not Cherokee and married into a Cherokee household had to be adopted into a clan by a clan mother; he could not take his wife’s clan.

In The Cherokee Editor on February 18, 1829, Elias Boudinot wrote the following regarding Cherokee Clan marriage customs:^[4]

"This simple division of the Cherokees formed the grand work by which marriages were regulated, and murder punished. A Cherokee could marry into any of the clans except two, that to which his father belongs, for all of that clan are his fathers and aunts and that to which his mother belongs, for all of that clan are his brothers and sisters, a child invariably inheriting the clan of his mother."

 

Continue to Part 4

 

-- Courtney Miller

Clans of the Cherokee, part 2: Wild Potato Clan

The ancient Cherokee believed there are seven levels of spiritual attainment or achievement and each clan represented one of those levels.  Ah-ni-ga-to-ge-wi (ah knee gah too gee wee), or Wild Potato Clan, represented the material plane of earth or physical matter (earth).  Membership in a particular clan did not mean that the members of the clan were in some way blocked or held at a particular level of spiritual development or attainment. The clans and their members were simply meant to represent a balance of the spiritual forces that made up the world of the Ah-ni-yv-wi-ya, “the Real People”, the Cherokee.  All members of the society could participate in the ceremonies and were all viewed as equals.

 As stated in Part I, the Cherokee society is historically a matrilineal society; meaning you are born into the clan of your mother.  Traditionally, the women were the head of the household and the home and children belonged to her and stayed with her should she separate from her husband. It was forbidden to marry within your clan since clan members were considered brothers and sisters.

Traditionally, members of this clan were known to be 'keepers of the land,' and gatherers – the farmers.   The wild potato was a main staple of the ancient Cherokee and this clan harvested the wild potato plants in swamps and along streams.  This explains the “gatogewi” name which means “swamp”.  They were also sometimes called Bear Clan (Since they reputedly provided food and shelter for the Bear), Raccoon Clan and Blind Savannah or Blind Swamp People depending upon the region.

They made flour or bread and were responsible for gathering, caring for, and preserving food in the village.   Their flag is yellow with green stars today and their color is green and wood is birch.

Famous Cherokee members of the Wild Potato Clan include: Bad Water, Clogoittah, Eagle, Golanv, Great Eagle, Grey Eagle, Kitegista, Kituah, Mankiller, Oconostota, Oukah, Ounaconoa, Raven of Hiawassee, Ridge, Skalilosgenv, Susie, Tuckahoe, Wickett, Wilenawa.

The following  is quoted from Papa JimBear, a designated representative to The Chief's Council of The Free Cherokee, one of five elders that were selected by the Clan to represent it's collective wishes before all the people (learn more at: http://www.freecherokee.org/potato/index.html) :

“We chose the Sweet Potato as our Clan symbol because it reminds us that our humanity/humility is more important than ego. The sweet potato is rather course and rough looking on the outside, but is nutritious and sweet on the inside. Let us be judged for what is on the inside (in our hearts) and not by what one perceives on the outside. At the center of our Clan shield, I painted a wild potato blossom. It is born out of sweet potato tubers.......this is to symbolize the honor we have for all parts of our mixed heritages, because indeed they are all connected. As Cherokee lore suggests, the wild potato provided sustenance for The People when hunting was not good and crops failed; and the sweet potato, also a morning glory family relative, is a staple in our modern world.

“We feel it is our responsibility to nurture and provide healing to both family and The Mother. Most of us practice some method of healing, whether physical or spiritual and we wish to offer this as part of our service to the community as a whole. As with the traditional Wild Potato Clan, we have strong bear medicine within our group, and are guided by our four legged relation.”

Continue to Part 3

-- Courtney Miller

The Clans of the Cherokee Part 1

The most important and fundamental structure of the Cherokee society of antiquity was the clan.  The clan was “family” for the Cherokee and those of the same clan were not allowed to marry.  The Cherokee were a matrilineal society, therefore clanship came from the mother.  Your clan defined who you were and what you would become and how you behaved.

