Southeastern Native American Alliance

Vol. 1; No. 2 12 October 1995

Next Executive Council Meeting: Thursday, 26 October 1995

First Quarterly Business Meeting: Thursday, 2 November 1995.
(Members only)

12 October 1995 SENAA Newsletter 2

WHITE MAN'S PROPAGANDA, OR JUST HIS INFLUENCE?

The 1975 edition of Stories of   hidden   everywhere   and may   be
the Old Cherokees, edited by F. Roy   brought out of little stones.
Johnson, is a compilation of myths     The fourth is the Great Book, and
and stories of the Tsa-La-Gi people   because of this gift the white man
collected   by James Mooney   and   has more than the Indian.   He can
others.                               build great canoes and cross great
One story recounted in the book   waters, while the red man can build
clearly shows white influence on   only small canoes and cross only
Tsa-La-Gi legends. Was "The Four   small waters.
Great Gifts" a story rewritten by     The white man learns all out of
a   white minister   to aid him in   the Great Book.   In the beginning,
converting the Tsa-La-Gi   people   when the Great Father made man, He
to Christianity?   Did a Tsa-La-Gi   had this great book which first He
convert alter the story to help   offered to the red man and bade him
convert his people? You decide, as   to read it.   But the red man could
you read the recorded version of:     not, so He offered it to the white
                                      man. At once the white man read it,
     The Four Great Gifts             and since that time he has learned
When the Great Father made man,   how to do all manner of things.
said old Aarcowee, He gave him four   Once the Indian learns how to read
great gifts.   The first is breath,   this book   he will possess its
and with it man lives until He   knowledge also.
takes it away.
The second is water, which no man   I wonder how the original story
can live without.                     went.
The third is fire which lies
                                              *         *        *

DIFF'RENT "SPOKES" FOR DIFF'RENT FOLKS

Variations, or dialects, develop   Eastern dialect, the first syllable
in every language. Tsa-La-Gi is no   is omitted, giving the word "Si-yo"
exception.                            for "hello."   The "si" syllable is
Between the Eastern and Western   pronounced "she," rendering   the
Tsa-La-Gi dialects, there are some   pronunciation "she-o."
differences in pronunciation. One     In a few cases, words are totally
difference is that there is no "J"   different   between   Eastern   and
sound in the Eastern dialect, but   Western dialects, but most cases
there is a "J" sound in the Western   are variations of the same word.
dialect.                                The words given in the previous
In the first newsletter, the back   newsletter were Western dialect.
page was devoted to the Tsa-La-Gi   In this issue, the same words and
Syllabary,   with an accompanying   phrases will be   given in   the
pronunciation key.                    Eastern dialect.
In the pronunciation key, the     In future "Our Native Tongue"
syllables beginning with "ts" are   columns, whenever differences exist
given two possible   sounds, one   between the two dialects in a word
being a "J" sound.                    or phrase, the Eastern rendition
Other differences   between the   will be given first, followed by
two dialects include variations in   the Western.
in words and pronunciation. In the       *            *            *
Western    dialect,   for   example,
"hello"   is "o-si-yo."    In the

12 October 1995 SENAA Newsletter 3

OUR NATIVE TONGUE

Syllabary Pronunciation English

Tsa-La-Gi (E.) Sa-La-Gee
(W.) Ja-La-Gee Cherokee

                                   (E.) Sa-La-Gi-Yi
             Tsa-La-Gi-Yi A-Ye-Li       Ah-Yay-Lee           Cherokee
                                   (W.) Ja-La-Gi-Yi          Nation
                                        Ah-Yay-Lee

si-yo (E.) shee-o
o-si-yo (W.) oh-see-yo Hello

do-hv-dv-ne (E.) do-huh-dun-nay
to-hi-tsu (W.) to-hee-ju How are you?

o-si-qwv (E.) oh-she-gwuh
o-si-gwu (W.) oh-see-gwoo I'm fine

i-hi-na-nv (E.) ee-he-nah-nuh
ni-na (W.) nee-nah And you?

