The Cherokee Herbal by j. t. garrett

Author:j. t. garrett
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2018-11-29T00:00:00+00:00

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The Origin of Cherokee Medicine

As is the American Indian tradition of teaching with stories, the reader is asked to consider some stories about how and why some of the plants, trees, and substances came to be. As I often say, I know these stories to be true because my grandfather told them to me. After all, he always told the truth and taught me to tell the truth, so I know the stories to be true myths of the Cherokee. Several of these stories have never been shared, but “The Origin of Disease and Medicine” was recorded by James Mooney in the Myths of the Cherokee, his now-famous work from his time with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.

A modified version of “The Origin of Disease and Medicine” will begin our story of Cherokee Medicine. As the Cherokee elders have shared and as passed down from our ancestors, the beginning always starts with a time when all the animals, birds, fish, plants, and all things on Mother Earth could speak a common language and understand each other. As the story goes, Turtle Island became crowded after the human being came to this planet. In a quest to be skillful in hunting, the human beings made spears, bows and arrows, knives, blowguns, and hooks. These were used to take the lives of the animals for their skins, and the lives of the fish and the birds. In our early traditions, a council was always called for special concerns and resolution. As was lamented in a special council, even the grubs and worms were complaining to the Great One about being crushed and stepped on by the disrespectful humans.

The bears were the first to speak in council. Old White Bear, the chief, complained about how the humans had killed their friends with disrespect. The bears called for revenge, that they should make bows and arrows to shoot back at the humans. But of course the bears knew that the string on the bow would surely get caught in their large claws, so that idea was scrapped. All the bears wanted is that the humans ask for pardon and that they give thanks when taking one of their fellow bears or their little animal friends for the meat and the skins.

Little Deer, as chief of the Deer Clan, was the next to speak in council. While the deer were certainly willing to share their beautiful skin for sacred uses and for ceremonial attire, the humans were tracking and hunting without asking permission. The deer decided that every time one of them was killed without the proper respect from the humans, they would follow the hunter in spirit and give the hunter rheumatism and pain for the rest of their lives. Of course, Little Deer was also willing to teach the humans a special prayer-chant they could use to properly hunt deer to ask for a pardon and to give thanks for the meat they would share.

The fish or “water ones,” and the snakes,

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