It is told that in the early days of the Nation,
seven wise and holy men went together to a valley in the mountains
to seek knowledge of future.
Of all seven clans of the nation these men were the most truthful,
mostselfless and most heedful of the needs and well-being of all the tribes.
They carried the medicine deerskin and medicine tobacco and did
all the holy things along the way.
When they come to this valley they spread out the deerskin in the center and prayed,
saying they come with humility,to seek trueth and share it with the people.
Then they blew smoke over the deerskin, each in turn.
They watched the smoke trails for sign from God.
When this was finished they went and prophesied to the people the
marvels that had been seen.
Men would soon fly in the air,The tracks of the cherokee would someday
lead west never to return, schools to knowlede to all the people,
and in after times the young people would return from the schools
pointing rudely to the elders of the tribe, saying they were no account
because they knew nothing.
That is what the holy men told the people.
The people considered thisa long time, wondering what great wisdom
might be taught in these schools that the children should point to
the old people and talk in this way.

The Cherokee all used to haev just one name;
but when every one had to get enrolled they had to give
two names before they was given an number.
This way there would be no confusion about the people with the same name.
The Cherokee thought it was some whiteman's joke so they made up a second
name and that is how they got the names NakedHead,
Drywaters, Rattlinggrounds and Roastingears.

The legend known as "the dancing boys and the origin of the seven stars"
is retold here as it was told by West Long.
There was once seven boys who used to spend all their time dancing.
They did nothing but dance around in a circle with their drum.
Their parents tried to induce them to stop but they did not obey.
They kept on dancing.
One time their parents decided to do something about it.
They went to force them to stop.
As they got near the dancing place they saw the boys rising in the air.
And so they rose into the sky dancing, and they are there now.
The smallest star is said by some to be the drum,
but others think this star is only the smallest of boys.

Long ago before the whiteman come, the cherokee was powerful.
There was onece a sicknedd around and a lot of the people were dying.
They didn't know what to do.They looked around and could see the beautiful
mountains every where and the beautiful birds flying;
in the water they saw the beautiful fish that was good to eat.
The people thought something was wrong all this beauty and they was dying.
The people decided that there had to be someone who made all this,
and that they should send someone to look for him.
They thought that by doing this,
the person they sent would find out about the sickness that was killing the people.
So they packed seven wise men who had everyones respect,
honest men who wouldn't lie to them.
The wise men went off to the east, not knowing where they was going,
but looking for the ONE who made everything and to find out about
the sicknes of their people.
Pretty soon they heard the thunder rolling through the mountains all around them.
It went around like that about four times.
They could see the lighting flash as the thunder went around them.
There was a roaring up the mountains that sounded like lions.
The lions went around them about four times,
they could hear the lions feet pound on the mountains as they went around.
Then there was another roaring in the mountains and they heard a voic say,
"Who are you looking for?"
The wisemen said they was looking for the ONe that made every thing.
The voice spoke again. "Why are you looking for him?"They said;
"There is a lot of sickness among our people and they are dying.
We want to know what to do for our people.
"Then the voice spoke again," I am the one you are looking for.
I created everything.
And the medicine in the bark of the trees,
and in the weeds that have leaves and roots, and the barries.
"The seven wisemen went back to the people.
They could see medicine everywhere.They looked, all along the way.