             s-gi                  (E.) skee                 Thank you;
                                          (literally) "That's right;" or
                                                         "Yes, that's it"

wa-do (W.) wa-doe Thank you

ho-wa (E.) ho-wah "okay," or
[response to being thanked ("skee" or "wa-do")] "alright"

o-gi-na-li-i (E.) o-gee-nah-lee'-yee
(W.) o-gee-nah-lee'--ee My friend

u-na-li-i oo-na-lee'--i (his) Friend

tso-ga-li-i (E.) so-gah-lee'-yee
(W.) jo-ga-lee'--ee Friends

a-s-ga-ya ahs-gah-yah Man

a-ge-hi (E.) ah-gay-hee
a-ge-yv (W.) ah-gay-yuh Woman

ga-du-gi ga-doo-gee Society;
Labor Crew

de-ne-da-go-hv-i (E.) day-nay-dah-go-huh-hee "Until we
do-na-da-go-hv-i (W.) doe-nah-dah-go-huh--ee meet again"

12 October 1995 SENAA Newsletter 4

The following story is not to be taken as a traditional Tsa-La-Gi
story. It is intended strictly for entertainment, though it does echo
some basic philosophies. I hope you and your children enjoy this simple
tale.

VISION QUEST
by, Awohali Unega
[(c) 1995 Thomas A. Swilling]

It was on a summer day, long   emanate from the   midst of the
before   Europeans   came to this   canebrake, but look as he might,
continent, soon after Atlantis sank   he couldn't locate its source.
into the sea and the Tsa-la-gi had     Just then, an eagle's cry averted
settled in and around the Great   his attention.   Looking up, he saw
Smoky Mountains that a young boy   it soaring high above; but this
left his village and journeyed deep   eagle was different from any other
into the forest.                      he had seen. Except for its yellow
Sixteen-year-old Yo-na U-dan-ti'   beak and feet, and black talons,
(Gentle Bear) sat atop a rise in a   its entire body was snow white.
clearing in the forest to meditate.     Tucking its wings close to its
He was on a vision quest, seeking   body, the eagle plummeted toward
guidance from Creator. He had just   the earth,   straight toward the
begun his meditation when sweet,   canebrake.   Yo-na's eyes widened,
unearthly music echoed through the   hardly daring to breathe, heart
trees.                                pounding,   as the bird streaked
It drifted on the warm summer   toward earth like a shooting star.
breeze like thistle down, touching   As the eagle neared the ground, its
his spirit like a soft, caressing   immense wings and tail unfurled,
hand.   The melody was sweet and   reflecting   the   sunlight   in a
enchanting, yet as elusive as the   brilliant white flash,   blinding
rainbow.                              Yo-na.
Yo-na opened his eyes, turning     When   his sight returned,   he
his head from side to side slowly,   gasped with surprise. Amid the cane
trying to determine where the sound   sat an old man with hair as white
was coming from.   It seemed to   as the eagle.   He was dressed in
emanate from every direction at   white deerskin, yellow and black
once, yet from nowhere at all.   beaded moccasins, with seven white
Finally, he decided it was coming   eagle feathers in his hair. In his
from the East, just over a small   hands he held a piece of cane about
hill about 200 paces away.   He   the length of his forearm, with one
wanted to follow the sound, to see   end   pressed to his lips.   Tied
what creature made such beautiful   around the cane was a leather thong
music, but feared that if he did,   with   a white   eagle's   feather
he would not receive his vision.   attached to each end.
Yo-na tried hard to resist, but the     The old man's fingers   rested
music was too powerful. Rising, he   along the top of the cane, and as
ran toward it.                        he raised and lowered first one
Crouching low, he approached the   then another, the same beautiful
knoll's crest and peered down the   melody as before emanated. Yo-na
other side.   At the base of a long   was   at   once   awe-stricken and
slope was a spring pool, almost   puzzled. He had never seen such a
hidden by a stand of cane.   The   thing; and he wondered where the
music was louder and seemed to          (continued on page 5)

