Religion According to Chief Jahtlohi Rogers
A PEOPLE IN EXODUS
By Chief Charles Jahtlohi Rogers, M.D.
Cherokee Nation of Mexico
WHERE DID THE CHEROKEE PEOPLE GET THEIR KNOWLEDGE OF THE GREAT
SPIRIT, GOD?
(Photo - Right)
Chief John Ross, one of the most famous mixed - blood Cherokee Chiefs,
he was 1/8 Cherokee.
One of the ancient stories tells of a certain
exemplary Cherokee man who, after having fasted for seven days, went to
the top of a high mountain during a thunderstorm and there he saw with
his own eyes the thunder beings and the place where they came from.
From the beginning of time, God has always had a
witness in the earth. God made His presence known to Abraham in order to
make a covenant with him to have a witness in the earth of His Supreme
Glory. Abraham was an idolater when God appeared to him to reveal His
glory. By the grace of God Abraham turned away from vain idols to walk
with God, the Creator of all things, which is also the Cherokee’s
concept. The New Testament states that by faith Abraham believed and
because of his obedience to the Great Supreme Being, God promised, “I
will show you, I will make you and I will bless you” (Hebrews 11:18,
NKJV). The Old Testament gives accounts of God appearing to Abraham
again and again to build faith in his heart, to make a covenant with him
and to prompt him to obedience to fulfill the promise even when it
seemed impossible.
Another account to be noted from the Old Testament
is when God appeared to Moses face to face in Exodus 33:11, “...the
LORD spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend”
Moses also encountered God on a mountain top where he received the ten
commandments for God’s people.
Anyone can sit down among a primitive tribe that has
never heard of God or the teachings of Jesus Christ, and find that they
know right from wrong. You can ask a man, “What do you do if another man
tries to take your wife,” and he will answer, “I will attack him. It is
wrong to take another man’s wife.” Missionaries have witnessed, even
among the most primitive cultures on the face of the earth, people
living in a “conscience dispensation,” which is when people feel that
God is among them.
From the Scriptures in the Christian Bible, we also
learn that men know God from conscience and creation but have refused to
honor him. The greatest judgment God can inflict on us is to let us have
our own way. As we can clearly see in Romans 1:20 26, we are called to
consider the work of our Creator. Right before our very eyes we behold
nothing more obvious than the creation of God’s wisdom and power. All of
mankind is a witness to what God has done and is doing in the earth.
Every human can see afar off the heavens in all its glory, the work of
Omnipotence.
For since the creation of the world His (God) invisible
attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are
made, even His (God’s) eternal power and Godhead, so that they are
without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify
Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and
their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became
fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made
like corruptible man and birds and four footed animals and creeping
things. Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of
their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged
the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature
rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. (Romans
1:20.26,NKJV)
Scientists are still trying to figure out the
production created by the very finger of God. The eternal power of the
Godhead is clearly seen and understood by the things that are made.
Every person who has not received divine revelation of Jesus Christ may
see that God exists. There is no speech or voice of a preacher not heard
today (Psalm 19:13). Creation is seen in all its glory, splendor,
beauty and excellence; it cannot be denied that this is truly the work
of God, the Author of all things.
Although one may not personally know God, surely we
are witnesses to His power and perfection by what we see in all
creation. Greatly should He be praised and magnified and be
reverentially feared because He is the Giver of the breath of life. The
Supreme Being of all creation has all power of heaven and earth;
therefore in humility and reverence all mankind should adore and give
honor to the Great Spirit, God. He can open the windows of heaven and
cause rain to fall on the crops of the just and unjust. In the heat of
the day He can call the clouds in to perform a canopy called ‘the
spreading of the clouds’ to protect his people (Job36:24 33, NKJV).
Lucy Wahnenauhi stated, “The Cherokees believed in
one God whom they called Oo n hlah nau hi, meaning ‘Maker of all
things,’ and Cah luh luh ti a hi, ‘The One who lives above.’ They
acknowledged God as their friend and believed He had unlimited power and
was Creator of all things made.” Wahnenauhi also stated that the
Cherokees also believed there was an Evil Spirit, whom they called
Skee nah. They believed Skee nah was malicious in influence and the
cause of all trouble, calamity and sickness. Many missionaries back then
did not believe there was such a thing as an evil spirit, devil or
universal spirit called Satan, nor was there any correspondence in
Cherokee theology. However, Wahnenauhi derived her connotation from the
Cherokee New Testament, which speaks of the Devil.
Satan had many names in the Christian Bible that
ranged from evil spirit, the devil, lying spirit, serpent, and wicked
one, to power of darkness. There are many accounts in the Bible of the
devil causing sickness, disease, trouble and calamity. The Cherokee also
attributed disease to the patient’s body having been tricked into
illness by something bad existing in the patient’s mind or in his
nutritional habits; once explained in this manner, the patient would
understand and their body would correct the health imbalance. Correct
arid clean nutrition and prevention were taught daily.
