Quotes from Raymond Bial

To be clean in body and spirit, they went to water, bathing often in clear pools and mountain streams. They considered water, the sun, and fire to be holy gifts of Kanati , the Great Spirit.

As the Cherokee hunted and foraged in these mountains, they always stepped lightly, paying homage to the plants and animals that sustained them.

Communities were linked by seven networks of trails over which the Cherokee traveled to trade goods with the Iroquois, Chickasaw, Catawba, and other tribes as far away as the Gulf of Mexico.

Cherokee men were active traders. They traded silver ornaments they had crafted, as well as deerskins and beaver pelts, with other tribes and European traders. A man could become wealthy, but if he did he had to deal with the disapproval of others in the clan and town who were not as well-off. They might scorn his wealth, and the shamans might wish him ill.

In lacrosse, Cherokee men tested their strength, endurance, and ability to withstand pain. Before the games, they prepared their minds as well as their bodies.

My ancestors did not come over on the Mayflower--they met the boat. --Will Rogers