Medicine of the Cherokee The Way of Right Relationship

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Lovingly dedicated to those who have walked before us, and those yet to
come. Together, we are all dancing the Sacred Dance.
 Contents

Cover Image

Title Page

Dedication

Preface & Acknowledgments

PART ONE
(J.T. GARRETT)
THE INDIAN MEDICINE STORY: A Cherokee Perspective

CHAPTER 1—Keepers of the Secrets

FINDING SOMETHING SPECIAL
A CHEROKEE STORY: THE BOYS
A TIME FOR SHARING
IN THE BEGINNING
THE CHEROKEE STORY OF THE BEGINNING OF MOTHER EARTH
MODERN - DAY SECRETS
THE SECRETS OF THE KEEPERS

CHAPTER 2—Four Sacred Directions

THE CENTER OF THE CIRCLE
THE RULE OF OPPOSITES
LESSON FROM OUR ANCESTORS
CHOOSING A DIRECTION

CHAPTER 3—Natural Medicine Path

LEARNING TO BE HELPERS
 GETTING BACK TO OUR “ROOTS”
HERBAL AND NATURAL GIFTS
A FEW GOOD HERBS
MEDICINE OF THE SOUTH
THE EMERGING MEDICINE WAY
SAVE AND SURVIVE
THE NATURAL MEDICINE

CHAPTER 4—Physical Medicine Path

THE LIVING EARTH
THE PHYSICAL EVIDENCE
THE LESSON OF THE EAGLE
MEDICINE OF THE WEST
HOW THE REDBIRD GOT HIS COLOR
THE LESSON OF GRANDFATHER ROCK

CHAPTER 5—Mental Medicine Path

MENTAL MEDICINE
THE “BEAR” TRUTH
FIND YOUR OWN ROCK
RESPECT AND MENTAL HEALING
THE DEER AND THE BEAR
INTEGRATED HEALING
THE PATH OF MENTAL HEALING
INTEGRATED HEALING OF TOMORROW
THE MENTAL RULE OF OPPOSITES
CROSS - OVER EXERCISE
MEDICINE OF THE NORTH
THE NORTH’S BRIDE FROM THE SOUTH

CHAPTER 6—Spiritual Medicine Path

THE SACRED FIRE
SPIRIT OR SPIRITUAL
MEDICINE OF THE EAST
PRAYER/PRAYER CHANTS

CHAPTER 7—Crystal Vision and Universal Circle

 CRYSTAL HEALING
HEALING ENERGY
THE CRYSTAL VISION
THE MEDICINE VISION
THE PATH OF GOOD MEDICINE
THE UNIVERSAL CIRCLE

PART TWO
(MICHAEL GARRETT)
TO WALK IN BEAUTY: The Way of Right Relationship

CHAPTER 1—The Sacred Dance

CHAPTER 2—The Power of Relation

CHAPTER 3—All Our Relations

CHAPTER 4—The “True” Meaning of Family

CHAPTER 5—Harmony, Balance, and the Natural Flow

THE MEDICINE WHEEL

CHAPTER 6—The Way of the Circle

CHAPTER 7—Harmony Ethic

CHAPTER 8—The Principle of Noninterference

CHAPTER 9—Keepers of the Wisdom

HUMILITY
PATIENCE
TIME
BEING
SHARING IS THE BEST MEDICINE

CHAPTER 10—Open Hands, Closed Hands

CHAPTER 11—Four Elements of Right Relationship
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
ATTENTION
APPRECIATION
AFFECTION

CHAPTER 12—Between Hawk and Eagle

CHAPTER 13—Eagle Feathers and the Path of Good Medicine

CHAPTER 14—When Eagle Speaks

CHAPTER 15—Blessing Way

Bibliography

About the Authors

About Inner Traditions • Bear & Company

Books of Related Interest

Copyright & Permissions

 Preface & Acknowledgments

“Medicine is a way of life, an object or ceremony having power or control

over influences that may affect a person, and a path toward restoring
health.

