What is the Cherokee teaching on the origin of disease and medicine?
TEACHINGS: ORIGIN OF DISEASE AND MEDICINE Cherokee story: Ref: Mooney, Eth. Ann. 19, pg 250-251, Myths of the Cherokees, modified, based on story told by Cherokee Elders. There was a time when all animals, birds, fish, plants, and all creatures lived in harmony and balance. All was at peace and all could communicate with each other as friends. Each had their own purpose in protecting Mother Earth and in being a helper. Then came the human beings. Of course, the animals and other creatures gave of their spirits so the humans could exist in this life form. Before that, they were thought to be only stars in the sky vault and without form, but light that glowed from the Great One in the Universal Circle. As the Old Ones told it, the human beings learned to use their minds of will and choice to invent knives, blowguns, spears, hooks, and bows to hunt and kill with ease. The human beings were not very considerate of the frogs on the ground or the worms they stuck a hook into to catch the fis
