Cherokee Creation Story Essay

In the Cherokee Creation Story, the earth was only made up of water without any inhabitants (Andrews 196). The earth was connected to the sky with four strings where the animals once lived (Andrews 196). But eventually, the animals became too crowded in the sky and sent the Water Beetle along with the Grandfather Buzzard to explore and make room down on earth (Andrews 196). The beetle brought mud from the sea that created the land above (Andrews 196). The Grandfather Buzzard was later sent to check up on the land, and while flying above the land, the wind from his wings created the valleys of the earth (Andrews 196). Once the land was ready, the animals, plants, and, later, the people, came down to inhabit the earth (Andrews 196). The spirits

These elders combined their understanding of the natural and spiritual worlds to create the Cherokee origin story (Mika n.p.). They were able to teach the Cherokee people about their history, culture, and values through their stories and storytelling abilities (Mika n.p.). This story serves to educate and preserve the Cherokee tribe's culture and history, and it plays an important role in how their culture has evolved to the present day (Mika n.p.). An important aspect of the story is the storytelling itself. They believe the storytelling instructed different ideas that demonstrated important aspects (Arneach n.p.). It states, "Storytelling is still an important part of Cherokee life. Stories are used for entertainment, to teach morals and values, and to keep Cherokee history and culture alive" (Arneach

The story explains their place in and relationship to the spiritual and physical worlds. They believe the spirits from the upper world help keep the peace between both worlds (Raley n.p.). The spirits of the underworld used to wreak havoc on the physical world through water streams (Raley n.p.). The Cherokees would call upon the spirits of the upper world to help restore peace between the worlds (Raley n.p.). From this point forward, the Cherokee people practice rituals and ceremonies to keep the earth in harmony and pray to the spirits from above to protect them (Raley n.p.). One popular ritual practiced by the Cherokees that came from this is called "going to water." This practice is used to "acknowledge the spiritual significance of their local rivers, streams, and ponds" (Dembling n.p.). It cleanses the body of any bad scenes and releases it to the underworld. This practice came about as a way to clear the mind and guide people on a more spiritual level, as well as guide them in the direction of the spiritual world of the protective spirits (Dembling