CHEROKEE BLOOD LAW
For everything given, a price must be paid. Sometimes, it is a blood price!
Blood Law is the term for the traditional Native American practice of killing an individual for an offence to another individual, group, tribe, clan, family, etc. The offences ranged from murder, witchcraft, theft, selling land, to insult, adultery, etc. If the offending party did not surrender for justice, any member of the offended family could assess the penalty against any member of the offender's family. This could go on for seven generations. Traditionally, death would be quick if administered by the men, or by slow torture if administered by the women. Elias Boudinot, John Ridge, Major Ridge, the Vann, were said to be executed under blood law for selling land but perhaps it was for their part in the murder of Tsalsuska. When Stand Watie was targeted he fled and escaped death.
BLACK RATTLESNAKE
- One day, some Cherokee children were playing outside, when a
rattlesnake crawled out of the grass. They screamed and their mother
ran outside. Without thinking, she took a stick and killed it.
- Her husband was hunting in the mountains. As he was returning home
that night, he heard a strange wailing sound. Looking around, he
found himself in the midst of a gathering of rattlesnakes, whose
mouths were open and crying.
- "What is the matter," the man asked the snakes. The rattlesnakes
responded, "Your wife killed our chief, the Yellow Rattlesnake today.
We are preparing to send the Black Rattlesnake to take revenge."
- The husband immediately accepted their claim and took responsibility
for the crime. The rattlesnakes said, "If you speak the truth, you
must be ready to make satisfaction." The price they demanded was the
life of his wife in sacrifice for that of their chief. Not knowing
what else might occur, the man consented.
- The rattlesnakes told the man that the Black Rattlesnake would follow
him home and coil up outside his door. He was to ask his wife to
bring him a fresh drink of water from the spring. That was all.
- When the man reached home, it was very dark. His wife had supper
waiting for him.
- "Please bring me some water," he asked her. She brought him a gourd
from the jar, but he refused it.
- "No," he said. "I would like some fresh water from the spring."
- His wife took a bowl and stepped outside to get him some fresh water.
The man immediately heard her cry. He went outside and found the
Black Rattlesnake had bitten her and she was already dying. He stayed
with her until she was dead.
- The Black Rattlesnake then crawled out of the grass. "My tribe is now
satisfied," he told the husband. He then taught the man a prayer
song. The Black Rattlesnake told him, "When you meet any of us
hereafter, sing this song and we will not hurt you. If by accident
one of us should bite you, sing this song over the person and he will
recover." And the Cherokee have kept this song to this day
.
The Tsalagi believed the universe was made up of three separate worlds: the Upper World, the Lower World, and This World. This World, a round island resting on the surface of the waters, was suspended from the sky by four cords attached to the island at the four cardinal points of the compass. Each direction of This World was identified by its own color and hovered somewhere between the perfect order and predictability of the Upper World and the total disorder and instability of the Lower World.
Reprinted under the Fair Use
http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.html doctrine of international copyright law. ©
Cherokee Council on Bloodlaw
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Last Update 1/07
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