Shamanism
Shamanism is rooted in the belief that a single person can communicate with spirits and influence their actions. The Cherokees had Shamans within their villages who performed many different rituals. They were considered the spiritual leaders of the villages. It was believed that they could speak to spirits in order to find a solution for earthly issues such as disease, drought or conflict. As the Cherokee people believed that spirits from the Upper World were benevolent and yearned for balance and harmony while the spirits from the Under World's desire was to disturb the harmony, this was a very significant figure in Cherokee culture.
Along with the elevated status of a shaman came great responsibility. It was considered the shaman's duty to not only communicate with spirits, but educate the tribe regarding the religious stories, heal the sick, and conduct protheses, All of these duties required rituals of the shaman which the Cherokees longed to keep as secrets from outsiders.
As time passed, the Cherokee people seemed to attempt to assimilate into the European settler's culture. However, shamanism is still alive on Cherokee reservations today. In the aspect of the healing portion of a shaman's duties, it is not nearly as popular as it once was due to the competition of modern medicine. However, the Cherokee people may trust in their shamans more than modern medicine. As with any culture, they will trust their own practices before other cultures. Another European cultural aspect that affected shamanism is the Christian faith. Although many Cherokee people are now Christian, some are known to still believe in the power of the shaman as well. It is not uncommon for a Cherokee person to prescribe to both faiths. This adaptation of their faith to respond to the European influences may have a huge effect on it's survival through the centuries.
Special Note: The picture displayed on this page is of a Sioux Indian shaman. I was unable to find an image of a Cherokee shaman.
Along with the elevated status of a shaman came great responsibility. It was considered the shaman's duty to not only communicate with spirits, but educate the tribe regarding the religious stories, heal the sick, and conduct protheses, All of these duties required rituals of the shaman which the Cherokees longed to keep as secrets from outsiders.
As time passed, the Cherokee people seemed to attempt to assimilate into the European settler's culture. However, shamanism is still alive on Cherokee reservations today. In the aspect of the healing portion of a shaman's duties, it is not nearly as popular as it once was due to the competition of modern medicine. However, the Cherokee people may trust in their shamans more than modern medicine. As with any culture, they will trust their own practices before other cultures. Another European cultural aspect that affected shamanism is the Christian faith. Although many Cherokee people are now Christian, some are known to still believe in the power of the shaman as well. It is not uncommon for a Cherokee person to prescribe to both faiths. This adaptation of their faith to respond to the European influences may have a huge effect on it's survival through the centuries.
Special Note: The picture displayed on this page is of a Sioux Indian shaman. I was unable to find an image of a Cherokee shaman.