Mary Katherine Barnes
Brandi R. Carr
Ashley FoxRevitalizing, Restoring, and Preserving Cherokee: The Cyclical Timeline of Cherokee Myth, History, and Language
Main Introduction:
In mythic times the Cherokees had a primordial language that allowed them to talk to animals, creating a bond between people, nature, and land. White contact disrupted that bond, and many Cherokees lost their religious culture by converting to Christianity. This conversion provided a tension between Cherokees who believed that the only way to preserve Cherokee autonomy and also their land was by retaining their cultural identity, as well as the Cherokees who believed that assimilating to White culture would prove them civilized. Ultimately, in 1838, the Cherokees were forced off their land and removed to Oklahoma on the Trail of Tears. Before this happened, the Cherokee Phoenix, the newspaper for the Cherokees from 1828-1834, served as a forum for presenting the tensions of assimilation, community concerns, and also world news. The Cherokee Phoenix served as a high point in Cherokee Culture because it utilized both the English and the Cherokee languages, making the newspaper available to those Cherokees who did not speak English.
To preserve the Cherokee language is to preserve the culture and history of the Cherokee people. Recent contemporary struggles have risen in Tahlequah, Oklahoma and in the Snow Bird community of North Carolina to preserve and revitalize the Cherokee language through total immersion programs in respect to Head Start, an agency devoted to helping those who haven’t enough resources to teach properly. It is an exciting time in the mist of the Cherokee language because the preservation and continuum of Cherokee history and tradition lay within the hands of the young generation to keep the Cherokee language alive.
Analysis:
In respect to reading myths, the confusion found within the Cherokee Phoenix and the dedication to restoring the language, it is important to realize the connection between oral tradition, the history of the Cherokee Nation, and a need to preserve the Cherokee language. This connection stems from a long timeline of events with each generation carrying with it memories of relatives past. As they were a great tribe in the days when myths and legends ruled their destinies, history moved them trough times of confusion and despair as they lost their land and watched their friends and families strive to preserve their community. They have now traveled backwards in time in remembrance of the importance of tribal unity, as they unite to preserve their language and culture through advocating actual school curriculum in present day classrooms as a means of keeping their culture alive.
Discussion:
~Throughout the readings, it becomes increasingly more apparent how the Cherokee Native Americans view their role in establishing a connection between their ancestors and generation gaps through the telling of stories, recounting history, and struggle to keep their heritage and language alive. After reading the documents closely try to answer the following questions by drawing connections between each one as you read. Keep in mind how the first document recounts a myth told many years before the Cherokee Phoenix was written as well as noticing how the last document is a current issue for the Cherokee.
1) What is the connection between myth, land, community, and language in reference to the three documents you’ve just read?
2) How was the struggle to conserve the Cherokee culture exemplified by the connection between each document?
3) After reading the myth and about oral tradition as well as taking notice of how the Cherokee Phoenix was written in both English and Cherokee, what does that reveal about the importance of language? Community? Culture?
Cherokee Myth of the “Sacred Fire”
Cherokee Myth: The First Fire
In the beginning there was no fire, and the world was cold, until the Thunders (Ani-Hyuntikwalaski), who lived up in Galunlati, sent their 'lightening and put fire into the bottom of a hollow sycamore tree which grew on an island. The animals knew it was there, because they could see the smoke coming out at the top, but they could not get to it on account of the water, so they held a council to decide what to do. This was a long time ago.
Every animal that could fly or swim was anxious to go after the fire. The Raven offered, and because he was so large and strong they thought he could surely do the work, so he was sent first. He flew high and far across the water and alighted on the sycamore tree, but while he was wondering what to do next, the heat had scorched all his feathers black, and he was frightened and came back without the fire. The little Screed-owl (Wahuhu) volunteered to go, and reached the place safely, but while he was looking down into the hollow tree a blast of hot air came up and nearly burned out his eyes. He managed to fly home as best he could, but it was a long time before he could see well, and his eyes are red to this day. Then the Hooting Owl (Uguku) and the Horned Owl (Takili) went, but by the time they got to the hollow tree the fire was 'burning so fiercely that the smoke nearly blinded them, and the ashes carried up by the wind made white rings about their eyes. They had to come home again without the fire, but with all their rubbing they were never able to get rid of the white rings.
Now no more of the birds would venture, and so the little Uksuhi snake, the black racer, said he would go through the water and bring back some fire. He swam across to the island and crawled through the grass to the tree, and went in by a small hole at the bottom. The heat and smoke were too much for him, too, and after dodging about blindly over the hot ashes until he was almost on fire himself he managed by good luck to get out again at the same hole, but his body had been scorched black, and he has ever since had the habit of darting and doubling on his track as if trying to escape from close quarters. He came back, and the great blacksnake, Guiegi, "The Climber," offered to go for fire. He swam over to the island and climbed up the tree on the outside, as the blacksnake always does, but when he put his head down the hole the smoke choked him so that he fell into the burning stump, and before he could climb out again he was as black as the Uksuhi.