In this series, I will take each of the clans and discuss how the clan influenced the individual, the family, the village, and the Cherokee nation.

The following general definition was taken from the Official site of the Cherokee Nation (http://www.cherokee.org/AboutTheNation/Culture/General/24411/Information.aspx )

There are seven clans in Cherokee Society: a ni gi lo hi (Long Hair), a ni sa ho ni (Blue), a ni wa ya (Wolf), a ni go te ge wi (Wild Potato), a ni a wi (Deer), a ni tsi s qua (Bird), and a ni wo di (Paint).

The knowledge of a person's clan is important for many reasons; historically, and still today among Cherokee traditionalists, it is forbidden to marry within your clan. Clan members are considered brother and sisters. In addition, when seeking spiritual guidance and Indian doctoring, it is necessary to name your clan. Seating at ceremonial stomp dances is by clan, as well.

a ni gi lo hi

The Long Hair Clan, whose subdivisions are Twister, Wind and Strangers, are known to be a very peaceful clan. In the times of the Peace Chief and War Chief government, the Peace Chief would come from this clan. Prisoners of war, orphans of other tribes, and others with no Cherokee tribe were often adopted into this clan, thus the name 'Strangers.' At some Cherokee ceremonial grounds, the Long Hair arbor is on the East side, and also houses the Chiefs and other leaders of the ground.

a ni sa ho ni

The Blue Clan's subdivisions are Panther, or Wildcat and Bear (which is considered the oldest clan). Historically, this clan produced many people who were able to make special medicines for the children. At some Cherokee ceremonial grounds, the Blue arbor is to the left of the Long Hair arbor.

a ni wa ya

The Wolf has been known throughout time to be the largest clan. During the time of the Peace Chief and War Chief government setting, the War Chief would come from this clan. Wolves are known as protectors. At some Cherokee ceremonial grounds, the Wolf arbor is to the left of the Blue arbor.

a ni go te ge wi

The Wild Potato Clan's subdivision is Blind Savannah . Historically, members of this clan were known to be 'keepers of the land,' and gatherers The wild potato was a main staple of the older Cherokee life back east (Tsa-la-gi U-we-ti). At some Cherokee ceremonial grounds, the Wild Potato arbor is to the left of the Wolf arbor.

a ni a wi

Members of the Deer Clan were historically known as fast runners and hunters. Even though they hunted game for subsistence, they respected and cared for the animals while they were living amongst them. They were also known as messengers on an earthly level, delivering messenges from village to village, or person to person. At some Cherokee ceremonial grounds, the Deer arbor is to the left of the Wild Potato arbor.

a ni tsi s qua

Members of the Bird Clan were historically known as messengers. The belief that birds are messengers between earth and heaven, or the People and Creator, gave the members of this clan the responsibility of caring for the birds. The subdivisions are Raven, Turtle Dove and Eagle. Our earned Eagle feathers were originally presented by the members of this clan, as they were the only ones able to collect them. At some Cherokee ceremonial grounds, the Bird arbor is to the left of the Deer arbor.

a ni wo di

Members of the Paint Clan were historically known as a prominent medicine people. Medicine is often 'painted' on a patient after harvesting, mixing and performing other aspects of the ceremony. At some Cherokee ceremonial grounds, the Paint arbor is to the left of the Bird arbor.

Information provided by the Cherokee Nation Cultural Resource Center.

Continue to Part 2

-- Courtney Miller
 

How The Earth Was Made

from Myths of the Cherokee and Sacred Formulas of the Cherokees by James Mooney

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.

When all was water, the animals were above in Gälûñ'lätï, beyond the arch; but it was very much crowded, and they were wanting more room. They wondered what was below the water, and at last Dâyuni'sï, "Beaver's Grandchild," the little Water-beetle, offered to go and see if it could learn. It darted in every direction over the surface of the water, but could find no firm place to rest. Then it dived to the bottom and came up with some soft mud, which began to grow and spread on every side until it became the island which we call the earth. It was afterward fastened to the sky with four cords, but no one remembers who did this.

