After a while, he started to get lonely, and he set out to find her. The animals guided him but he grew tired and worried. He heard a voice that told him, "I will try to slow First Woman down." With that, the Great Spirit tried to get the woman's attention with vines filled with grapes, and then with wild cherries that hung low on the trees. First Woman was still so mad she paid no attention.

So the Great Spirit created a berry that grew on the ground with an irresistible fragrance. First Woman smelled the berries, then reached down and picked one of the red heart-shaped fruits. She ate many of the berries as she filled her basket with others. The sweetness reminded her of her love for her husband, so she headed back to find him and share these wonderful fruits. The two met on the path and embraced, and all anger was forgotten.

Cherokee woman always keep at least one jar of strawberry jam in the house all year round as a reminder of our love for one another.

The first new moon of Spring is a renewal time for the whole of creation. It is celebrated at a time when Mother Earth comes to life again. It's a time of thanksgiving and Spring rains that help purify our spirits. And it is a great time to let go of anger, and to rejoice in the coming of a new season.

The white strawberry flowers appear on this perennial herb in April. By June, the fruit begins to ripen. There are three native species of strawberries that grow in fields, prairies and open woodlands. Its genus name is Fragaria, referring to its fragrance.

Indians throughout the Americas eat them fresh or dried, baked into breads and boiled into jams. Strawberry juice has shown antibacterial properties and it was used in the past to treat typhoid. The berries have been eaten for scurvy, as a tonic and as an old time remedy for gout. The leaves have been used by the Cherokee to treat bladder and kidney ailments. Many tribes, including the Potawatomi, have used the leaves to treat diarrhea and stomach upsets because of their astringent qualities. The Chippewa used a decoction of the root for cholera, and the runners were used by the Seneca to treat tuberculosis. Tribes from the western U.S. employed the roots to cure gonorrhea and correct irregular menses.

Wild strawberries appear in our ancient stories, and have influenced our perception of the world. The Blackfeet call a sacred place, "Oht-tchis-tchis" or Strawberry Hill, and the Iroquois eat the berries during Spring ceremonies.

Strawberries are in the Rosaceae or Rose Family. Remember, sweet-smelling herbs are good for the spirit, like Sweetgrass is. Rose is always associated with love and sweet spirits, so whether you're feeling happy or angry, strawberry tea is great for the spirit (one teaspoon fresh or dried leaves to one cup hot water). It is the natural way to help us achieve the harmony and balance we strive for, which we can only embrace through the communal spirit of cooperation and sharing. Everything, including the strawberry, is a gift from the Creator to be treated with respect and gratitude, so that we can feel our sense of belonging to "all our relations."