Now they held another council, for still there was no fire, and the world was cold, but birds, snakes, and four-footed animals, all had some excuse for not going, because they were all afraid to venture near the burning sycamore, until at last Kananeski Amaiyehi (the Water Spider) said she would go. This is not the water spider that looks like a mosquito, but the other one, with black downy hair and red stripes on her body. She can run on top of the water or dive to the bottom, so there would be no trouble to get over to the island, but the question was, How could she bring back the fire? "I'll manage that," said the Water Spider; so she spun a thread from her body and wove it into a tusti bowl, which she fastened on her back. Then she crossed over to the island and through the grass to where the fire was still burning. She put one little coal of fire into her bowl, and came back with it, and ever since we have had fire, and the Water Spider still keeps her tusti bowl.
Introduction:
The myth of the sacred fire is a detailed account that describes how the Cherokee Indians retained the first fire. James Mooney provides this myth in his book Myths of the Cherokee that gives an anthropological explanation of the Cherokee oral tradition.
Through the myth of the first sacred fire, it is clear that the Cherokee use their language to not only communicate with animals but also bind them to their land. Pre-Colonial Cherokee language obtains a magical existence that provides the Cherokee with sacred explanations for nature and their land.
Description:
The myth begins with a meeting of the Cherokee council to devise a plan to reach an island that will provide them with fire they desire. The Cherokee want the fire in order to warm their land and people. The raven volunteers for the task initially but “scorched all his feather back” (Mooney, 241). The screech owl volunteered next but a ‘blast of hot air nearly blinded him” (Mooney, 241). The hooting owl and the horned owl failed just as the others, leaving them scarred with white rings around their eyes. The black snake was willing to swim to retrieve the fire, but as he reached the burning stump he was consumed by the smoke. The smoke started the snakes “habit of darting and doubling on his track as if trying to escape form close quarters” (Mooney, 241). After all of the failures another council was held which found only one more volunteer, the water spider. She spun a tusti form the burning tree she was successful in bringing back the fire to the Cherokee’s. Because of the tusti’s success, the water spider never removed it from her back.
Analysis:
The fire is the central representation of nature in myth. Every metamorphosis that occurs among the animals can be directly attributed to the fire. It is interesting to read such a powerful myth that points out the rich existence of their oral tradition before colonialism. This oral tradition provides the Cherokee Indians with a detailed explanation that reveal the origins of not only nature, but also their sacred land. It is fascinating to watch the unique Cherokee language unfold throughout his myth to explain how significant the land and nature is to their sense of community. The language brings out the ability of the Cherokee to communicate with the animals, which ultimately links them to there land. Oral tradition helps to explain how the Cherokee Indians succeeded and flourished from the help of their land and nature.
Discussion:
1) One of the effects of colonialism was the removal of ninety percent of the Cherokee nation to Oklahoma. How do you think this has affected the Cherokees use of oral tradition in education?
2) The Sacred Fire discussed above was brought with this tribe on one of the most devastating times for the Cherokee Indians, The Trail of Tears. What does this say about the importance of the myth of the fire in their lives? Why do you believe the fire would be historically important to them?
3) Cherokee myths often present incite into their closeness with not only nature but also their land. How does the myth of the sacred fire in regards to oral tradition support this idea?
Community, Land, and Language in the Cherokee Phoenix
Introduction
The Cherokee Phoenix served as the Cherokee Nation’s newspaper from 1829-1834. It not only gave the Cherokee community a voice, but it also provided that voice in both the English and Cherokee languages. By using both languages, many more Cherokees were able to read the newspaper, creating strong ties to the Cherokee Nation and their communities. Elias Boudinot was the main editor for the Cherokee Phoenix. Initially, Boudinot was an “ardent advocate of ‘civilization,’” thinking that by accepting “Western culture” and traditions, the Cherokee Nation as a political entity and community would be preserved (Boudinot, 10-11). This idea was not uniform within the Cherokee Nation. Unlike Boudinot, some Cherokees, like John Ross, a major chief of the Cherokees, believed that preserving traditional Cherokee culture was imperative to preserving their political autonomy. Both these leaders wanted the same result, which was to keep Cherokees politically free and safe in their lands. However, their different beliefs on the manner in which the Cherokees would achieve this end result created tension within Cherokee society.
