Itse Dugalu

The rich culture that we have in common with other Cherokees is a wonderful blessing for our people.  While we have a lot in common with our not so distant relations there are some things that are different. 

The Choctaws and Creeks were not the only neighbors close to us.  We lived alongside the Niukonskas (Osage) and the Chikashas (Chickasaw) for over 100 years before the Missouri/Arkansas area was taken over.  William Dutch while living with the Niukonska was teased for his ineffectiveness at buffalo hunting and the sentencing to death of his Niukonska wife led to a long intertribal conflict between theirs and ours which is now thankfully over.      

Our culture continues to live on today with many influences from the world around us.  That does not rob us of our own heritage it enriches it.  While there are some variations from one town to the next we hope to incorporate traditions from all NCNOLT members.  On this page we will share stories and art from our own people both old and new.  Some may be similar to those of the other Cherokee nations and some may be more unique.  This is NCNOLT culture, we hope you will enjoy it.

The parable of the rattlesnake:

        It all began with a boy preparing to enter into adulthood.  Nowadays we demonstrate our maturity by completing higher education, taking on a job, marrying or doing any of a number of  combinations of these things and more. 

        In the old days there were many elements to becoming an adult and once there you were allowed a more prominent role in your village or town.  The boy in this story went up to the mountains to commune with deity to discover his own path to adulthood.  After many days of fasting (not eating or drinking), meditating and praying Utsonati the rattle snake approached the young boy.

        "Help me boy, I am too cold and I must descend from this mountain." he hissed.

        The boy looked at the snake.  "If I take you down you will bite me and I will not finish my mission."

        The snake was slow in movement and patient.  After a brief pause Utsonati responded "If you take me down I will not bite you and you may return to your quest."

        Again the boy hesitated and the snake persisted until finally the boy took pity on him and bundled the snake up and bore him down the mountain.  At the bottom of the mountain Utsonati felt his strength return to him and thanked the boy as he put him on the ground.  However, before the boy could straighten himself back up the snake flashed toward him and bit him on the neck. 

        "You said you wouldn't bite me!" moaned the boy as he stumbled backwards.

        "You knew what I was when you picked me up and bore me down the mountain."  Utsonati slithered away and the boy went westward.

This was a common story from the Dini and their neighboring tribes in the southwest and was told in different forms all throughout the country.