Review: Michael from Norman, Oklahoma: “I began learning Cherokee with this book over a decade ago. Growing up in Illinois, I didn't have a Cherokee community around that I could learn from. Over the years this book has became absolutely invaluable to me. I have read almost all the Cherokee language books written, and this is definitely one of the best. When I finally did get to Oklahoma to work on my Master's, I was actually able to talk to Cherokees in Cherokee largely through the rules of grammar, sentence structure, etc. that this book taught me. I also learned the syllabary through this book.”

Review: Rachel in Columbia, Missouri, writes: “I taught my four children to read and speak Cherokee with this book. For years it was the only Cherokee resource we had, and we treasured it. Many people today take Native American language courses for granted, but there was a time, not so long ago, when all native languages were headed for extinction. Many still are. This book paved the way for others, and the author should be recognized for her pioneering work.”

In a time before ours, humans could talk with animals, hear whisperings from plant life, and understand the origin stories written in the stars. Survival depended on active kinship with family and tribe, with four-leggeds and plant people, with sun and moon and fire. The Cherokee, known widely as the Principal People or the First People, hold a deeply tapestried collection of stories about human interrelatedness with nature. Those stories, passed down through countless generations of Cherokee, are especially significant at this time in human history, when Mother Earth suffers under the weight of unchecked "progress." As a boy, J. T. Garrett sat beside his grandfather and the other medicine men of his tribe as they chanted and drummed the stories of his ancestry. From those stories of Nu-Dah (the Sun), Grandmother Moon, Spring Rain, and Little Eagle comes this collection of active meditations for reconnecting with the natural intelligence that is our birthright. Recognizing that we are all kin in the Universal Circle of life opens us to communication with all beings, bringing us back to our natural spirit selves. If we listen carefully to the Cherokee stories of the Old Ways we can gain understanding of lost social and spiritual traditions that can help ensure a thriving future. About the Author: J.T. Garrett, Ed. D., of the Eastern Band of Cherokee, is a public health director in North Carolina and is retired from the U.S. Public Health Service, Indian Health Service. Trained in Native American Medicine and coauthor of Medicine of the Cherokee, Dr. Garrett is devoted to presenting the old teachings of his ancestry to guide people in living the Medicine Way.

Recommended Reading: The Cherokee Herbal: Native Plant Medicine from the Four Directions. Description: A practical guide to the medicinal uses of over 450 plants and herbs as applied in the traditional practices of the Cherokee. Details the uses of over 450 plants for the treatment of over 120 ailments. Written by the coauthor of Medicine of the Cherokee (40,000 copies sold). Explains the healing elements of the Four Directions and the plants associated with them. Includes traditional teaching tales as told to the author by Cherokee Elders. Continued below…

In this rare collection of the acquired herbal knowledge of Cherokee Elders, author J. T. Garrett presents the healing properties and medicinal applications of over 450 North American plants. Readers will learn how Native American healers utilize the gifts of nature for ceremonial purposes and to treat over 120 ailments, from the common cold to a bruised heart. The book presents the medicine of the Four Directions and the plants with which each direction is associated. From the East comes the knowledge of "heart medicine"-blood-building tonics and plants for vitality and detoxification. The medicine of the South focuses on the innocence of life and the energy of youthfulness. West medicine treats the internal aspects of the physical body to encourage strength and endurance, while North medicine offers a sense of freedom and connection to the stars and the greater Universal Circle. This resource also includes traditional teaching tales to offer insights from Cherokee cosmology into the origin of illness, how the animals found their medicine, and the naming of the plants.

Reviews

"This is an outstanding book . . . disclosing the valuable information of the herbs."
(Making Scents, Winter/Spring 2004, Vol. 8 Issue 2)

"Readers will learn how Native American healers utilize the gifts of nature for ceremonial purposes."
(AZNetNews, December 2003/ January 2004)

"This book is highly recommended. If you are interested in herbal medicine, lore, and the unusual, Garrett's book should be on your reading list. Excellent."
(Lee Prosser, Ghostvillage.com, March 2006 )

"A must for every herbalist's bookshelf, or for anyone who is interested in learning about Cherokee Medicine."
(Thora Wodenshild, SageWoman, Summer 2003, No. 62 )

Medicine of The Cherokee: The Way of Right Relationship is the story of the physical, mental, spiritual, and natural aspects of humans as told through many generations of elder teaches of Native American medicine. With stories that tell about the "four directions" and the "universal circle", these ancient Cherokee teachings also offer wisdom on circle gatherings, herbs, healing, and ways to reduce stress and find harmony and balance in all our relationships. The way of our modern world can separate us from nature and make us prone to disease, signs of being on the wrong path. -- Midwest Book Review

About the Authors: J.T. Garrett, Ed.D., and his son, Michael Garrett, Ph.D., are members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee from North Carolina. As students and teachers of Indian Medicine, they draw on the ancient wisdom teachings of their Medicine Elders on the Cherokee Reservation in the Great Smoky Mountains. The Garretts have developed ways to present the "old teachings" to effectively guide people today to appreciate and understand living the "Medicine Way."

