Please be patient with us . Wado
Osiyo, We are all related
What a great Gathering! We know that over 80 people attended. We pigged
out on roast pork, beef , buffalo and elk! People from North Carolina, Texas,
Montana, California, Oklahoma, Oregon and Washington joined us, including
people from all three the Pacific Northwest District towns were here. What a time to
get acquainted and enjoy each other and contribute our knowledge of our heritage.
We were especially honored by Grandmother RedLeaf, our Tsalagi Beloved
Woman, and Nancy Longwalker who traveled from North Carolina to add their
knowledge and grace to our Gathering. What an experience for so many of our
people to be able to get to know these ladies.
A favorite friend from Montana, Jack Gladstone, the Blackfoot singer,
historian, and teacher, joined us with a short concert on the back porch Saturday
night. His daughter and son who are part Cherokee signed and sang for us with
him.
We were blessed with many special people who traveled far to contribute. All I
can say is thank you to each and everyone of you.
And thank you to everyone who took added time to help build the new
seven-sided Arbor in the meadow. It was used for several ceremonies as well as a
men's seminar and a women's society meeting. The images representing all seven
clans hung under the boughs, and cut log seats ringed the circle. (Next year we
will need to add an outer ring of seats, too.)
Yes, we did make some mistakes, but we have learned from them. We did
much more that turned out right, thanks to such effort from all our people.
We were blessed at various times by an elk brother and his family, a moose
sister and her calves, brother bear left his sign in the meadow, and the song dogs
serenaded us at night.
Before it was over on Sunday afternoon few people wanted to leave. In fact a
few stayed until Tuesday before going home. They helped us to clean up and set
the place in some type of order. The biggest question seemed to be what date
next year's Gathering would be. We hadn't planned that far ahead, this is only the
second Gathering the Many Waters Town has held.
We are very grateful for the way our people stepped up to make this
celebration an event to remember. We can not count the hours so many worked in
the weeks before as well as the hard work making the Gathering go so smoothly.
Thank you All!
Wado.
We are all related!
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Greetings, My Sisters
First of all, Thank you so very much for all your help and support at the Gathering. Special thanks to the
younger members who worked so tirelessly to keep the coffee pots full from dawn to late at night. Without them I
could never have kept on going, and someday I may even find all the cups I left scattered around the meadow.
(And thanks to all of you who did find most of them and get them in to be washed.) And the food, not all of it
cooked just by the women, was wonderful. We had plenty of food, and next year we will have even more plates to
put it on. I think there was always someone washing dishes.
We held our meeting in the new Arbor. All the women at the Gathering were invited, from ages 78 to exactly 1
year old. Our discussion involved the events of the Gathering, and we went around the circle, everyone speaking
in turn. Nearly all had something to say about how much they were getting from our weekend, not only the new
knowledge gained, but the sharing of being Tsalagi together. I know that for many people, it was the first time they
could celebrate this part of their heritage with so many others like themselves.
Many women had made a special effort to make and wear the Cherokee chosen traditional dress, and they
were bright and beautiful to see. While this dress is not necessary, for those who wish to wear it, I am always
available to help in its creation.
Issues were discussed, not only at the meeting but at other times during the Gathering. One point that was
made is that we need to address especially the needs of the young people, even the very young. Last year we had
one child at the Gathering, this year they were everywhere. We will have special programs set up for them next
year. They do need to be introduced to the protocols of Tsalagi behavior and the reasons behind them. For
instance, the ways that we show respect to the elders such as first at mealtime. There were also requests for
information about these things for the older people as well, since so much is new to all of us. There were requests
for songs we could learn.
We need to remember that if we are working with our mission of bringing together, there will always be people
who are just starting to learn and wish guidance every year, adults as well as children will experience new things.
As we welcome newcomers, all of us also have a mission to help in explaining our cultural ways. We will need to be
tolerant of mistakes, heaven knows I make enough of them, and remember that we are all trying as we learn. On
our web page we will have a section for children to ask questions about our culture, please read them and if you
can contribute an answer, write in. Perhaps there also ought to be a place for adults to send their questions, too.
But if there is any question I might to able to answer, or find the information for you, please email me
(gabegabel@hotmail.com) and let me know. I've met a lot of people a lot smarter than I am and I know how to
contact them. I also welcome any feedback you have about the Gathering. We are all trying to make next year's
Gathering even better for all.
This year's Gathering was tremendous. Many of us found a spiritual connection that we had not expected. It
was a time of insight and growth that will continue the rest of the year.
My love to you all. May you walk in beauty,
Gabe
During the Gathering, we received many blessings. The weather, an abundance of good food, and the coming
together of our People. The Gathering in September brought together the people of our town as well as many from
all over the nation. I speak gratitude to you all for this Gathering. First, to Emmette and Gabe, for sharing their
beautiful home. Second, to all those who supplied the sweat equity that made our Gathering possible: Emmette &
Gabe, Roger & Judy Black, Brett Perkins, Will Stringfellow, and Bubba Jack Rhodes. You all went above and
beyond expectations in your contribution to the People. And lastly, to all who travelled to be with us, to share in our
celebration of the bounty of Mother Earth, family, and friends, Wado. Having so many Elders and leaders from the
other Districts share this time with us, was not only a blessing, but strengthened us as a whole People. The Many
Waters Town was truly blessed by your presence.
The Gathering brought together many old faces, but also blessed us with an abundance of new friends and
relatives. It was extremely pleasant to see so many of our young people here this year. Without our young adults
and children, we are a lost people. Only through them do we continue to live, to grow, and to survive.
The Gathering brought us another blessing this year, that to me was unexpected, but very much appreciated. It
has been many years since I have had the opportunity to spend so much time within a circle of Women. The
Gathering gave us all the chance to do what women have always done. We were able to do what Cherokee women
have done for centuries—bond together and celebrate in Woman’s Power. We worked together for the benefit of
the People; we cooked, we laughed, shared tears, shared some the old ways, and learned more about the ways of
our People, and shared goals and dreams for the future of our families, our Town, our Tribe, and our People. We
were able to reaffirm the strength that we, as women, possess. I cannot express how much gratitude I have for all
my Sisters. I don’t know if the men had as much fun as we did. But, I know that I am looking forward to the next time
I can be together with, and be blessed by all these amazing women who were gathered here.
My life is certainly richer for having attended the Gathering and having been blessed by each and every one of you.
Again, Wado, my Relatives.
Walks In Water