Native
American tradition is rich in symbolism and imagery. The Cherokee
people have many symbols that are spiritual in nature and that can teach
us more about Cherokee history and the Cherokee way of life.The
Cherokee people, like many Native American tribes, revered nature and
animal life. Many Cherokee traditions and stories center around the
power of animals that have human attributes. For
example, it was thought that animals were given the power of speech and
other human attributes and that all animals had souls. The belief was
that they were immortal and would be reborn after death. Some animals,
such as the deer, were thought to symbolize the life force and
substenance, while other animal life, such as the snake, was thought to
symbolize fertility, lightning, power, and speed.The legend of the
Cherokee Rose is a rich part of Cherokee symbolism and heritage. The
Cherokee Rose represents the pain and suffering endured by grieving
mothers on "The Trail Where they Cried." The outer white petals
represent the purity of the mother's tears. The center is gold and
represents the gold and wealth taken from Cherokee lands, and each stem
has seven leaves. The seven leaves represent the seven Cherokee clans
that made this journey. The chiefs prayed for a sign to alleviate the
suffering of the grieving mothers, and the Cherokee Rose began to
bloom.One can learn all about the Cherokee Indian symbols by sitting
down with the United Keetoowah Band at www.unitedkeetoowahband.org.
Learn the Cherokee alphabet and all about our animal friends. Cherokee
art is rich with symbols and no other Cherokee artist brings the
Cherokee history to life like Murv Jacobs. Visit his site at www.jacobandduvall.com
for award winning children"s tales, cyber storybooks and Cherokee
events. Many Keetoowah live in and around Tahlequah, Oklahoma, so visit
there and walk with Keetoowah and listen to the symbols. More reference
links: www.jacobandduvall.com www.cherokeebyblood.com
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