This book, the first major new collection of Cherokee stories published
in nearly a hundred years, presents seventy-two traditional and
contemporary tales from the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians in North
Carolina. It features stories told by Davey Arch, Robert Bushyhead, Edna
Chekelelee, Kathi Smith Littlejohn, and Freeman Owle - five Cherokee
storytellers who learned their art and their stories from family and
community. The collection also includes a story presented in the
Cherokee language and syllabary, translated by tribal interpreter Marie
Junaluska. The tales gathered here include animal stories, creation
myths, legends, and ghost stories as well as family tales and stories
about events in Cherokee history. The stories in this collection not
only reflect Cherokee beliefs and values, they also show that Cherokee
culture is alive and strong in the hearts of the people.