Ceremonial Pipe
The ceremonial pipe was used for times of difficult decision making. It was a of asking the Great Spirit for guidance and help with the decision that must be made. The head of the pipe was carved in the shape of the an animal. The animal was determined by the clan you were apart of. The pipe was lit by the Sacred fire and shared among the council circle. It was said that once you took a puff of the pipe, you would only speak the truth and what the Great Spirit was telling you.
Fire
Fire was a gift to man from the Great Spirit and it separates man from animal. The fire can only be lit by a priest and more specifically a member of the Ani-Wodi clan (the fire keepers/priests). The fire has to be lit from Oak wood and if it is not, it can only bring bad luck to the clan. The priest is to light the fire in a specific manner in order to satisfy the Great Spirit. The priest starts by lighting a twig and offers the smoke to the North, East, South, West, Upward to the heavens, Downward to the Mother Earth, and Inward to the center (self) for purity.
The Cougar and Owl
In the Cherokee Creation story, the owl and cougar are the only animals able to stay awake during the seven days it took the Great Spirit to create the world. All the other animals fall asleep. Because of this, the Great Spirit blessed the owl and cougar with the ability to see in the dark. Sometimes owls can be mistaken as cats when their feathers ruffled and they are walking along the ground. This is said to be a way of honoring his brother, the cougar.
The Little People
The Little People are sent to the Cherokee people by the Great Spirit. There are three different kinds of Little People; The Laurel People, the Rock People, and the Dogwood People. The Rock People are the ones that believe in getting even. They are the ones that snatch up children but only if they are in the Rock People's territory. The Laural People are mischievous and play tricks on people. When a baby laughs in their sleep, it is the Laurel People making them happy. The Dogwood People are the ones that are good and take care of people. When a warrior come back from war, the Dogwood People helped them back.
The Keetoowah's bible
The Keetoowah bible is not written on paper. It is woven into seven wampum belts which are shown only in rare occasions. The belts are very old, and are made of pearls and shell beads, woven with seaweed fibers from the Gulf of Mexico. The history behind the bible comes from a battle the Cherokee people had against another tribe. It is said that the medicine man knew the outcome of this battle and gave each leader of the seven clans a strip. It was given to be a protection from the Great Spirit during the battle. They were scattered, hidden, and lost after the battle but recovered and given to the high priest of the Cherokee clan.