At first the earth was flat and very soft and wet. The animals were anxious to get down, and sent out different birds to see if it was yet dry, but they found no place to alight and came back again to Gälûñ'lätï. At last it seemed to be time, and they sent out the Buzzard and told him to go and make ready for them. This was the Great Buzzard, the father of all the buzzards we see now. He flew all over the earth, low down near the ground, and it was still soft. When he reached the Cherokee country, he was very tired, and his wings began to flap and strike the ground, and wherever they struck the earth there was a valley, and where they turned up again there was a mountain. When the animals above saw this, they were afraid that the whole world would be mountains, so they called him back, but the Cherokee country remains full of mountains to this day.

When the earth was dry and the animals came down, it was still dark, so they got the sun and set it in a track to go every day across the island from east to west, just overhead. It was too hot this way, and Tsiska'gïlï', the Red Crawfish, had his shell scorched a bright red, so that his meat was spoiled; and the Cherokee do not eat it. The conjurers put the sun another hand-breadth higher in the air, but it was still too hot. They raised it another time, and another, until it was seven handbreadths high and just under the sky arch. Then it was right, and they left it so. This is why the conjurers call the highest place Gûlkwâ'gine Di'gälûñ'lätiyûñ', "the seventh height," because it is seven hand-breadths above the earth. Every day the sun goes along under this arch, and returns at night on the upper side to the starting place.

There is another world under this, and it is like ours in everything--animals, plants, and people--save that the seasons are different. The streams that come down from the mountains are the trails by which we reach this underworld, and the springs at their heads are the doorways by which we enter, it, but to do this one must fast and, go to water and have one of the underground people for a guide. We know that the seasons in the underworld are different from ours, because the water in the springs is always warmer in winter and cooler in summer than the outer air.

When the animals and plants were first made--we do not know by whom--they were told to watch and keep awake for seven nights, just as young men now fast and keep awake when they pray to their medicine. They tried to do this, and nearly all were awake through the first night, but the next night several dropped off to sleep, and the third night others were asleep, and then others, until, on the seventh night, of all the animals only the owl, the panther, and one or two more were still awake. To these were given the power to see and to go about in the dark, and to make prey of the birds and animals which must sleep at night. Of the trees only the cedar, the pine, the spruce, the holly, and the laurel were awake to the end, and to them it was given to be always green and to be greatest for medicine, but to the others it was said: "Because you have not endured to the end you shall lose your, hair every winter."

Men came after the animals and plants. At first there were only a brother and sister until he struck her with a fish and told her to multiply, and so it was. In seven days a child was born to her, and thereafter every seven days another, and they increased very fast until there was danger that the world could not keep them. Then it was made that a woman should have only one child in a year, and it has been so ever since.

A Memorial Day Tribute to the Cherokee

Memorial Day means different things to different people.  For some it is a time to remember loved ones who have passed away or veterans who lost their lives defending our freedoms.  It was first enacted to honor those who served in the Civil War and later expanded to veterans of all wars.

For the Cherokee, the highest honor for their brave warriors was to be buried beneath their Council House in a large mound or in the floors of their houses.  They wished to have them close for spiritual reasons plus, in many cases, it was dangerous to venture far from the protection of the villages and desecration by enemies was a real concern.

Bodies were usually placed in their pits with their heads facing to the west.  Adults were often buried with shells, shell bowls, turtle-shell rattles and perforated animal bones. Shell gorgets, shell beads and Marginella shells were often found with babies.

Seven days of mourning were observed and during this time, everyone was to be pleasant and avoid feasting or over-eating.  Death contaminated the house so all food and furniture was disposed of.  The surivivors were unclean so a priest was invited to cleanse the survivors and their house.  The belongings of the deceased  were either buried with him or burned.  The priest would also cleanse the hearth and start a new fire with embers from the sacred fire that always burned beneath the Council House and smoke his special tobacco to purify the house.