Description
The following issue of the Cherokee Phoenix of April 15, 1829, demonstrates how the tension between assimilation and preservation of Cherokee lands and political autonomy played out within the newspaper. Even though still relatively early in the life span of the Cherokee Phoenix, one can easily see where the Cherokee language appears, and what Elias Boudinot’s goals and aspirations were with the newspaper (see page 3, column 5). Through editorials, such as the one by the people of the Aquohee district, smaller Cherokee communities had a voice within the paper itself. This issue also shows the plights of other Native American groups and similar situations and experiences. Other sources that this issue includes are The Massachusetts Journal, The New York Advocate, and various sources from Missionaries. Furthermore, through these various sources, the Cherokee Phoenix connected the Cherokee community to the world and provided a forum to get major issues known to its readers.
Analysis and Discussion
Page One of The Cherokee Phoenix (April 15, 1829):
On this page of The Cherokee Phoenix, there are two articles. The first concerns biblical anecdotes, followed by a description of the decline of non-Protestant societies. The second, “Religious Traditions of the Senecas” depicts the non Christian customs of the Seneca tribe. Even though this article is from the “Missionary Herald,” It is important to remember that because of these missionaries who were trying to convert Native Americans, we are able to preserve aspects of Native American culture. Please not that on n the second page of this issue, there are more extracts from Missionary sources.
1) Why do you think the editor of The Cherokee Phoenix would put these two articles together? Can you see any possible tension that might be created from these articles being too pro-conversion into Anglo-American religion and culture and not reflect the beliefs of the Cherokee Nation as a whole?
Page Two of The Cherokee Phoenix (April 15, 1829):
On this page of The Cherokee Phoenix, there is an article from the Massachusetts Journal about a prominent and well respected Seneca speaker, Red Jacket. In this article, we can see how some white Americans sympathize with the predicament of Native Americans, regarding the loss of their land. In the last paragraph, the article says, “the fact is we have land enough, and we have no right as Christians to wrest it from them. We might as well seize upon our neighbor’s wealth with the plea that we can spend it more judiciously than he.” It is no coincidence that the following this article, is one about the Georgia government’s attempt to claim Cherokee land. This article ends with a plea for “humane interference” to protect the Cherokee and their land. This article is from The New York Advocate and its main source of information is from The Cherokee Phoenix, itself.
2) Even though the article about Red Jacket is about the Seneca tribe and the one following is about the Cherokee tribe, what effect do these two articles have side by side?
Page Three of The Cherokee Phoenix (April 15, 1829):
At the end of the second page, and the beginning of the third, there is a letter to the editor from the Aquohee district, describing the apprehension these Cherokees feel regarding the possibility of being removed from their homes. This letter is written by ordinary members of the Cherokee community, “neither chiefs nor white men.” The letter describes reasons that the Cherokee have for wanting to stay on their land and the prosperity they are experiencing on the land as well.
3) How do the reasons given by these Cherokee citizens differ from those given by northern sympathizers in the articles on the second page of the issue?
It is also on this page of the Phoenix that we see the Cherokee language written out. This issue is a relatively early one. Compare it quickly with another that of May 4, 1833 and notice the difference between the amount of the Cherokee language used in the 1833 issue compared to the 1829 issue.
4) How much more of the actual Cherokee language do you see on this page of the 1833 issue than is in the 1829 issue?
Page four of The Cherokee Phoenix (April 15, 1829):
On this page, we see Poetry, various articles about world news, and also some articles concerning hair growth, female education, and a comical anecdote about Queen Elizabeth.
5) What do you think is the purpose of the articles on the last page: to educate, to entertain, or both?
Final thought:
Perhaps one of the most moving parts of The Cherokee Phoenix is how it attempts to use the Cherokee language and the English language to both inform Cherokees and also bring them together. Since Elias Boudinot, however, devoted a large portion of the paper to Christianity and conversion, one might wonder if all Cherokees are represented in the paper or simply Christian Cherokees.
6) Do you think that the paper represents everybody in the Cherokee community or simply those who have assimilated and adopted Anglo-American culture and religion?
Bibliography:
Boudinot, Elias. The Complete Works of Elias Boudinot. Athens : University of Georgia Press, 1996.
Help Save the Cherokee Language!
