Itse Dugalu

                            We Are Not Yet Conquered

       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/ Wahzha'zhis (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.

                              (Spiritmask by Pitter Seabaugh, skull by Lil Angel)

                               Living a Lie

         To die a Cherokee or to live a European

       The Northern Cherokee people were thought of as illegal aliens in this part of the United States for quite some time.  Since 1820 Indian culture (and race) was illegal in the state of Missouri.  The civil war of the Cherokees made it impossible for us to reunite with our Eastern and Western relations and so our ancestors found it easier to remain in the different districts of the Old Louisiana Territory and claim Italian and Black Irish/Dutch heritage for many generations.  Many of us continued to be Cherokee and just didn't shout it from the roof tops.  We survived, kept together and made do in the New America under the New laws without accepting handouts as a whole.  When the Indian extermination laws were officially repealed back in the 1970's and the government of the United States was looking to reorganize Native Tribes senior members of the Northern Cherokee stepped forward and let our story be known. 

       "There aren't any Indians in Missouri!" has sounded like a trumpet ever since. 

       The years go by and we work together to take back what was  denied to our ancestors.  The BIA is working with us to restore our federal recognition status and give us back legal rights to our connection to our ancestors.  Citizens of the Eastern,  and Western Cherokee tribes as well as those from other Indian Nations as individuals have been helping us in preserving our culture and we continue to do the best with what we have.  We serve one another and work together to carry one another's burdens.  We are family.  We practice and share the old dances and beliefs and we sing our old songs but we also live in the present.  We work, we contribute time and energy to local organizations and charity.  We watch movies and play video games.  We are not a relic, we are a dynamic part of humanity.  We have ancestors and we will have descendents but we will always be Aniyvwiya. 

                   Coyotes and Wolves

                                                                                           Marriage is an almost universal element to human cultures and comes in various forms.  It is often defined in American culture as the union between a man and a woman enduring ideally until death do you part.  A new trend has re-arisen in the beginning again from some time in the past of not remaining faithful in marriage.  Marriage is not easy and never was but the change in circumstances is the attitude toward the binding of marriage, not the nature of marriage.  Like the coyote we find ourselves feeling that the changing of partners is the key to happiness.  We enter into the union and we find ourselves quite content to move on and quite literally uproot ourselves and our families.  The coyote does not leave because of the abuses of it's mate, it leaves because the season has passed.  

       The wolf however mates for life.  Circumstances can and sometimes do alter certain arrangements but generally through thick and thin they work together for the betterment of the pack.  Perhaps this is the reason that wolf populations tend to deplete the competitor coyote populations under natural circumstances.  Coyotes are not pack animals, they are the 'lone wolves.'   What about Cherokees?  Are we a nation of Wolves or a nation of Coyotes?  What do we want to make of ourselves? 

"Life is not meant to be begun with all the right answers and decisions.  The goal should be to make sure that you end it better than how you started it."

 Daniel and JJ Seabaugh from the SEMO district have been expressing themselves in a relatively new rock band called Improv of 7 Dying Men.  To see them perform their single "The Green House" you can follow the link underneath.  Modern music is still a part of our culture and there are many musically gifted members in the nation that express themselves in different ways.  Daniel is the singer/lyricist and JJ the drummer.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28h_sEV2L4E

                     Truth

       The world we live in is part of the greater truths of the universe.  Truth exists in all that we see, feel, hear or perceive.  The winds teach us about the winds without speaking a word, they simply are winds.  The ground does not tell us that it is the ground, it simply is the ground.  The mountains and the trees, the sky and its celestial inhabitants are all what they are and they teach us truth by being.  We as human beings often forget that there is more to be learned by way of experience than by spoken word.  

       All of existence is at our beckoning call ready to teach us.  All knowledge is forever around you and no truth can ever be lost when you realize what it is that you are facing.  We grow more by watching for answers than by hearing them.

                      Planting a Peace Tree together     

        On the 4th of November New Toogaloo Councilman Eric Lancaster had an opportunity to meet with the employees of Frito Lay/ Quaker Oats in Columbia, MO to talk about caring for the environment in preperation of National Recycling Day which will be on the 15th of November.  The event was a success and was uplifting for all people involved.  Northern Cherokee Citizen Anna Hampton (pictured on the left) cooked fry bread and baked molasses cookies for people to sample while Lakota/Cherokee descent John Cayou (pictured on the right) cooked buffalo stew for sampling between conferences.  Eric met and talked with many Frito Lay/ Quaker Oats associates and talked about ways to promote the environment and ways that different tribes throughout the United States have been involved.

       In recent years Frito Lay/ Quaker Oats has been a large force in movements toward taking care of the environment and in recognizing diversity amongst its employees.  This event was sponsored by the Native American diversity group RISE and the Northern Cherokee were asked to get involved because of our preexisting impact on the community.  The assumption was made that as Native Americans we are interested in making sure our planet is taken care of and rightfully so.  We recognize the efforts made by all races, creeds and tongues in taking care of the environment and we feel strongly that this great work can be done; one soul at a time if need be.  Thanks to everyone involved!

For more on National Recycling Day in Missouri you can visit the following site:

http://www.mora.org/

      Fraudulent Tribes and The Northern Cherokee

       In the last 30 years many groups of people have begun emerging claiming to be Indian governing bodies.  The Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma has teamed up with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians to work together to preserve their heritage and protect it from misrepresentation and theft.

       The Northern Cherokee Nation of the Old Louisiana Territory agrees with their efforts on many fronts.  We do not take issue with their concern with the numerous groups of people claiming to be Cherokee Nations.  We understand that Cherokee heritage does not a nation make.  We also believe strongly that at this time it is the responsibility of the Bureau of Indian Affairs to sort through and deal with each individual group that is either petitioning for Federal Recognition and especially those that are not.  We respect the recognition process that has recognized 564 Indian nations and done it's best to preserve Native America. 

