Cornerstones of Georgia History

2. Cherokees and Creeks: Traditional Cultures and the Anglo-Saxon Encounter

2 Cherokees and Creeks: Traditional Cultures and the Anglo-Saxon Encounter As we saw in the previous chapter, Europeans such as Father Avila had little appreciation for the Indian cultures they encountered along the Atlantic coast. Indigenous lifestyles and religious concepts seemed to them backward and barbaric. Had Caucasians been willing to learn from the natives, however, they would have discovered much of value. For example, the Native American's reverence for nature stood in sharp contrast to the typical white colonizer's desire to exploit the environment. It is true that Indians farmed, set fires to control underbrush, and otherwise manipulated nature to their advantage. At the same time, however, they recognized that people could be happy only when they lived in harmony with the total creation. To the Indians all animals had spirits, as did many inanimate objects, and failure to show proper respect for those spirits 10 could bring dire consequences. The two Cherokee myths below are examplesof the Native American's high regard for nature. The first explains how man was responsible for the origin of disease; the second is a creation story.1 Origins of Disease and Medicine In the old days the beasts, birds, fishes, insects, and plants could all talk, and they and the people lived together in peace and friendship. But as time went on the people increased so rapidly that their settlements spread over the whole earth, and the poor animalsfound themselves beginning to be cramped for room. This was bad enough, but to make it worse Man invented bows, knives, blowguns , spears, and hooks, and began to slaughter the larger animals, birds, and fishes for their flesh and their skins, while the smaller creatures, such as the frogs and worms, were crushed and trodden upon without thought, out of pure carelessness or contempt. So the animals resolved to consult upon measures for their common safety. The Bears were the first to meet in council in their townhouse under Kuwahi mountain, the "Mulberry place," and the old White Bear chief presided. After each in turn had complained of the way in which Man killed their friends, ate their flesh, and used their skins for his own purposes, it was decided to begin war at once against him. Some one asked what weapons Man used to destroy them. "Bows and arrows, of course," cried all the Bears in chorus. "And what are they made of?" was the next question. "The bow of wood, and the string of our entrails ," replied one of the Bears. It was then proposed that they make a bow and some arrows and see if they could not use the same weapons against Man himself . So one Bear got a nice piece of locust wood and another sacrificed himself for the good of the rest in order to furnish a piece of his entrails for the string. But when everything was ready and the first Bear stepped up to make the trial, it was found that in letting the arrow fly after drawing back the bow, his long claws caught the string and spoiled the shot. This was annoying, but someone suggested that they might trim his claws, which was accordingly done, and on a second trial it was found that the arrow went straight to the mark. But here the chief, the old White Bear, objected, saying it wasnecessarythat they should have long claws in order to be able to climb trees. "One of us has already died to furC H E R O K E E S AND C R E E K S & 11 nish the bowstring, and if we now cut off our claws we must all starve together. It is better to trust to the teeth and claws that nature gave us, for it is plain that man's weapons were not intended for us." No one could think of any better plan, so the old chief dismissed the council and the Bears dispersed to the woods and thickets without having concerted any way to prevent the increase of the human race. Had the result of the council been otherwise, we should now be at war with the Bears, but as it is, the hunter does not even ask the Bear's pardon when he kills one. The Deer next held a council under their chief, the Little Deer, and after some talk decided to send rheumatism to every hunter who should...