Native American Religion
Cherokee 7 Sacred Ceremonies
Cherokee ceremonies are in accordance to the cycles mother earth. Most of their ceremonies include dancing, singing, stomping, using different instruments,etc...What is important about their ceremonies is the fact that each contain a "sacred fire, consisting of seven different types of wood to represent the seven different clans. Therefore, the Cherokee have seven different ceremonies to celebrate the earth and their own relation to
1. The Great New Moon Ceremony
This ceremony celebrates the first moon of autumn. Autumn is important to the Cherokee because it is the time to which, Cherokee legend states the universe was created. In a thanks-givy, pot luck kind of way, people throughout the tribe would come and bring a certain type of food (ie.corn, beans,pumpkins,etc..) and participate in a huge feast in which they celebrated the Great Spirit and their ancestors.
2. Propitiation of Cementation Ceremony (Friendship Ceremony)
This ceremony is usually celebrated 10 days after the New Moon ceremony. It signifies the unity between the Creator and humanity and deals with relationships, specifically of people of opposite sex. Relationships and friendship was important to the Cherokee because they believed that bonds are sacred and last forever. Therefore, even people who were fighting before the ceremony were reconciled through the ceremony.
3. Bouncing Bush Ceremony
This is the happiest of Cherokee ceremonies, because it allowed people of the tribe to express themselves in a joyful manner. They danced, ate,drank,etc. to thank the Great Spirit and all around them for their blessings.
4. First New Moon of Spring
This festival "initiated the planting seasonand incorporated predictions concerning crop success or failure.It lasted seven days and included re-lighting of the sacred fire by the fire keeper". Interestingly enough it was in this ceremony where the Cherokee sacraficed deer toungue.
5. Green Corn Ceremony
Celebrated when corn was still green and new corn was not eaten until after the ceremony. Among all 7 clans, tribes gathered 1 ear of corn from their field and each came together to align their piece of corn. After this, the chief and his 7 councilors fasted for a week. In the end, kernels from all seven pieces of corn were sacraficed to give thanks.
6. Ripe Corn Ceremony
Celebrated a little more than a month after the Green Corn Ceremony, once the corn was ripe. Celebrated as a way to give thanks for the harvest and all ripe fruit.
7. The Chief Dance
This is celebrated once every seven years. The main cheif is carried to the Sacred Circle and Sacred Fire to acknowledge him as the main chief of all the clans. This is supposed to remind the tribe of the one true chief, who is the Great Creator.
