The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1849-04-07
From the National Intelligencer
The Green-Corn Ceremonies of the Cherokess

Cherokee
principal agricultural pursuit OF raising maze OF uiah
corn For the great maony OF our facts we n, ar npep
ed to Mr. Preston Skartt, OF tennessee dh ,5
the case however we beg reader 10 understand lai
we shall speak OF the tribe in question as existed IN the
times of old when members the sole proPretors
of the southern hs' oyer I be
Cberokees at the present time, and by the aid OF our
fancy, mnge with the nation as II existed when IN It's
pristine glory
The SHOWS of winter have melted from the mountain
peaks, the rains and gone the osts are out OF
the ground, and the voice OF the turtle IS heard IN the
land The beautiful valley to which we have lourneyed
is entirely surrounded with mountains about five miles
square, watered by charming stream, and inhabited
by two thousand aborgines, who are divided INTO
clans, and located in villages. The ruling
men of the tribe have slgnified TO their people that
the period for planting corn has arrived, and mat ihey
must gather themselves together for the purpose oil
submitting the annual ceremonies OF purlhcation
For doing this they have double object they would,
in the inst place, expunge from their bodies every yes
lge of all the colds and diseases with which they
may have been afflicted during the past winter and,
in the second place, they would propiate the Grea'
Spirit, secure his blessing upon the crops which
they about deposile in the ground The moon be-
ing AT lis full, and fitting location having been Sc
eced the chiefs and magicans toseher ana
the preliminary measures are thus managed magic
circle be made TO keep out all evil spirits and enc
miles, and the medicine then proceed to walk In SIN
gle file and with measured steps, completely around the
spot which they would render sacred and which gene
rally half a mile in diameter, marking their route by
plucking single leaf from every tree or bush whch
they may happen pass, all these leaves being carefully
mean time the brotherhood of chiefs have not been un-
Employed for while the most aged individual OF all has
been making collection OF roots, the remainder nave
built rude dam and thereby formed pond or pool OF
the creek which invariably waters the sacred
enclosure The entire population OF the valley are now
summoned to the outskirts OF the sacred enclosure and
general invitation extended to all to approach and JOIN
the chiefs and magcians in the rite they are about to
perform it being understood however, that no man, I'M
der penalty Of death shall venture to Paptpa snv VINO
mani deed, and woman who has gwen oirth 70 chG
since the preceding full In the centre OF the sacred
ground and in the vicinity OF the pool large hre is now
made, around which the multitude are congregaed The
night is clear and the and stars are flooding the
earth with light An earhen pot now placed upon the
fire. the gathered by the old chief numbering seven
varieties, placed therein also the leaves plucked by
the mag cans, when the pot is filled with water by seven
virgins, who promoted TO this honor by the appoint
men of the senior chief After the contents of the pot
have been thoroughly boiled and most bitter but medl-
cina beverage been made, all the persons present are
called upon take sips of the bitter liquid and
then directed to battle less than times in the
neighborng pool, the waters OF which have been render
ed sacred by the incantaons of the priests All these
things being done the multitude assemble around the hire
once more, and to the music OF strange wild singing,
they dance until the break of day. and then dsperse to
their several homes. The friendship of the Great Spirit
has now been secured and therefore, opportunity Of
fers the Indians proceed to loosen their ground as best
they may, and then plant their This labor IS per-
formed chiefly by the women and the planted fields
considered under their especial charge Though plant
ed the greatest disorder they keep their cornelds
trey free of weeds, and the soil Immediately around the
commonly apprehensive that calamity may beall
their crop; and by way of keeping the Great Spirit on
their sde the women have custom OF dsrobng them
selves at the dead hour of night and OF walking entirely
| around The field OF corn
| And now that the sunshine and showers of summer
performing their ministry OF good IN bringing the
Its wonted perfection may be well to make the
reader acquainted with the following facts AS the In
dams purify themselves and perform all their religious
rites only when the is at It's FULL SO do they refrain
from plucking single OF until they have par
taken OF their annual harvest or green feast This
feast on that night OF the full moon nearest to the
period when the corn becomes rlpe and, by luncheon
ored law OF the nation. man. woman or child Is ever
permitted, under penalty OF DEATH to pluck single
roasting ear So rgdly enforced is this law that many
Cherokees known to have lost their lives for dso
beylng it, while many families have suffered the pangs
OF hunger for many days, even while Their elds were
filled with corn, merely because the harvest moon had
yet arrived and they had not Pataken OF their annual
feast If a full moon should occur only one week
after the corn has become suitable to pluck, the Indians
will not touch single ear until the next moon even 1t
should then be hard to require pounding before be-
ing suitable for food During the rpening period the
corneds watched with most jealous care, and the
first stock that throws out It's silken plume Is designated
BY distinguishing mark. In assigning reasons for this
peculiar care the indians allege that until the harvest
feast has taken place the corn Is exclusively the property
of the Great Spirit, and that they only its appointed
guardians and they also maintain that when the corn Is
pucked before the appointed moon has arrived the field
which has thus been respassed upon Is sure to be pros
ated by storm, be afflicted by the rot; and where
fore it is that they always greatly alarmed when they
discover that cornteld has been touched as they say,
by the Evil One.
| But the harvest moon is near at hand, and the
chiefs and medicine have summoned the people OF
the several villages to prepare themselves for the
umnal festival Another spot of ground is selected, and
the sancttyng ceremony performed that was per-
formed in the previous spring. The most expert hunter
in each village has been commissioned to obtain game
and while he is engaged in the hunt the people OF his
village securing the blessing of the Great Spirit by
drinking, with many mystic ceremonies the liquid made
| from of the most bitter roots To be found among
the mountains. Of all the game which may be obtained
by the hunters not slngle animal is to be served up at
the feast whose bones have been broken mutated ;
nor shall rejected animal be brought within the magic
circle, but shall be given those of the tribe who, by
some misdeed have rendered themselves unworthy TO
parake of the feast. The hunters always compelled
to return from the chase at the sunset hour and long be-
fore they sight of their villages they invariably
give shr whistle, signal OF good luck, whereupon
the villagers make ready TO him with wild song
of welcome and rejoicing.
The pail of night has settled upon the EARTH
the in its glory the wach-fre has been lighted
within the magic circle, and the inhabitants OF the valley
are again assembled together in great multitude
From all the cornelds in the valley the magcans have
collected the marked OF and deposited them
the kettles with the various kinds OF game which may
have been slaughtered from the BEAR the DEER and the
turkey the opossum, the SQUIRREL and the quail The
entire night devoted to eating, and the feast not
in answer to appropriate signal from the medicine
men, the bones which have been stripped of their flesh
are collected together and pounded to kind Of powder
and scattered through the air The seven days follow
ing this feast devoted to dancing and carousng, and
at the termination of this period the inhabitants of the
valley retire their various villages, and proceed TO
gather their crops OF the sweet mare or Indian corn
pREvET Major Theodore o'II"r" and C"pt"in Re II.
1 a "