Kituwa

The ancient settlement of Keetoowah (Kituwah) or giduwa (Cherokee:ᎩᏚᏩ), on the Tuckasegee River near present-day Bryson City, North Carolina, is frequently cited as the original Cherokee city.

Cherokee oral traditions suggest that all Cherokee dispersed from Keetoowah after the migration from the Great Lakes region of the United States and southern Canada perhaps 3,000 years ago. They base this belief on cultural and archaeological evidence, but there is no consensus. It is known that the Cherokee anciently had a hereditary priesthood called the Ah-ni-ku-ta-ni. Interestingly, these were also not the ugus/owls/white chiefs or the colona/ravens/red chiefs -- in other words, though they had much power through fear, they were not the regular rulers. Almost the only thing we know about them is that they were killed off for their bullying and corruption, by the whole people. The whole population was Khotani-dihi (killer of Khotani), though it is unknown whether anyone claimed this term of honor.

The ancient site of the Mother Town Keetoowah is still visible in Eastern North Carolina in the same general area as the Qualla Boundary. Keetoowah was an ancient "mound" site and the mound is still visible at that location. Moundbuilding was not confined to the Cherokee, but was common in various Mississippian cultures throughout the Mississippi Basin, such as in Middle Tennessee. There are more extensive mound remains in Ohio and Illinois, with possible but unproven connection to the Aniyvwiya.

Some Cherokee traditionalists refer to themselves as Ah-ni-ki-tu-wa-gi (spelled variously in local Oklahoma dialects as Ki-tu-wa or Gi-du-wa), Keetoowah people. Modern Cherokee speakers can no longer translate the word "Ki-tu-wa" as the meaning of the word has been lost -- a thing that happens to names in many languages. Honoring the mother town was analogous to honoring Selu, the Cherokee Corn Mother (of the ancient Green Corn Ceremony and many other connections). Honoring of mothers is a concept that has pervaded Cherokee culture. Anciently, descent and family organization was based on the female line.

During the Green Corn Ceremony practiced by the Cherokee, one of the two social dances performed is of ancient origin, and may have originated from the mother town of Keetoowah. The dance is called "ye-lu-le" which means "to the center". During this dance, all of the dancers shout "ye-lu-le" and move towards the fire in the center of the sacred dance circle. This dance symbolizes the dispersal of the sacred fire given to the people in their ancient legends. During Green Corn ceremonies in traditional Cherokee society, the coals of new fire were carried to all the Cherokee, and used to kindle the ceremonial fires in each town, before any of the new corn could be eaten. The home fires in outlying Cherokee communities were then extinguished before the ceremonies and re-lit from the coals of the fire kindled during the Green Corn Dances.

External links

• The Pluralism Project: Kituwah Mound
• Cherokee Preservation Foundation

References

• Mooney, James (1995) [1900]. Myths of the Cherokee (Dover edition ed.). Dover Publications. ISBN 0-486-28907-9. {{cite book}}: |edition= has extra text (help)