Currahee Cherokee

Currahee Cherokee

The Great Eagle

The first time I saw this magnificent bird, up close, I had come to the top of "The Mountain That Stands Alone". I was a young boy and had been sent to this spot to spend some time observing the surroundings and mysteries of this mountain. This was one of the rites of passage from boy to brave. Every boy had to prove himself as being dependable and able to share in the protection and wellbeing of his tribe. I only had my sling, knife, bow and quill of arrows, flint to start a fire, water pouch, some dried deer meat and beaver skin cover for sleeping on and under. I would have to spend many days and nights on and around this mountain providing for myself with no help from anyone but the "Great Spirits". The "Great Spirits" would make it known to me when I was ready to return to my tribe and village. As I sat there with anticipation and the light of day was giving way to darkness I had a sense that I was being watched by something or someone. Was this one or all of the "Great Spirits" watching me or was it a panther or some other animal waiting for darkness so they could attack and make a meal of me. It was then that I saw this large black and white bird with piercing eyes perched in a chestnut oak tree not far from where I was sitting. Then I saw a mass of twigs woven into the top branches of the tree. It was made in the shape of a hat, like the ones that I had seen some of the traders who came to our village wearing, except it was turned upside down. I then saw three white heads looking out over the edge of those woven twigs. I had seen this type of bird before but never this close. From time to time there would generally be two of them sailing above the waters that ran by our village. Our elders called them the "Spirits" of the sky and said that they were watching over our people as they circled overhead. These "Spirits" would show us where we could get fish from the waters. From their circling position overhead one would fold its wings, dive towards the water and just before hitting the surface would spread its wings and fly off with a fish in its claws. The one that had continued to circle overhead would then join the one that had shown us where to fish and they would disappear into the distant sky. Here on "The Mountain That Stands Alone" there was only one of these "Spirits" of the sky. Where was the other one? I rolled up in my beaver skin cover and drifted off to sleep knowing that I was being watched over. I awoke as the "Big Ball of Fire" came up from the ground in the distance for its daily journey across the sky. It was not yet light in the land below this mountain. There was still only one of the large birds and the three little white heads there on the mountain with me. As I chewed on a piece of dry deer meat I still wondered where the other large bird, that should have been nearby, was. I didn't know it at the time but I would plunder this question over the coming weeks that I would spend on and around this mountain. By watching this "Spirit" I was able to locate where to hunt and fish for my meals. I would only take what I needed to eat for that day. I would cook the meat over an open fire. There was always berries to pick and eat as I explored around this mountain. Sometimes I would have to hide in the bushes as a Creek hunting party passed by because they were our hated enemy. They would sneak into our village and steal or try to steal our horses. They would also steal our women if they found them alone and unprotected. This would always lead to death for any Creek that could be caught. On top of "The Mountain That Stands Alone" I didn't have to worry about the Creek because their villages were to the south and they only sent raiding or hunting parties this far north. They would stay in the flat land below this mountain because that is where the game and villages were to be found. After I had been here on and around this mountain for a few weeks and just as the "Big Ball of Fire" had started to rise from the ground, I was startled from my sleep by a very loud scream. By instinct I grabbed my sling and a few of the round river stones that I had selected to be used in the sling. I had become quite proficient in the use of my sling. It was my weapon of choice for hunting small game. The screams that had startled me from my sleep were coming from the "Spirit" that had been my companion here on this mountain. A very large "Cat Without a Tail" was attempting to climb up the tree that contained the nest and the three small birds that the "Spirit" had been taking care of. One well placed stone from my sling dispatched the cat from the tree and over the edge of rock to the flat land below. The following days I paid closer attention to my four companions then early one morning I noticed some unusual activity. The three small birds had emerged from the nest and were perched on its brim. I watched with wonder as the "Spirit" would leave its perch near them and glide out over the valley then come back to its perch. Soon one of the small birds followed, then another one and finally the last one. Finally the three were gliding around over the valley with the "Spirit". They circled around gaining altitude with each circle. Soon they were circling above me. Then the "Spirit" glided back to its perch in the tree, reached back with its beak and pulled a feather out, then glided out of the tree to return to circling with other three above me. Then the unexpected happened. The "Spirit" glided down to within a few feet over my head and dropped the feather that it had been holding in its beak. Then the four glided away in the direction of my village and out of my sight. The "Spirit" had given me my sign. It was time for me to go back to my village. I had earned my first feather. This would not be my last visit to this mountain. I would return here many times and I knew that each visit would hold something new for me. For now though I would return to my village and share my experience with my tribe.

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