FRAGMENTS OF THE CHEROKEE RELIGIOUS BELIEFS
(Photo - Left)
Many Mayan carvings suggest racial mixtures.
In John Payne’s writing of the Cherokee beliefs, he
also included extensive duplications of the first five books of the
Bible, which caused readers to conclude that early in the historic
period the Cherokees began to weave the newly learned Biblical materials
into the origins of their legends. Nevertheless, the ancient beliefs and
stories vary slightly, perhaps because they were not rewritten so much,
to some instances in the Christian Bible. Regardless of Payne’s study,
the Cherokee people attributed their existence to the Creator. They
built their religious belief upon foundations and pillars built by the
express creations of God and not of men, and they were reserved as such.
The Cherokee people did hold on to the fragments of
their beliefs for many centuries. The Chief Supreme Being believed in by
the Cherokees of the eighteenth century was the same “Mysterious Being”
or “Being Beyond Human Comprehension” (which would always be a mystery
to man), (Ye ho waah), whom the more ancient Cherokees had said
was both God and King, appearing sometimes on earth as a man.
Ye ho waah taught the first hymn called Yo wa
to the first Cherokee priests or ministers, known as the office of the
Uku. Over time the song was described as being part of the old language
and was no longer understood. Some of the old language words were still
employed in the song in the nineteenth century. Only those chosen by the
Uku could perform the song after undergoing rigorous testing, which
included abstinence from food and sex and the fulfilling of special
observances of prayer, purification and vigils.
The Christian Bible warns, “Gather up the
fragments that remain, so nothing is lost.” (John 6:12, NKJV)
Fragments represent the evidence of the awesome
miracles that our Creator has performed on behalf of His people. They
are the glorious things God has performed in our lives.
The Cherokees had a Sacred Ark that carried the
sacred fires and other Holy things, which were the fragments of their
religious beliefs - fragments that represented the everlasting bond
between the creator and the Cherokee people.
During the time of Moses, it is recorded that
ancient Israel had poor memory and often forgot about the great works of
God and would not wait for His counsel. (Psalm 106:813, Psalm 78:38
42)
Like ancient Israel, over a period of time the
Cherokees slowly began to forget the fragments of their ancient
religious beliefs. There were many accounts and revisions to the
Mortality Story. One could only speculate that, through time, the
Cherokees’ memory became poor and much of their ancient beliefs were
lost. Modifications to the stories over the years have lead to doubt and
confusion. The Christian Bible says that God is not the author of
confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33).
The Creator made it clear to the Cherokee people
that changes or modifications of the ancient beliefs were only
profitable if they were progressing and continuing in their beliefs.
However, if the modifications were attempts to conform to popular
belief, they would experience disastrous results in their religion and
government.
Over time the Religious Festivals of the Cherokee
people became obsolete. The festivals showed their devotion to the
Creator and the keeping of His commandments. It was a time where they
fasted, prayed, and gave thanksgiving offerings of the first fruits to
the “Maker of all things”; a time of cleansing and purification from the
old so Ye ho waah could bring in the new. The old fires were put
out and new sacred fires were placed in every home. The new fires
represented cleansing, rebuilding and lighting.
Ancient tradition also says that Ye ho waah
commanded the people to rest from all work on the seventh day and to
show their adoration for him by holding their hands entirely still while
they rested with their palms open and upward on their knees. The people
were to confine themselves to talk about the Supreme Being that dwells
on high on the seventh day.
CULTURAL TRANSFORMATION
(Photo - Right)
A traditional seven sided house. Seven is a sacred number for the
Cherokee.
Most historians tend to deal with the political
aspects of the Cherokee culture. The white men recognized that religion,
or wanting to live good lives, rather than politics, was at the core of
the ancient Cherokee life.
In time the fragments of the Cherokee ancient
beliefs would be lost as the whites cunningly planned to pierce the
Cherokee religion so erosion would set in. White men wanted to
capitalize on the Indians. The Cherokees had become a grand and glorious
people of influence and prosperity. They knew nothing about the outside
world or what was going on in it, and they decided they wanted to learn
what they could from the white men’s ways. What started out innocently,
turned out to be a conversion to the whites’ manner of life. Soon the
fragments of their ancient beliefs would be lost in the transformation
of their culture.
Although the whites enjoyed trade with the
Cherokees, conflicts over land and money would occur. Eventually the
Cherokees became outnumbered and outgunned, and they did not have any
other alternative but to accept what came their way, due to the fact
that the old religion was practiced by only a forty percent minority; a
larger consensus would have equaled power to resist negative changes.
