Cherokee Culture - Then and Now

The Spirits dance in the hearts of the children
Patting their seeds into fertile grounds.
Knowing within these moments,
Within the slivers of moon beams, within the eyes of hawks,
In this surrender of unison, these little ones become
The next Grandfathers and Grandmothers,
As the turtle rattles shake and the earth begins to dream.
Marijo Moore - Cherokee

In the traditional Cherokee world view; spirits, omens, rituals, and ceremonies directly affected what happens in many lives every day. Even though the beings are different from people and animals, they are not considered “supernatural.” They were, and still are, very much a part of the natural, or real, world and many Cherokee people at some point in their lives, have had an experience with spiritual beings.

For instance, Kanati, the Great Hunter and Keeper of all the animals would always be consulted prior the hunt and thanked for “giving of the animals” if the hunt was successful. If the hunt was unsuccessful, then earlier prayers must not have been done properly. Warriors, as would the “stick-ball” players, performed the “Going to water” ceremony for protection and strength in battle. The stick-ball game was known as “War’s Little Brother” due to the fierce competition. Often men and boys were killed in the game.

Tsunwiyusdi - “Little People” - were and still are considered real and believed protected the children from earliest childhood. To the average Cherokee with some degree of traditional upbringing, the existence of Tsunwiyusdi is an indisputable fact, and if he has hasn’st seen them, his is almost certain to be acquainted with someone who has enjoyed the privilege. Tsunwiyusdi, you see, are invisible unless they want to be seen. When seen, they look much like any other Cherokee, except they are very small and have long hair, sometimes touching the ground. They live in various places, such as rock shelters, caves in the mountains, laurel thickets, etc. They like drumming and dancing and can sometimes be heard in the forest if you’sre quiet enough. In their book Friends of Thunder Jack and Anna Kilpatrick, noted Cherokee authors and researchers, write of this story. Siquanid, about 50 years old in 1961 the time of the interview, told them this story. He was married, a Baptist minister and spoke fair English.

A Cherokee by the name of Siquanid told us this short story that was told to him by Uwedasat - “One who walks alone.” Uwedasat said that in the valley near his home there was a deep hole and that is where these People with magic powers lived. “I sometimes go there,” he used to say. “We used to get together. They have a beautiful place [to live]. They used to have dance with music. Sometimes I used to pass there at night, and they were dancing and I could hear beautiful music. Sometimes I would just pass by and at other times I would join them,” the old man used to say. Some say Uwedasat had magical powers and that he could predict the future.

Tsunwiusdi can also be mischievous at times and need to be dealt with very carefully. In fact there are rules regarding them. They especially don’st like to be disturbed and have been known to comfort saddened children going through the tough times of growing up. It is also a common practice to not speak about Tsunwiyusdi after night fall. If you doubt me, just ask my wife.

Another important group of spirits that played an large role in Cherokee life were the Nunnehi who would guard and protect the men on hunting trips and the warriors in battle. The Nunnehi were known as the “Spirit Warriors” who would often appear and aid the Cherokee if the battle wasn’t going well. This is related in the story about the “The Spirit Defenders of Nikwasi”, an old town situated near the head of the Little Tennessee River. It tells how when the village was attacked by a powerful unknown tribe from the southeast. The village was saved when as the men of Nikwasi were being defeated, a stranger appeared among them and shouted for them to fall back and that they would drive back the enemy. As the men fell back along the trail, they noticed a great company of warriors coming out from the side of a mound as through an open doorway. As the men rushed into battle they disappeared. The enemy could see the raised hatchet but could see no hands holding it. They could see the approaching arrows, but could not see who sent them. Even though the enemy tried to hide behind rocks and trees, the arrows encircled and hit them from the opposite side. There was no place to hide and they finally sat down and cried for mercy. Ever since then the Cherokee have called this place Deyulsunyi - “where they cried.” The Nunnehi then told them they should be ashamed for attacking a peaceful tribe and to go home and take the news to their people. This was the Cherokee custom, to always spare a few to take back the news of defeat.

To the Cherokee, Unetlanvhi - the Great Provider was a benevolent gift and law giver. The gifts being the world they found themselves living in and the laws were the lessons taught by the stories and learned through visions and dreams. Major calamities such as illness, defeat in war, or problems in the community were believed caused by the failure of the people to uphold the ceremonial rituals, the laws or moral code of the village, not by the will of the Unetlanvhi. A Cherokee didn’st worry on atonement or forgiveness. Rather, it was necessary to restore order in the village by performing the proper rituals intended to cleanse away the bad spirits. Examples of this is clearly illustrated in the Journal of Cherokee Studies, Volume XV, 1990 - Institutional & Cultural Order in Early Cherokee Society: A Social Interpretation.

The Cherokee also believe in witches and witchcraft as do many religions including Christianity. Without Satan as the “evil” in the world, there would be no need for religion. Among the Cherokee, there were ordinary witches and “Killer” witches. Ordinary witches are considered more dangerous since a person can never be sure he is dealing with one and they are more difficult to counteract. The witches may deceive didanvwisgi (medicine man), and cause him to prescribe the wrong cure if not guarded. One killer witch who is still spoken of is the Raven Mocker. The story of Raven Mocker can be found in James Mooney’s Myths of the Cherokee, pp.401-403.