—FROM THE TEXT

A small boy searches for a way to explain life with all its complexities.
His Cherokee grandfather smiles and explains life in all its
simplicities.
Many years later, another small boy talks about the simple things of life,
while his father describes how complex life is today. Inside, the father feels
the not-so-distant words of his grandfather speaking softly:

You are not just alive, you are part of all life itself. You are kin to all
things, and everything has life . . . and memory.

Things have a way of coming full circle—as a way of completing the

Circle, and creating opportunities for life, love, growth, feeling, and
learning. The wisdom of the past becomes the bridge to the future, like the
rising and setting of the Sun in a continuous motion of ageless beauty.
Healing becomes the understanding of a calm spirit, connecting the memory
of our ancestors and all living things, experiencing a sense of oneness in the
energy-flow of choice and presence through unity of mind, body, spirit, and
natural environment.
This is the wisdom of the Cherokee, and of many tribes or cultures of
people all over the world. It is more than knowledge. It is more than
understanding that comes from reading a book. It is an experience that
flows from one day to the next for a spirit among all living beings, from one
generation to the next.
This book represents many of the old stories and teachings, which have
been offered for the purpose of guiding us in our life-journey to becoming
better “helpers” for the protection of Mother Earth and all our relatives. We
feel very proud to be able to bring some of this wisdom to those interested
and willing to seek out and honor their own vision as we all walk our
individual paths. We may come from many different tribes, but we are all of
one family.

A very special thanks goes to many Cherokee Elders who have been
willing to share for the benefit of others. All of our Elders are very special
and are to be honored as beloved people for living and sharing their
experiences. A heartfelt thanks goes to family and friends who have
supported, nurtured, protected, and, in some cases, tolerated us along the
way.
We thank Barbara and Gerry Clow, our editors at Bear & Company, for
their openness and persistence throughout the process of getting this book
to publication. We especially thank Debi Duke for the illustrations that
moved our spirits by capturing our thoughts and the theme of harmony and
balance. We thank the many friends and others who encouraged us to follow
our vision for this book.
We thank a very special wife and mother, Phyllis, lovingly referred to as
“Mama Bear,” for her loving patience, humor, strength, and sense of
compassion. We thank a very special mother and grandmother, Ruth Rogers
Garrett, and her sister, Shirley Arch, for sharing their stories and their
understanding of Nature. “Mama” Garrett dedicated her life to family and
friends, as an example of being a Cherokee woman and “helper” to
everyone she ever met.
We thank a very special daughter and sister, Melissa, for showing us
that all of us have our own “Medicine,” as well as our own lessons,
challenges, and means of healing.
Last, but not least, thanks goes to you, the reader, for continuing,
renewing, or beginning this new journey for the sake of yourself and all
those with whom you are connected. May you walk the path of Good
Medicine in harmony and balance. Together, we come full circle in the
Medicine of the Cherokee, living the way of right relationship. “Wah Doh.”
 PART ONE

THE INDIAN MEDICINE STORY:

A Cherokee Perspective
by
J. T. Garrett
 CHAPTER ONE

Keepers of the Secrets

M y grandfather and I were sitting on a large rock on the edge of the

Oconaluftee River on a warm spring day. I was looking into a small
pool of water that was caught in an etched indentation of a rock. There were
small minnows moving around. My grandfather said, “What do you see?” I
was very young and he seemed tall, even sitting down. “I see the little fish
swimming around, but they have no place to go.” “Are you afraid for them
or yourself?” My grandfather would often ask two questions at once. “The
sun is hot, and I am afraid they will get too hot in the shallow water,
besides, what if they don’t get back to their parents in the river?” I often
didn’t answer the questions asked, but used it as a chance to say what else I
was thinking about. “Well, maybe they are alright in this special little pool
of water. They might get out into the large river and a larger fish come by
and eat them for dinner.” Wow, I hadn’t thought of that. “What will they eat
to stay alive and what if they stay there and grow too big for the little pool
of water?” I guess I must have learned to ask two questions as well from my
grandfather.
“Grandson,” he said, “you do not need to worry because Nature will
take care of them. Whatever happens is all part of a greater plan of life. It is
the Great One’s plan. There are things you cannot see with your eyes that
the minnows feed upon and there are larger fish that will feed upon them.
The ‘little fish’ as you call them must learn to hide in the plants until they
are strong enough to move quicker than the bigger fish. They will grow
smart and outsmart the bigger fish whose belly is too full from its own
greed. Life is like that.” Grandfather told me much more that afternoon, but
somehow, I can only remember about the little fish. That was the lesson of
the little fish. There were not many more stories to be told by my
grandfather to share with me, because he did not live long after that. I do
cherish those special moments. Little did I realize that he was one of the
keepers of the secrets. He understood about life and the story of Indian
Medicine. Knowing that he would not be able to share with me for much
longer, he made sure that I would learn the Medicine Way from other
Medicine Men and Women (whom I’ll refer to as Medicine Elders from
now on).
This story of Indian Medicine begins with the many stories that were
shared by many elder Native American teachers. There is a simple
innocence about the complex nature of Nature. As a Nachez Medicine Elder
once said to me, “It (Nature) is as it always was, but we as humans try to
change it to make it ours. In fact, we are the younger, ’cause Nature was
here before us. So we must honor Nature, and in doing so, we honor our
ancestors who realized the critical balance we have with all things.” This
chapter is about my experience and training in Indian Medicine with the
keepers of the secrets. I feel very proud to be the one chosen to tell this
story.
 Reference is made in this book to “Elders,” who are Grandfathers and
Grandmothers. This is an honorable title given to those who are respected in
my tribe and in other American Indian and Alaska Native tribes (that I will
refer to in the rest of the book as simply “Native American tribes” or
“Native Americans”). It is an honor earned with time, experience, and in
helping others. The term “Medicine” as used with “Medicine Elder” is a
reference to a Medicine Man or Woman. I am a member of the Cherokee
Indians from the mountains of western North Carolina. At the age of 52, I
was told by the Medicine Elders it was alright for me to tell this story. It
was my vision as a student of Indian Medicine to share so that anyone
interested would better appreciate Indian Medicine as more than an archaic
herbal way. The natural way and healing by self-choices promoted by
Indian Medicine are included in almost every “alternative” therapy today.
With a blend of stories and teachings, I want to share what I was taught
about the beginning of Indian Medicine.
It was my father who encouraged me to learn the Medicine. He was a
wonderful and protective Irishman of several generations in America. His
family brought a wealth of knowledge and skills in folk medicine for
survival. Mixing with the Cherokee in western North Carolina, they
survived well in the mountains. As my mother would share stories from a
Cherokee perspective, my father had similar stories from Irish mythology
and his own experiences growing up near the Eastern Cherokee Indian
Reservation. It was from this background that I realized that there are many
similarities in cultures and stories of people all over the world. My intent
was to promote a better understanding, while protecting the sacred aspects
of the Native American culture, and sharing the “Good Medicine Way” or
Cherokee traditional teachings. The purpose of Good Medicine is to bring
about peace and healing through harmony and balance. This was needed in
the beginning of time, and it is needed even more so today. Ironically, it was
my father who had lost the Irish teachings that helped me to realize why I
really needed to learn and share the Medicine Way when the time was right.
The problems and concerns we face today are staggering, with the
environmental stress and pollution, crime and violence, and other negative
influences that harm us today. In an earlier time in America, conservation
and revitalization of Mother Earth were of utmost concern because we had
to live off the land, and the keepers of the secrets were helpers to us in that