They became a people of uncertainty. In doubt and confusion, some of the
clans began to let the whites guide them as trusting children. Some
Cherokees did not permit their clans to marry outsiders. The full bloods
began to be persuaded by the whites and mixed bloods, which caused the
altering of their festival procedures, and more importantly the
practical training of these procedures. For example, the green corn
festival originally taught young men to publicly proclaim their work for
and support of their mothers (remember, this was before social security
or government support).
The mixed bloods began to out number the full
bloods. As they increased in number, the power of the Cherokee religion
declined. The mixed blood parents convinced the young Cherokees that the
old ways, of which they themselves were ignorant, were heathen. Without
even knowing that they were rejecting a legacy of direct contact with
God, the children soon began to stray away from the ritual lifestyle,
while the full blood held on to their personal convictions, even though
diluted and fragmented. Ultimately, everything about the Cherokee people
became so modified and confused, the old ways began to lose their
appearance of having any effectiveness whatsoever.
In 1736, a Jesuit named Christian Priber spent 9
years with the Cherokee people. His mission was both political and
religious. He gained great favor and influence with tribal leaders.
Priber became an unofficial secretary to the principal headman.
Nevertheless, he served both the church and French government. His
primary goal was to disrupt tribal relations between the Cherokees and
the English traders and colonist. Eventually he was captured and
imprisoned by the English.
Later the Catholic Church made attempts to work as
missionaries among the Cherokee people. Their efforts to convert and
educate were unsuccessful until more contemporary times.
In 1740, Cherokees obtained their first horses and a
trail was opened between Augusta, Georgia and the Cherokee Country.
Twenty years later, the Cherokees possessed large herds of horses. By
1775, each Cherokee man owned anywhere from two to twelve mounts. They
obtained cattle, hogs and domesticated bees. The Cherokees were already
farming many European fruits, vegetables, and domesticated potatoes and
trading for coffee.
In the late eighteenth century, the English brought
over spinning wheels and looms, along with farming tools. Gradually the
Cherokee people were becoming a part of the white man’s world.
To the east of the Cherokee settlements were the
English, to the west were the French and to the south were the Spanish.
All three competed for trade advantages and for every piece of land on
which they could get their hands. Finally the cooperative trading
efforts of the Cherokees became obsolete. Skins and textiles were no
longer excepted as exchange for goods. The whites now had currency. Not
long afterwards the economic system of the Indians collapsed.
(Photo - Left)
Mr. Ridge was very typical of Cherokees with European admixture.
All wild game began to disappear as the whites grew
in population and power. Even fishing became subject to strict
restrictions set in motion by the whites. The Cherokees efforts to raise
livestock became limited by regulations. The whites began to take charge
of lumbering the forests, mining the land, excavating the ground for
chemical interests, and taking charge of the water streams and lakes by
building dams across the valley where the Cherokee homesteads had stood.
The white men’s government began changing as well.
The clan tribal loyalty was compromised by the demands of a newly formed
republican government. The French and the English became rivals.
Immediately both sides acted to pull the Cherokees apart. Although the
French were diplomatic, the English were able to supply guns and
ammunitions, as well as other militant resources the Cherokees desired.
In the mid 1700s, the French were losing control to
the British and the Cherokee leaders of Virginia, North Carolina and
Georgia were being pitted against one another. Some Cherokees did
discern what was happening and sought to turn the tables on the
foreigners.
In the last half of the eighteenth century, the
whites began a rivalry for tribal control between the leaders of the
towns of great Tellico and Chota. The Cherokees were kept in a constant
state of turmoil and their ways of life became forever interrupted by
the ways of the new world.
Throughout the late eighteenth century, tribal
leader Attakullakulla controlled tribal policy by learning the import
ways of the white colonization and began guiding tribal policy away from
the old ways of Cherokee life. He encouraged the Cherokees to cooperate
more closely with the white settlers. During Attakullakulla tribal
reign, farming replaced hunting as the dominant economic factor. The
wars between tribes stopped. He also bargained for colonial forts and
military garrisons to protect the Cherokees from warring neighbors. None
of Attakullakulla efforts resolved the Cherokees problems. Their
settlements were always in the way of relentless white settlers, which
resulted in waves of wars from 1756 to 1794. Much of the Cherokee
settlements were annihilated.
Tame Doe, the sister of Attakullakulla, gave birth
to a daughter named Nancy. Nancy grew up and married the noted war
leader Kingfisher of the Deer Clan. She was at his side in 1755 when he
was killed by the Creek warriors at the battle of Taliwa. Nancy
immediately picked up his weapons and gathered the Cherokee warriors to
an overwhelming victory. Chota chose her to fulfill the vacant position
of a Beloved Woman.
The Cherokees believe that the Supreme Beings spoke
to the people through Beloved Women. They were also given the power and
authority to make decisions on what to do with prisoners of war.