Recommended Reading: The Cherokee Full Circle: A Practical Guide to Sacred Ceremonies and Traditions. Description: A comprehensive overview of Native American spiritual principles and their application for personal spirit-healing. Includes traditional sacred exercises, teaching tales, case studies, and suggested rituals for individual and group healing. Outlines the core principals of Native American traditional values and teaches how to apply them to the contemporary path of wellness and healing. Continued below…

Publication coincided with the annual Full Circle gathering in September 2002. The Four Directions, the four seasons, and the four elements that make up the sacred hoop of the full circle must be in right relationship with one another or disharmony will result. Native American ritual has always emphasized the restoration of balance through ceremonies that provide a forum for learning, transition, and expressions of personal growth. Now, Cherokee authors J. T. and Michael Garrett share Native American traditions to explore interrelationships as a tool for growth and transformation. The Cherokee Full Circle gathers techniques representing Native American cultures from across America-stories, exercises, and individual and group rituals-to teach the inherent dynamics of right relationship and apply them to the healing path. The authors provide a comprehensive overview of Native American spiritual principles and traditions and demonstrate how these ideas and methods can be applied universally to deal with life's situations-from depression and grieving to finding purpose and establishing positive relationships. About the Authors: J. T. Garrett, Ed.D., is a member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee from North Carolina. His son, Michael Garrett, Ph.D., is the author of Walking on the Wind and together they are the authors of Medicine of the Cherokee. As students and teachers of Indian Medicine, they draw on the ancient wisdom teachings of their Medicine Elders on the Cherokee Reservation in the Great Smoky Mountains.

Recommended Reading: James Mooney's History, Myths, and Sacred Formulas of the Cherokees (768 pages). Description: This incredible volume collects the works of the early anthropologist James Mooney who did extensive studies of the Eastern Cherokee Nation (those who remained in Appalachia) at the turn of the century. The introduction is by Mooney's biographer and gives a nice overview of both Mooney and the Cherokee Nation, as well as notes on Mooney's sources. It then goes straight into the first book "Myths of the Cherokee", which starts with a history of the Cherokee Nation. Continued below...

Recommended Reading: A Cherokee Encyclopedia (Hardcover). Description: A Cherokee Encyclopedia is a quick reference guide for many of the people, places, and things connected to the 1) United Keetoowah Band of Cherokees (Oklahoma), as well as for the other officially recognized Cherokee groups, the 2) Cherokee Nation (Oklahoma) and the 3) Eastern Band of Cherokees (North Carolina). Continued below...

Recommended Reading: The Cherokee Nation: A History. Description: Conley's book, "The Cherokee Nation: A History" is an eminently readable, concise but thoughtful account of the Cherokee people from prehistoric times to the present day. The book is formatted in such a way as to make it an ideal text for high school and college classes. At the end of each chapter is a source list and suggestions for further reading. Also at the end of each chapter is an unusual but helpful feature- a glossary of key terms. The book contains interesting maps, photographs and drawings, along with a list of chiefs for the various factions of the Cherokee tribe and nation. Continued below...

In addition to being easily understood, a principal strength of the book is that the author questions some traditional beliefs and sources about the Cherokee past without appearing to be a revisionist or an individual with an agenda in his writing. One such example is when Conley tells the story of Alexander Cuming, an Englishman who took seven Cherokee men with him to England in 1730. One of the Cherokee, Oukanekah, is recorded as having said to the King of England: "We look upon the Great King George as the Sun, and as our Father, and upon ourselves as his children. For though we are red, and you are white our hands and hearts are joined together..." Conley wonders if Oukanekah actually said those words and points out that the only version we have of this story is the English version. There is nothing to indicate if Oukanekah spoke in English or Cherokee, or if his words were recorded at the time they were spoken or were written down later. Conley also points out that in Cherokee culture, the Sun was considered female, so it is curious that King George would be looked upon as the Sun. The "redness" of Native American skin was a European perception. The Cherokee would have described themselves as brown. But Conley does not overly dwell on these things. He continues to tell the story using the sources available. The skill of Conley in communicating his ideas never diminishes. This book is highly recommended as a good place to start the study of Cherokee history. It serves as excellent reference material and belongs in the library of anyone serious about the study of Native Americans.