Contact us at: whispernthunder1@gmail.comOrigin of Hunters
~ Dawn Karima
Cherokee people consider hunting to be
an important and vital skill. My uncle Jay
Red Eagle told me this story about the
value of providing for families and tribes
through hunting.
Only one village existed in Cherokee, during the beginning of days. Selu, the woman who first brought corn to the Aniyunwiya, the Real Human Beings, was married to Kanati, the man who hunted for the whole village. Selu gave birth to one son before their second son manifested from the blood of a deer.
Selu was expecting their first child, when Kanati hunted a deer and brought it home. Selu was rinsing the blood out of the deer.
Deer blood washed out into the stream. Labor began for Selu. While Selu gave birth to her son, another baby boy sprang up from the blood of the deer. The boys were known as Wild Boy and Younger Brother.
Younger Brother was brave and courageous. Wild Boy had spiritual gifts. One day, they decided to find out where their father found so much game to hunt and meet Wild Boy's deer relatives. Their father forbid them to follow him. So, Wild Boy transformed into a bird and flew in the trees and sky above him.
Wild Boy waited while Kanati approached a large cave. Kanati pushed a large stone away from the mouth of the cavern. A deer ran from the cave. Kanati killed it and took it home to his family.
The boys now knew where Kanati discovered so much game. He could feed the whole village. They snuck secretly to the cavern and rolled the stone away. Many deer ran out and disappeared into the woods.
Suddenly, Kanati appeared. He was upset. " We have always enjoyed enough food for all. Provision has always come to us easily. Until now. Since you boys disobeyed me, every man will now have to search carefully, walk quietly, shoot straight arrows and pray to find the deer in the forest. Hunting will be hard."
From that moment on, Cherokee hunters spent their days finding food. Hunting requires patience and providence. My uncle shared this story of the old paths and the old ways. We must share these stories with our young ones.