When the Trail of Tears started in 1838, the mothers of the Cherokee were grieving and crying so much, they were unable to help their children survive the journey.
The elders prayed for a sign that would lift the mother’s spirits to give them strength.
The next day a beautiful rose began to grow where each of the mother’s tears fell.
The rose is white for their tears;
a gold center represents the gold taken from Cherokee lands,
and seven leaves on each stem for the seven Cherokee clans.
The wild Cherokee Rose grows along the route of the "Trail of Tears" into eastern Oklahoma today.
"Seven Clans of the Cherokee Society" by Marcelina Reed; 1. Blue (A ni sa ho ni) They made a medicine from a bluish colored plant to keep the children well. Sometimes known also as the Panther or Wild Cat clan.
2. Long Hair (A ni gi lo hi) also known as The Twister, Hair Hanging Down, or Wind clan. They wore their hair in elaborate hairdos, walked in a proud and vain manner twisting their shoulders. The Peace Chief was usually from this clan.
3. Bird (A ni tsi s kwa) They were the keepers of the birds, skilled in using blowguns and snares for bird hunting.
4. Paint (A ni wo di) They made red paint and were the sorcerers and medicine men.
5. Deer (A ni ka wi) They were the keepers of the deer and were known as fast runners and deer hunters.
6. Wild Potato (A ni ga to ge wi) They gathered the wild potato in swamps along the streams for food. They were also known as the Bear, Raccoon, or Blind Savannah clan.
7. Wolf (Ani wa yah) This was the largest and most prominent clan providing most of the tribe's war chiefs. They were the keepers of the wolf and were the only clan who could kill a wolf.
Seven Clans of the Cherokee Society
From ancient times the number seven was sacred to the Cherokee. Consequently, as nomadic tribes wandering the North American continent began to settle down and take on distinctive characteristics of place, name, language, and customs, it was only natural and logical thatthe basic arrangement of Cherokee social, religious and political life would develop into a structure of seven clans.
The seven-clan system, along with many other developments around the number seven, contributed to making the Cherokee distinctive from the many other Native American tribes. The Cherokees had a matrilineal society, a social system in which their descent was traced strictly though their mother's side of the family. In the Cherokee's matrilineal kinship system, a person received his mother's clan at birth and retained this clan for life, and his only kinsmen were those who could be traced through her, that is her mother's mother, mother's sisters, the children of mother's sisters and, the most important and powerful man in a child's life, the mother's brother. This social structure baffled whites.
The primary responsibility for discipline and instruction in hunting and warfare rested not with the child's father but with his maternal uncle. Not even the right of the father to stay in the home was certain because Cherokee women owned the dwellings.
If the husband was ousted from the home, he simply returned to the residence of his clan until he married again. His children, however, remained with their mother and kinsmen.
It is sometimes said that the Cherokees wore feathers of different colors to indicate their clan membership. In early literature, reference is made to a total of fourteen clans, but was reduced to seven by either combining some clans or eliminating some over time.
The seven clans are frequently mentioned in the sacred formulas used by the Cherokee Indians and in some of the laws issued within the last one hundred (100) years.
Illustrated by William Taylor (available from Cherokee Publications http://www.cherokeepub.com/ )
The sacred number seven permeates Cherokee legends, beliefs, and customs including the seven sided council house, the sacred fire which was kindled with seven different kinds of wood, the seven directions and the seven Cherokee Festivals.
"CHEROKEE WORDS--BASIC GREETINGS"
Hello ... O-si-yo
How are you? ... (t)do-`hi-tsu
I am fine ... (t)`o-si-gwu
Are you fine? ... to-hi-ju
All right ... o-si-gwu
Fine ... o-s-di
Good ... o-s-da
No good ... tla-o-s-da
Okay ... ho wa
Bad ... u-yo-i
Yes, I'm fine ... (t)do`hi-qu-u
And you? ... ni-na
Good morning ... o-s-da sunalei
Good evening ... o-s-da sv-hi-ye-yi
Good night ... o-s-da sv-no-i
Please ... ho-wa-tsu
Thank you, thanks ... wa-do
You're welcome ... gv-li-e-li-ga
Welcome ... tsi-lu -gi
Goodbye(speaking to one person) ... do-na-da-`go-v-i
Goodbye(speaking to a group) ... do-`da-ga-g`hv-i
Equa (great)
Adanvdo (spirit)
adadolisdi (bless)
nigadv (all)
gago (who)
ayvsdi (enter)
ahan (here)
Blessing of God>>> Unelanvhi udadolisdi
Blessing >>> Adadoligi
Blessed>>> Vdadilvquotanv
Lakota Words:
vwaste' lake = love
tiwahe = family
pilamyaye = thankyou
hau = hi,hello
huka = ancestor
sunmanitu = coyote
sawana = shawnee tribe
wanagiyata = spiritland
wetu = spring
bloketu = summer
pta yetu = fall(autumn)
waniyetu = winter
thank you....'pilamia'...(pec-la-mie-ay)
Grandfather...Tunkasila....(tune-kaw-she-la)
how are you...'do nkte.tuka.wo ...(doe-neek-two-caw-woe)
good....'waste'...(wash-tay)
"More Lakota Words"
Yes ~ Han
OK ~ o han
by the way ~ lot kunk `sni
I suppose ~ na `ce `ce
what's wrong? ~ to ka ho?
Look! ~ wan la wa!
Look! ~ wa yan ka!
Don’t do that! ~ he `cu sni ye
Don’t do that! ~ he `cu sni yo
to find interesting ~ i ska
I'm hungry ~ lo wa `cin
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