Cherokee
The trip to Cherokee was an interesting experience. I go back to the whole thing on my mind every once in a while, trying to decide exactly how I feel about it. It was not what I expected to find at all, even though I am not quite sure exactly what I expected to find in the reservation in the first place. But one thing I go back to, over and over in my mind, is Kituwah, the Sacred Mound. It makes me so incredibly sad to think about it. Yes, I know, it's great that it exists, that the Cherokee people can still go there and perform ceremonies. Nevertheless, it makes me really sad. So small, so empty, barely there... I try to picture in my mind what it was like, hundreds of years ago. I think of how proud it must have stood, how people came and went. I can even hear in my mind the laughter of the children, the conversations, and the noises of daily life. And now... an anonymous slope, empty and silent, not even included in the grounds of the Reservation. How cruel it was, not to include the most sacred place for the Cherokee in their land. And that makes me sad. I believe nothing could have made me feel the depth of the trauma suffered by the native people like that small, incredibly silent piece of land.
Trickster Performance.
I really enjoyed the trickster tales performances. I must admit it, when I first learned we had to do this, I thought it was silly. But it was definitely a great experience, both hearing the stories and telling one. It was not only fun, it was thrilling. I, for one, was truly entranced by the stories. I do feel they came to life. One can speak for hours about the functions of literature and their role on society... or one can tell a story and explain that more eloquently.
Making my bows was also fun, I have to admit. Speaking my own language! You have no idea how I missed that! It was an incredible experience.
Also, I found a nice animation of the story I told, in case anyone is interested in seeing it. I believe it's beautiful.
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