Cherokee Stories of the Turtle Island Liars' Club
Teuton, who grew up outside the Cherokee community in which his mother’s family had lived since the Trail of Tears of 1838–39, went home and met the four Cherokee storytellers who comprise the Turtle Island Liars’ Club. Together, they produced the first collection of Western Cherokee storytelling in more than 40 years—their way of expressing how a vital Cherokee worldview continues to be viable. After a brief summary of Cherokee history, Teuton presents 40 stories that have been passed on through many generations and weaves them together with the storytellers’ personal anecdotes. The tales are grouped into four chapters. Beginnings presents stories of the origins of the Cherokee in the Pleiades constellation. Movements includes stories of how the clans moved over the centuries, physically and metaphorically. Teachings tells how the world was made and how animals came to be as they are today. Teuton concludes with The Wondrous, stories of how the spiritual and natural worlds interconnect. This important collection is a valuable resource for keeping ancient traditions alive now and in the future. --Deborah Donovan