Once the house was cleansed, the priest took the family “to water” where he prayed for them while they immersed themselves in the river for each of the seven directions - east, west, north, south, up, down, and center.  They then put on new clothes.  Afterwards, they were given special tobacco to “enlighten their eyes” and sanctified necklaces to “comfort their hearts”.  That night the family gathered in the Council House to receive well-wishers followed by a dance.

After the fifth day, the priest would kill a bird and cut a slice of meat from its right side.  It was tossed into the fire and if juices popped toward the family, it was a bad omen that sons of the family might die soon.  If it did not pop, it was a good omen. 

On the seventh day, the family prepared a meal for the village at the Council House.

Widows remained unbathed and let their hair go until her friends believed she had mourned enough.  Then they would go to her, bringing her new clothes, bathe her and fix her hair.

Whatever ritual we observe to honor our loved ones when they pass, Memorial Day gives us an opportunity to remember them.

How the Cherokee Explained the Annular Solar Eclipse

Observing the sky was critical to the Cherokee to determine when the plant, when to celebrate sacred rituals, it was their calender.  Here is an account given to James Mooney in the early 1800's describing the Sun and Moon and even the solar eclipse!

"The Sun was a young woman and lived in the East, while her brother, the Moon, lived in the West. The girl had a lover who used to come every month in the dark of the moon to court her. He would come at night, and leave before daylight, and although she talked with him she could not see his face in the dark, and he would not tell her his name, until she was wondering all the time who it could be. At last she hit upon a plan to find out, so the next time he came, as they were sitting together in the dark of the âsi, she slyly dipped her hand into the cinders and ashes of the fireplace and rubbed it over his face, saying, "Your face is cold; you must have suffered from the wind," and pretending to be very sorry for him, but he did not know that she had ashes on her hand. After a while he left her and went away again.

The next night when the Moon came up in the sky his face was covered with spots, and then his sister knew he was the one who had been coming to see her. He was so much ashamed to have her know it that he kept as far away as he could at the other end of the sky all the night. Ever since he tries to keep a long way behind the Sun, and when he does sometimes have to come near her in the west he makes himself as thin as a ribbon so that he can hardly be seen.

Some old people say that the moon is a ball which was thrown up against the sky in a game a long time ago. They say that two towns were playing against each other, but one of them had the best runners and had almost won the game, when the leader of the other side picked up the ball with his hand--a thing that is not allowed in the game--and tried to throw it to the goal, but it struck against the solid sky vault and was fastened there, to remind players never to cheat. When the moon looks small and pale it is because some one has handled the ball unfairly, and for this reason they formerly played only at the time of a full moon.

When the sun or moon is eclipsed it is because a great frog up in the sky is trying to swallow it. Everybody knows this, even the Creeks and the other tribes, and in the olden times, eighty or a hundred years ago, before the great medicine men were all dead, whenever they saw the sun grow dark the people would come together and fire guns and beat the drum, and in a little while this would frighten off the great frog and the sun would be all right again.

The common people call both Sun and Moon Nûñdä, one being "Nûñdä that dwells in the day" and the other "Nûñdä that dwells in the night," but the priests call the Sun Su'tälidihï', "Six-killer," and the Moon Ge'`yägu'ga, though nobody knows now what this word means, or why they use these names. Sometimes people ask the Moon not to let it rain or snow.

The great Thunder and his sons, the two Thunder boys, live far in the west above the sky vault. The lightning and the rainbow are their beautiful dress. The priests pray to the Thunder and call him the Red Man, because that is the brightest color of his dress. There are other Thunders that live lower down, in the cliffs and mountains, and under waterfalls, and travel on invisible bridges from one high peak to another where they have their town houses. The great Thunders above the sky are kind and helpful when we pray to them, but these others are always plotting mischief. One must not point at the rainbow, or one's finger will swell at the lower joint."