Advocating the Inclusion of the Cherokee Language into School Curriculum:Introduction:
A continual concern for the Cherokee Nation is that with the passing away of fluent speaking elders a loss of the language will follow. The Cherokee Nation has begun its first Cherokee Language Immersion Classroom in Tahlequah, Ok. The children will be learning not only to say their name, animals, counting, songs, etc. but will be learning how to actively communicate and participate in becoming the newest generation of the Cherokee speakers. Dr. Gloria Sly is the director of the Cherokee Nation Cultural Resource Center, and she believes that total immersion is most effective way of learning native languages. Dr. Sly is among the research team that has been researching and planning the most beneficial way of preserving the language. Her belief, as well as the belief of her research team, is that the age to target is three to four year olds because they will not only learn to speak the Cherokee language but will learn to “think Cherokee”. Throughout the 1960’s, Agnes Cowan advocated the inclusion of the Cherokee language in public schools because of the need for federal money but since Congress passed the Native American Languages Act of 1990, which due to self-governance, the Cherokee Nation can now direct the funding where they choose. Dr. Sly and her team have begun a Head Start program eliciting the inclusion of the Cherokee language in the preschool classrooms, which has grown with rapidness through the help of Verna Thompson.Description:
The Cherokee Nation has begun an electrifying advocacy toward the inclusion and preservation of the Cherokee language. Through the research of plans of Dr. Gloria Sly, her team of advocates are training teachers and setting goals. They obtained the Head Start classroom certification and have decided with much deliberation that the best way to teach the language is through total immersion and teaching the children not only what vocabulary means but also what is means to be a Cherokee Indian. Through learning the language through total immersion the children will become fluent. Through teaching the children to say and spell their names, speak the names of the animals they come in contact with, etc provides a basis for the class in the hopes that the children will gain a personal connection with the language which will help them preserve not only the semantic and lexical qualities of their language but also a love and deep understanding of the Cherokee world. The researchers and teachers are hoping that learning the language through total immersion that they make access to a classroom community feel. It is all part of teaching the children who they are and where they have come from. There is a huge amount of preparation involved in creating a perfect classroom where there may not be enough materials to work with. They have found that the mixing of English-language learning tools (flash cards, blocks, books) are good why to start, they must delve deeper to incorporate necessary Cherokee-language learning tools such as learning the Sequoyah syllabary, (Cherokee inventor of the Cherokee Alphabet). The team of teachers has taken classes to be further prepared to analyze how words come together in Cherokee and continue to develop new classroom tools. This is an on-going venture throughout The Cherokee Nation and is continuing to get stronger through the help and the will of supporters.Analysis:
The Cherokee Nation is extremely conscience and hardworking toward the need to preserve their language. Through the immersion classrooms they have successfully begun teaching younger children the importance of learning their own language and what that will mean to them in terms of “thinking” Cherokee. The Cherokee have strong sense of belief in the land and community. They rely heavily on their own language has a gate to understanding and experiencing the world. This is why it is so important for the research team of teachers to instill the purpose of “thinking Cherokee” by means of creating a classroom community which will teach them how to behave and respect the larger base community of friends and family and the land they live upon. The Cherokee have a strong sense of history and are determined to preserve that history in which returns into they’re present.URL:
Article 1 in the current Cherokee PhoenixArticle 2 in the current Cherokee Phoenix
Discussion:
~Throughout the article, Dr. Sly, the program’s coordinator, alludes to the idea that the Cherokee Language is more than just a form of speech. To know one’s primary language is to have a connection with everything that the language encompasses such as culture, tradition, community, and values.
Dr. Sly quotes:
“The Cherokee worldview is what the language brings to us. It is the expression of our values.”“The Immersion Center focuses on resources and a wealth of cultural knowledge on the education of 3 and 4 year olds because it is an environment where children learn not just to speak Cherokee but to think Cherokee.”
1) What does it mean to “think Cherokee” as well as speak Cherokee? Why is it significant of the Cherokee Nation, the ban of Cherokee Native Americans alive today?
2) Why do you believe it is important to supporters to save the Cherokee Language?
~ “Language scholars think that immersion of young learners is the most effective method of reversing language loss. According to Dr. Gloria Sly, director of the Cherokee Nation Cultural Resource Center, immersion is a method of teaching that has been found to be particularly effective with native languages.”
“Indeed, the concept of being “immersed” in Cherokee is one that supports the goal of having children think first in the native language.”
3) According to Dr. Sly, total immersion of children into the program is the best way to learn native languages. In respect to the learning of unfamiliar languages in your school, do you believe total immersion is a positive and beneficial way of learning?
~ “All conversations, teaching materials, songs, and even the student’s names are Cherokee. A naming ceremony, while not intended as sacred practice, did serve to introduce ritual and establish each child’s place in the classroom community.”
“It is part of teaching them who they are,” Dr. Sly said. “It brings them into society as a member with own name. They belong. They have full membership there.”
4) What role does learning the Cherokee language have in creating a sense of community?
5) How would you feel if your language was in danger of going extinct? In preserving a language, a person is also preserving their traditions, stories, culture, land, and community. Do you feel that this is a constant problem in America with so many different cultures, subcultures, and communities? How important do you think it is to save?