regard. These were farmers, loggers, hunters, herb doctors, mothers, uncles,
grandmothers, and grandfathers who shared with each other the secrets
learned, to help each other. Many did not have a certificate or a degree.
They have just always been here when we needed help. As one Elder said,
“We have been so busy learning and doing, that we have forgotten how to
really listen.” This book is also about us spiraling to a higher level of
awareness and understanding based upon the “spirit-learning,” as one Elder
called it. This is within each of us, as a memory from many genes and many
generations since the beginning of time. This book is about finding
something special in our lives that Native Americans call Good Medicine.
FINDING SOMETHING SPECIAL
 Do you remember finding something in Nature and saving it in a special
box or place? Maybe it was a rock, a bird feather, a crystal, or even an
acorn. You just had to put it in a special place. My first Medicine Bag—
using the term “Medicine” in the Native American way—was magical,
sacred, and special for me. Of course, there was probably something in your
special place or written in your diary that you did not want others to know.
It was personal and private to you. Well, Indian Medicine is that way for
Native Americans, as well as for many other tribes and indigenous peoples
from islands and isolated locations in the world. In this book, the sharing
will be with the understanding that specific sacred things and ceremonies
will not be revealed, but respected as being sacred to an individual tribe.
There is more than enough that can be shared that can guide us in finding
something special.
My mother, Ruth Rogers Garrett, taught me many Cherokee stories. She
taught through example to be a helper to everyone you ever meet. She
taught me that everyone is special in this life, that love has no boundaries,
and that boundaries cannot be set on love. She still has rhymes and songs
that she shares with us. I still have a strong image of her in our small flower
garden working and even talking with the herbs and plants. My first lessons
were to respect all life, protect Mother Earth, and nurture the plants and
herbs. I look whenever I go home to the Reservation to see if comfrey,
fennel, catnip, rosemary, and many of the plants that we care for are still
growing in the backyard. Sure enough, they are always there, reminding me
that life does go on. Aunt Shirley would tell me stories of the Spirit People
and teach me how to “mix Medicine” from Nature’s gifts. She knew how to
survive and knew the lessons of the animals. My Grandfather Oscar Rogers
learned as a young Cherokee how to track animals, eat food from the wild,
and recognize plants and herbs from arrowwood to yellowwood. Even my
great grandmother was an herb doctor in the Tennessee mountains, or
“hills” as they called them. Aunt Shirley learned, along with others in my
family, how to survive. While she and my mother did not have the degrees
in herbology, they were the best teachers about herbs that a young person
could have around. I was truly blessed. And they too were some of the
keepers of the secrets.
 In my youth on the Cherokee Reservation in North Carolina, my
Medicine Bag took on a new significance as I began to study Indian
Medicine. My vision was sharing some of the teachings and “bridging the
gap,” a term I will explain later in this book. My Medicine Bag continues to
change with new things replacing old things and vice versa, with the
realization that Indian Medicine is dynamic and continues to change, as
opposed to some things that will always stay the same. As a Medicine Elder
said, “Your Medicine is your life, and your life is represented by all those
things that you have said, that have been given to you, and that you have
given others, and it is all that you are. Your Medicine is all the things that
you ‘bundle’ together in the form of objects that you hold sacred to the
world.” I came to realize that Medicine, unlike the term “medicine,” is not
just a substance used in the treatment of disease or an agent used to restore
health as taught in the dictionary. The Elder said, “If you believe only what
you read to be true, then you will miss the greatest part of your Medicine,
’cause you will limit yourself to just what you see. There is much more to
life than what meets the eye.” The dynamics of the lessons taught by Native
American Elders remind us that not all understanding is in the books. There
is still much to learn and relearn in life’s lessons.
The Elder went on to explain that Medicine is a way of life, an object or
ceremony having power or control over influences that may affect a person,
and a path toward restoring health. Medicine usually includes more than the
individual; it often includes the family, clan, and tribe in a natural or
universal setting. Each person’s Medicine is sacred and powerful among
Native Americans, as it is for everybody. By learning more about our
ancient and traditional or cultural teachings, we can “bridge the gap” in our
own lives for a more healthful and balanced life.
A CHEROKEE STORY: THE BOYS
Early Indian stories are ways to communicate values and lessons that
remain dynamic, whether one thousand years ago or one thousand years
ahead. The stories are a part of our “Medicine” for values, direction, and
healing. Many stories are used in this book for you to better appreciate
bridging-the-gap in your own life. Some Elders say the Cherokee originated
from a place far away, possibly even from the stars and the “star spirits.”