12 October 1995 SENAA Newsletter 5

Vision Quest,
(continued from page 4)

old man came from. He knew all the     "Take the cane that grows here
elders in his village, but he had   and make others. Give them to your
never seen this man before.   And   people. A time of great sorrow will
where was the white eagle?            come upon the Tsa-la-gi. The sacred
As if hearing his thoughts, the   songs   within this   flute   will
old man stopped and turned to look   sustain the Tsa-la-gi spirit and
at Yo-na, smiling strangely at him.   remind them that they are A-ni Yun
"Yo-na U-dan-ti. O-si-yo. To-hi-   Wi-Ya, and that Creator has put
tsu?" said the old man, as he   them here for a reason."
stood.                                  "Wa-do, White Eagle,"   breathed
"O-si-gwu. I-he-na-nv?" replied   Yo-na," and my thanks to Creator
Yo-na, approaching the old man.   for this wonderful gift."
"You speak Tsa-la-gi, but   I've     "You have been chosen to become
never seen you before. You must be   di-dah-nv-wi-s-gi -- a prophet to
from Wolf or Deer Clan -- but how   your people.   Creator has ordained
do you know my name?"                 it.    The flute you hold is a
"And how is it that you are out   medicine flute.   Its six finger
here in the forest alone, Yo-na   holes represent the Four Directions
U-dan-ti?" asked the old man.        Great Spirit and Mother Earth.   It
"I am on a vision quest," replied   is to be used only for ceremonial
Yo-na proudly, "seeking Creator's   purposes. Those which you will make
guidance and will for my life ---   for your people will have five
or I was until the strange sounds   holes, representing the five sacred
caught my attention.   Who are you,   sounds coming from the emptiness.
and how do you make such beautiful     As   Creator's breath,   blowing
music   come from that piece of   through the emptiness, created all
cane?"                                things, so with the flute.   Breath
The old man smiled at Yo-na,   blown through the emptiness of the
holding the object out for him to   flute creates sacred, healing music
see.                                  for body and spirit.   Now, Yo-na,
"I am A-wo-ha-li U-ne-ga, and   let me teach you its secrets."
this is no ordinary piece of cane,"     Yo-na placed his fingers on each
he said.   "It is a flute.   Within   of the six holes along the top of
it live the songs of all the birds,   the flute.   Putting one end to his
all of the ceremonial songs of the   lips, as he had seen the old man
Tsa-la-gi, and every song that will   do, he blew gently into it.   The
ever be sung by them. It holds   mellow,   sweet sound   seemed to
within it the past, present, and   penetrate to his very soul. His
future. Take it, Yo-na U-dan-ti."    fingers   seemed to instinctively
The old man placed the flute into   know what to do, and with little
Yo-na's hands. Yo-na cradled it as   help from A-wo-ha-li U-ne-ga, he
if it were   the   world's   most   was soon playing the sacred songs
valuable   treasure,   running his   of his people.   Yo-na also learned
fingers lightly over its surface in   new songs with which   he could
admiration.                           summon help from the spirits, and
"The flute is a gift to you and   from Creator Himself, when needed.
your people. Creator has sent me to   He closed his eyes as he played,
give it to you and to teach you how   enthralled by the flute's delight-
to use it.                            ful sounds.    (contued, page 6)

12 October 1995 SENAA Newsletter 6

Vision Quest,
(continued from page 5)

Yo-na's spirit was carried away   then turned again to A-wo-ha-li
as if on eagle's wings; soaring,   U-ne-ga, but he was nowhere to be
dipping   and   rising   with each   found. An eagle's cry directed his
melody, like an eagle held aloft,   attention skyward.   Above him, the
playing upon a breeze.                snow-white eagle rode the summer
Yo-na's spirit gently descended,   breeze,   spiraling   ever higher,
as he finished playing the songs of   until he had risen out of sight.
his people.   His eyes fluttered     "Wa-do, A-wo-ha-li U-ne-ga -- old
open.   Taking the flute from his   friend," Yo-na called after him.
lips, he looked it over admiringly.     "De-ne-da-go-hv-i: until we meet
Indeed, to Yo-na this was a most   again."
valuable treasure.                        *             *           *
He thanked Creator for his gifts,

"The Four Great Gifts," excerpted from Stories of the Old Cherokees,
pp. 27, 29. © 1975; Johnson Publishing Company; Murfreesboro, N.C.
27855.

Thanks to Bill Johnson for providing the Eastern dialect for the "Our
Native Tongue" column.