       We are aware that we are being monitored for fraudulence by the Cherokee Task Force and we are willing to work with those involved towards clearing up any concerns.  We still believe at this time that we will meet the requirements established by the B.I.A. and we continue to operate as best as we can as a body of Indians organized and working for the common good of it's citizenship.  We continue to do so without benefits that are afforded to other groups throughout the United States by the United States government, without the help or intention of using Casinos or the Tobacco industries.  We have done so for nearly 30 years in the public eye and many years before that. 

       We respect the laws of all Federally Recognized Indian Tribes.  These governing bodies have established the laws of the land for many years, predating the current United States government.  We have been informed that two of the three federally recognized Cherokee Nations have stated that they wish us to remove the word "Nation" from our name.  At this time the B.I.A. knows us and refers to us as the Northern Cherokee Nation of the Old Louisiana Territory and we cannot yet change this part of our name without causing additional confusion.  We are taking steps towards respecting the decision of those Nations and a major part of this movement has been the completion of our petition for federal recognition.  The sooner the B.I.A. makes a ruling the sooner we can take the next steps. 

       The same two Cherokee Nations have also stated that Cherokee heritage groups are not discouraged.  If we, The Northern Cherokee, are ultimately not federally recognized we will immediately begin taking steps to reorganize as one under the guidance of the Cherokee Nations.  We strongly encourage our citizens to consider condoned heritage groups as an alternative to joining other "Nations" that are not federally recognized.  If in doubt contact one of the Federally Recognized Tribes and ask for a listing of heritage groups that they support.  Regardless of the decision made by the B.I.A. in the near future we believe that it is important that all people of Cherokee descent work in harmony with the Federally Recognized tribes and not against them.

    Cherokees, teepees, war bonnets and princesses

      
        The Cherokee people did not ever collectively live in teepees.  They constructed relatively permanant houses, a summer and a winter house, usually right next to each other.  We encourage our citizens and our neighbors to learn more about these dwelling. 

      In a similar way some of our members have developed a fondness for the plains indians' head dress the 'war bonnet.'  Again that is not a Cherokee design in much the way that Nike tennis shoes are not Cherokee. 

       As for Matoaka, called Pocahontas in modern media, she was not a Cherokee woman.  All of her descendents have been documented and can be researched.  Pocahontas seems to have been used by many people like the pejorative "squaw" to indicate an Indian woman.  If you have been told that you are a descendent of Pocahontas you may want to consider seriously the possibility that the actual meaning of being related to Pocahontas is simply that you are of American Indian descent. 

       Indian Princess is an interesting expression.   Although the Sauk nation had a form of leadership that was passed down by heredity the Cherokee people lived in a society that is more comparable to a modern day democracy or confederacy.  There wouldn't have been a single President, but a Red and White *President* per town.  Each town had it's own body of leaders that worked together to maintain the peace.  The Red President would work to maintain the peace with other towns and nations and the White President would govern over the needs of the people within the town.  Because these positions were elected and not necessarily life long positions you'll find that far enough back in anyone's family history there is bound to be someone who was the daughter of one of these Presidents.  It's almost inevitable.  Well respected women were called the Beloved Women.   

*President comes from Latin and means a person that is presiding.  In town meetings the leader of the Cherokees or Ugvwiyuhi presided and was therefore a President.  Chief is also an accurate translation but I choose to use President to make the concept more accessible to our modern day readers.

There is no more pride in leadership than in any other part of a community because it is only one part of the whole.  "A head with no body makes an excellent ball."

A weekend with Memaw and Pawpaw

Once Sunday arrives it's not planned or manditory but a visit to Grandma's (or as she prefers to be called Memaw's) house is in the forecast. A card game or board game at Memaw's house is one of the family's favorite ways of getting together for the weekend.  Family from Cape Girardeau to Sikeston (and sometimes further) pop in to visit with the matriarch and the games begin.  Mao Mao and Wah Hoo are two of the most common ventures, the first being a card game and the second being a home made board game made to look like the original (featured below).  Family members crowd the small wooden table and tease and compete with one another in hopes of getting the upper hand.  The primary goal is having the lucky color for the day.  Memaw swears that red is the color of victory while Pawpaw (Grandpa) swears the color green has always been the winning color.  Since those two colors are always spoken for all the rest of us get to duke it out for blue and yellow. 

       Although she has diabetes Memaw usually has a "sodie" and some home baked food to eat while we play and a myriad of stories to tell about the family and her own life experiences.  After a few games and a little blood letting we usually retire to the living room where Pawpaw turns on his Boxing programs and we look at pictures from family near and far and talk about anything and everything that Memaw feels like discussing while the kids play in the middle of the floor with a box full of toys.  No badmouthing or complaining allowed, however, and pessimism gets cut off quick with a healthy dose of teasing.  We spend more time talking about religion (most of the family is from different variations of Christianity) and politics.  Lots of jokes and bragging balance the quick tempers of the family and keep the mood nice and easy especially after a particularly good hunting or fishing trip.  Bed time tends to coincide with sunset so we know when it's time to go based on the sun's position in the sky. 

The board is looked at as an attempt to glorify the heritage, not to make fun of us.  We don't tend to look for excuses to get offended in our family.  New versions of the board game show different groups of knights as the heroes.

       In each of the districts of our nation we have our regular meetings where we are striving to build fellowship and strengthen bonds between our citizens.  Attendance is not mandatory but is often a rewarding experience for those who can make it.