Things the Cherokee believed were not to be done

There are some plants and animals that should not be ordinarily be killed. It is forbidden to kill an eagle, wolf, or rattlesnake. There were and few people who are trained specialists that deal with killing a wolf, eagle,or rattlesnake. Specialists for taking Eagles come from the Bird Clan and specialists for killing wolves come from the Wold Clan. It is rarely done but sometimes they are hired to do this. The reasons for it being done vary but one of the main reasons is to acquire certain parts of these animals for ritual and ceremonial use. Certain rituals, ceremonies, and dances require this. The Eagle Dance, for example, require use of eagle feathers, as to plants, the killing of evergreens is generally avoided but sometimes these are harvested and used for ceremonial purposes. When this is done it is done by people who know what they are doing. by people who are aware of the proper forms of ritual associated with the taking of an evergreen. It is more common for part of an evergreen to be properly taken and used for medical or ceremonial use than the entire plant. For example, in some cermonies pine bough are thrown onto the fire. In many families sometime sprigs of cedar or pine needles are put into the pot of hot coals, this produces a smoldering affect giving of a great quanity of pungent smoke which is used for purifacation. Evergreen wood is never used for common tools or firewood. Like the evergreen, ginseng, is a sacred plant and is respected. When seeking ginseng the first three or four plants are passed by, when the desired plant is found and uprooted with proper prayer some beads are placed in the hole. Any offering would realy suffice but traditionally red beads are used for this.

The Cherokee regard the rattlesnake as the chief of the snake tribe and fear and respect him accordingly. Few Cherokee will venture to kill a rattlesnake, unless they cannot help it, and even then the must atone for the crime by craving a pardon of the snake's ghost either in their own person or through the mediation of a priest, according to a set formula. If these precautions are neglected, the kinsfolk of the dead snake will send one of their numbers as an avenger of blood, who will track down the murderer and sting him to death. No ordinary Cherokee dares to kill a wolf, if he can possibly help it; for he believes that the kindred of the slain beast would surely avenge its death, and that the weapon with which the deed had been done would be quite useless for the future, unless it were cleaned and exorcised by a medicine-man. However, certain persons who know the proper rites of atonement for such a crime can kill wolves with imunity, and they are sometimes hired to do so by the people who have suffered from the raids of the wolves on their cattle or fish-traps.

Men who are preparing for war must avoid sexual intercourse for four days prior to leaving and four days after returning. During these periods they will undergo purifaction. This same rule is heeded for going on a large hunt.

After killing a deer the hunter should cut out the hamstring and leave them behind. He should not leave them in the meat. He should also not leave without offering prayer for pardon to the deer. He should use the tip of the deer tongue as an offering of thanks by putting it in the fire. It is also common for people to throw some of the meat from every meal to the fire for as an offering of thanks.

Women who are pregnant should avoid eating squirrel, speckled trout, rabbit, and they should be sparing with salt. They should not loiter in doorways or wear anything tied around their neck such as a neckerchief. For three months after birth the mother should not prepare meals for her husband and should avoid sexual intercourse with him, she should avoid touching him in general.

Young children should not touch moles.

Women in their moontime(going through the menstral cycle)should be seperated from the community by going to stay in a house built by the community for this purpose, they should remain there for the duration of their menstration. Women in their moontime should avoid men, they should not be upstream or upwiind from them and should never touch them or prepare food for them, they should never take part in any community ceremonies. At the end of the bleeding they should be purified by sweating and going to water before re-entering the community. This is not disrespective to the woman in any way, quite to the contrary. This is done because of great respect for women with creative powers they possess. A menstrating womans presence anywhere in the vacnity of a ritual ceremony could render it ineffective or could cause some other problems. A woman mentral cycle is evidence of her creative powers. It is time when they should be careful because of the strong energies they exude.

Foods from the opposing realms of this world should not be mixed. For example foods from the upper world of sky such as birds should not be mixed with foods from the lower world of water and underground such as fish.

Members of the same clan may not have sexual relationship with each other.

The mourning period last for one year during which the name of the deceased should not be spoken.