cherokee culture

[curioustoknow]

It was Sequoyah who drafted the Cherokee alphabet. Ah I remember having an online course on the history of Oklahoma, the 5 civilized tribes and how many of the tribes were all displaced and then also came into the fold of Christianity, gave up their ancient traditions, cut their hair locks and adapted to the western dressing styles. Hey Lori, you say you're Cherokee but also white? How does that work out? Just curious

when I tan I get super dee duper dark...but I have been covering my body fully for about 4 years now and just haven't gotten any sun...this may sound silly to yall...but its true...I'm not fully white like a white person, but I do have some small percentage of Danish...thats from my great grandmother's husband, the one who married her at 12. but he was mainly Cherokee too...

but thats my mom's side, my dad's side is Creek Nation, I really don't know much about them, but I know it's very similar to Cherokee...

Yes the five nations are based in Oklahoma, but thats not where we are from, thats just where we were "put", Creek came from the Pennsylvania area

[Mehtab Singh]

Suuuuwwweeeetttttt!!!!! :D

By the way, one of our other members on here had a signature which was the sayings of Tecumseh, a great Shawnee warrior.

· Live your life that the fear of death can never enter your heart.

· Trouble no one about his religion.

· Respect others in their views and demand that they respect yours.

· Love your life, perfect your life, beautify all things in your life.

· Seek to make your life long and of service to your people.

· Prepare a noble death song for the day when you go over the great divide.

· Always give a word or sign of salute when meeting or passing a friend, or even a stranger, if in a lonely place.

· Show respect to all people, but grovel to none.

· When you rise in the morning, give thanks for the light, for your life, for your strength.

· Give thanks for your food and for the joy of living.

· If you see no reason to give thanks, the fault lies in yourself.

· Touch not the poisonous firewater that makes wise ones turn to fools and robs the spirit of its vision.

· When your time comes to die, be not like those whose hearts are filled with fear of death, so that when their time comes they weep and pray for a little more time to live their lives over again in a different way. Sing your death song, and die like a hero going home.

- Tecumseh (1768 - 1813) Native American Shawnee Warrior

[dalsingh101]

Have to drop in - calling the people who fight fiercely against white European domination 'uncivilised' and others 'civilised' is a very good example of classic orientalism.

[curioustoknow]

One of the things I find really cool about Cherokee culture is the names.

I wonder what name I would have got if I was a Cherokee?

Maybe something like 'Chased by dogs'? Because they used to let dogs run around feral on the streets when I was a kid and I was always getting chased by them!!

hee hee

haha funny

actually names are given based on the spirit animal you are born with, basically your previous life...it carries over to your human life and you keep some of the traits of that life.

My spirit animal is the wolf, even though I was born under a Jaguar star, I am in tune more with the wolves. Even growing up on the farm, we always had wolves and always felt like part of the pack. I slept with them at night and ran with them during the day.

[dalsingh101]

Do wolves ever attack humans?

[Mehtab Singh]

I am a wolf based on one of those weird Facebook quizzes :geek:

[N30S1NGH]

curioustoknow ji,

Did you get to see movie - the grey? Amazing movie with wolves in it. It's pretty symbolic . :biggrin2:

[Mehtab Singh]

Dances with the wolves!

Hmmm, dub that into Punjabi... "Bhangra bhediye da"

[curioustoknow]

do wolves attack humans? Well humans are not a food source for wolves so unless they are rabid or threatened, no they don't. A wolf would MUCH rather run away than attack...wolves are VERY shy

[chatanga]

Totems, are used to commemorate the dead, not to worship.the reason totems are many times made in the form of animals is because each human existence Carries the spirit of an animal through the reincarnation process. When you were born, how you act, and what you look likee are all determining factors in knowing your previous existence.

Interesting. i was thinking about totem poles and what they meant. I remember that we in primary school had to make little totem poles, from the cylinder out of kitchen rolls.

One of the things I find really cool about Cherokee culture is the names.

I wonder what name I would have got if I was a Cherokee?

Maybe something like 'Chased by dogs'? Because they used to let dogs run around feral on the streets when I was a kid and I was always getting chased by them!!

hee hee

No you would be called " Chased out the family!!!"

My spirit animal is the wolf, even though I was born under a Jaguar star, I am in tune more with the wolves.

I love wolves, and im not talking about the best football team in the Championship, although i do love them as well. A friend fo mine used to go, to help out at a wolf-reservation near Reading.

When you say you are more in tune, do you mean that you howl in the night and stuff?

CTK, did you ever have a horse ? do natives americans still keep horses on reservations ?