Growing up I was aware that I had Native heritage, but culture was something that just wasn't a primary focus (ah the 80s when GenX roamed free and parental involvement was next to nil). As my own wildlings were growing up we incorporated learning about many different cultures as we were able to learn more about our own origins. Now that I have the grand wildlings we're lucky enough to know more of our cultural heritage to share with them and they are blessed with a variety of cultural experiences.
Cherokee National Holiday celebrates the signing of the Cherokee Nation Constitution and there is a large celebration in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. You can learn more about it at their website at The Cherokee Holiday. However, if you're not able to attend festivities you can still teach your wildlings about the Cherokee culture. One of my favorite ways to share culture is to share their stories. One of my favorite stories from the Cherokee culture is The Origin of the Strawberry.
When the first man was created and a mate was given to him, they lived together happily for a long time, but then began to quarrel, until at last the woman left her husband and started off toward the Sun Land, in the east.
The man followed alone and grieving, but the woman kept on steadily ahead and never looked behind, until Unelanvhi, the great Apportioner (the Sun), took pity on him and asked him if he was still angry with his wife.
He said he was not, and Unelanvhi then asked him if he would like to have her back again, to which he eagerly answered yes.
So Unelanvhi caused a patch of the finest ripe huckleberries to spring up along the path in front of the woman, but she passed by without paying any attention to them. Farther on he put a clump of blackberries, but these she also refused.
Other fruits, one tow, and three, and then some trees covered with beautiful red berries, were placed beside the path to tempt her, but she still went on until suddenly she saw in front a patch of large, ripe strawberries, the first ever known.
She stooped to gather a few to eat, and as she picked them she chanced to turn her face to the west, and at once the memory of her husband cam back to her and she found herself unable to go on.
She sat down, but the longer she waited the stronger her desire to return to her husband became. At last she gathered a bunch of the finest berries and started back along the path to give them to him.
He met her kindly and they went back home together.
I love this story because it models how we can have quarrels with loved ones and still find out way back to them. There is no fault or blame given, just the example of love being stronger than the differences we face.
You can download an activity book featuring this story along with many other activity books from The Cherokee Holiday website here.
If you happen to have local wildlings, there is a large Strawberry Festival in May in Stillwell, Oklahoma that would be a very cool field trip to go along with this story. Of course, there are many other ways to experience the Cherokee culture, hopefully you and your wildlings find something that interest you.
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