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Our mission
is to preserve and document the history, culture and genealogy of the Cherokee
people. We provide the tools and resources with which descendants can discover
and preserve their family heritage, learn more about who they are, and join
together with tribal members. Here you can gain knowledge of the spiritual aspects,
learn the language, hear music and news in native tongue, or read about the
secrets of the Cherokee medicine men.
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Cherokee Genealogy Course |
The Cherokee Heritage Documentation Center, in association with Illuminated
Learning, now offers an online course in Cherokee Genealogy. This is the only
course of it's kind available anywhere. For less than the cost of hiring a genealogist
you can turn a pleasurable pastime into a career. The professional genealogist
is both a detective and a historian. It is an incredibly interesting and rewarding
occupation.
This Native American Genealogist program will help you develop the skills you
need to be successful. It was designed by industry professionals, distance learning
experts, and tribal members. Illuminated Learning is a leading provider of education
services for adult learners and institutions. The step-by-step online materials
make the topics easily understandable without the need of reading a stack of
textbooks.
No experience is needed to begin, and you can advance as fast as you want.
Mentors are available whenever help is needed.This online program offers you
the flexibility to study at your own pace from your home or office while retaining
a level of structure that will help you stay on track. This is a great way to
ease into a new career while still being able to take care of other obligations
in your life! (More)
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"When
we are willing to admit that the Indian has a religion which he holds sacred,
even though it be different from our own, we can then admire the consistency
of the theory, the particularity of the ceremonial and the beauty of the expression.
So far from being a jumble of crudities, there is a wonderful completeness about
the whole system which is not surpassed even by the ceremonial religions of
the East." James Mooney - Sacred Formulas of the Cherokee
Before European contact
the Cherokees already participated in a ceremony giving thanks for crops and
it was a form of worship in what is known as the "Green Corn Dance".
This traditional dance was a very important ceremony for the Cherokees. This
ceremony was the beginning of the New Year. Our ancestors gave thanks for the
corn crop that they saw as a continued life for them. It was a time for forgiveness
and grudges to be left behind - starting anew. A part of their celebration was
fasting, then gathering at the ceremonial grounds to play stickball, dance and
have a big feast.
The
Cherokee religion drove the sense of balance, which created a moral system for
the human to follow. What drove the revenge system was the sense of balance.
When a delict was committed, it created imbalance and tension on the jurisdictional
unit. The acceptance of responsibility and paying of the cost restored that
balance. Once the balance was restored, the relationship between the jurisdictional
units or clans continued as if nothing happened. There were to be no hard feelings
expressed between family members of the victim or killer. Balance had been restored
and any friction was to end with the restoration of balance.
The
creation of imbalance was tied to the Cherokee religion. It was believed that
the murdered "soul" or ghost would be forced to wander the earth,
unable to go to the next world. This created the imbalance. The acceptance of
responsibility and the death of the killer or one of his clansmen restored balance
by freeing the innocent ghost, allowing him to go to the next world. That is
why it did not matter who paid the cost for the delict of the wrongful killing.
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Read more...
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