Nancy also headed up an influential women’s council
that consisted of a representative from each Cherokee Clan, and she sat
as a voting member of the council of the Chiefs. Later she married a
white leader named Bryant Ward, but after 10 years of marriage, he
returned to his white wife and children in South Carolina.
Numerous settlements had been made in Cherokee land,
which was a direct violation of the royal decree of England. When the
Revolutionary War broke out the Cherokees sided with the English They
attacked the frontier settlements of Virginia, the Carolinas and
Georgia. Seven hundred warriors attacked the settlers of Watuga.
(Photo - Right)
Chief Rogers performs the peace pipe ceremony with the noble governor of
Coahuila, Sr. Enrique Martinez y Martinez.
Nancy Ward helped Isaac Thomas and two other white
men escape from Chota to warn the Watuga area. Soon after she obtained
the reputation of being a friend of the settlers.
In 1776, Colonel William Christian led two thousand
troops in a horrific raid against the Cherokee towns. Out of respect to
Nancy Ward, Chota was spared. In 1780, the Cherokees again prepared an
attack on the Watuga settlements while the men were away. Nancy Ward
once again warned the whites, but when the soldiers returned from King’s
Mountain and learned of the threat, they set out to teach the Cherokees
a lesson they would never forget.
Despite the pleas of Nancy Ward for mercy and
friendship, Chota was destroyed along with other Cherokee towns.
Afterwards, she and her family were placed into protective custody. Once
Nancy was released, she returned to help rebuild Chota. On July 20,
1781, she was the featured speaker for the Cherokees that brought about
a peace treaty between the Watugans. She continued her mission to make
dramatic pleas for peace between the Indians and the whites. After the
war years ended, Nancy Ward settled in Chota, which was no longer the
Capital of the nation, but was still a city of refuge. For years she
took orphans into her home. Nancy died in 1822 as a woman of honor among
the Cherokee and white history.
TRADITIONAL FAITH SHAKEN
From 1794 to 1836, the Cherokees fled to hill
country to build a thriving community that was run by mixed bloods.
Change after change kept coming to the tribe as a whole that eventually
shook their traditional faith and beliefs.
In confusion and doubt the Cherokees became more
open and responsive to the missionary efforts of the Moravian,
Presbyterian, Baptist, Methodist and Quaker Churches. During the next
thirty years, the Cherokee nation underwent many changes and moved their
tribe closer to the whites to become more a part of their civilization.
They began to learn the ways of the white men. The Cherokees wanted to
learn to read and write. The full bloods did not welcome the change and
considered it bad.
The Presbyterian Church established a mission in
Hiawassee, Tennessee in 1803. Their school opened in 1804 with twenty to
thirty Cherokees in attendance. The students learned the Bible and how
to pray, and to read, spell and write. Due to the cultural differences
and the fact the students could not speak English, the first conversion
did not take place until 1810.
Domestic and religious changes, intermarriage, loss
of confidence, whiskey, contributions of the mixed bloods and the
mission schools all took their toil on the Cherokees. They began to wear
the white men’s clothes and adapt to their lifestyle. The Cherokees had
their own cabins and all other amenities just like the white settlers.
(Photo - Left)
Chief Jahtlohi Rogers asks the one Creator for blessings upon the Nation
of Mexico & it’s families. Pictured are 3 Mexican Governors of Coahuila
(our home state), Tamaulipas, and Nueva Leon.
The Green Corn Festivals had now become corrupted
with guns and whiskey. The priests became known as conjurers, which
caused this once great ancient religion to struggle and waver in what
they once believed.
Payne believed the changes were caused by the influx
of pagan worshipers. It was a sure sign these were a people in exodus
because of the ways of foreigners, both Native American and European.
Sickness and tormenting evil spirits now haunted the Indians. The new
conjurers were unsuccessful in helping the people spiritually. What once
were sacred holy festivals were now tainted with new customs and beliefs
from many religious and pagan beliefs.
Before 1750, the Cherokees had a core group of
families from which came the Cherokee leaders. These families would also
supply the ministers or priests of the Cherokee religion. This system is
found in Semitic tribes and some other Native American tribes (Caddo,
for example). The thinking or reasoning was that the youths of these
families were trained from an early age because the amount of training
was considerable by any standards of modern professions; leading
families were responsible for training leaders. But as the old religion
slipped away, and these families acted in irresponsible, oppressive, and
self serving ways, things fell apart; the last trained Uku to come from
a “leading family tradition” surrendered his position and it never
existed again. However, these truths live on, smoldering, perhaps
someday to flame again. Somewhere in time, these Cherokee Native
Americans integrated with or were themselves originally a people in
exodus; either way, each group became the other. All Cherokees are their
descendants.
Fragments Of The Cherokee Religious Beliefs
|
