Walking
Through Bones
 |
| The Old Fashion Dinner on the Grounds, Swafford Chapel Homecoming 1940's. Source Bledsoe County, Tennessee A History by Elizabeth Parbam Robnett |
As Brian Wilkes states on
the Four Rivers Chapter web page, "The month of February is called Kagali
in Cherokee, “bony.” The crunchy snow crust makes a sound like walking through
a field of bones – at least in the minds of shivering Cherokees. Those
mountains get cold! It’s also a time when a few months of preserved foods
combined with occasional game meats left many people undernourished, with a
“bony” look. It was also the time of year when it was (and still is) easy to
die from accident, exposure, or the combined effects of a life of hardship
combined with a weakened state. Those who survived until the Green Grass returned counted themselves a year
older."
I grew up in the mountains
of Tennessee and West Virginia. Every
February, my grandmother would take the whole family to the graves of our ancestors, which were in a private family
cemetery.
Amongst the ancestors, the family placed tables and chairs. The tables were loaded with food and drinks
for ALL to partake. The food and drinks
were those favorite dishes of the ancestors and family members. One chair was left empty with a plate full of
food and a cup of drink for unseen guests to join us. As well, grandmother always placed food and
drinks on the graves of the ancestors.
She
always honored them regardless of their social status during life by telling
stories using the word “late” in front of the names, as she was always careful not
to use the exact name they used in life, since this could be considered an
attempt to call them back. We would be there for hours regardless, of
the weather conditions. When grandmother was satisfied would close the ceremony and food would be left for the ancestors and "little
people" as we went to warm up and continue our day.
We are the whole of our ancestors regardless of their race,
circumstances and life styles. It is a
good thing to remember those who paved the way and sacrificed for us to be here
today.
Our Ceremony for the our Ancestors
The Ancestor Ceremony usually
took place within the grave sites of those family members who are embraced by
mother earth. If grave sites were not
available due to travel restrictions, the ceremonies could be conducted at a designated family member’s
home.
At
the Cemetery:
· A family shrine would be erected at the cemetery, and the genealogical
records, heirlooms, and photos placed upon it.
This shrine would have an empty chair placed beside it.
·
Tables and chairs would be set up at the cemetery and place
settings would be set upon each grave, and an empty seat and place setting will
be left open at the table.
Within
a host family home:
·
A family shrine would be created the genealogical records, heirlooms, and photos would be placed upon the
shrine. This shrine would have an empty
chair placed beside it.
·
Tables and chairs will be set up within the host. A seat and place setting would be left open
for the ancestors at the table.
The ceremony would be opened through a fire ceremony either using a fire pit or a smudge bowl.
Honoring
the ancestors
·
The ancestors were not "called back" or
"summoned"; instead they were acknowledged, welcomed, and offered a
place to sit if they choose to. Calling
back an ancestor meant to demand their presence either on a temporary or
permanent basis, and was considered necromancy. The Cherokee call the person
who does this a conjuror or didahnesesgi (he/she puts them in a
coffin), as opposed to a healer. Grandmother believed those practicing sorcery
were up to no good because if they call the dead back, then the dead can be
manipulated into doing things that normally they would not have done. Inviting and welcoming them was a form of
respect, and as with any invitation they can refuse if they decide to.
·
Recalling of events, preferences, stories of the ancestors. When
speaking their names, we added the word “late” to the name (tsigesv in Cherokee) to avoid even the
appearance of calling back the ancestors.
·
Singing of some of their favorite songs.
·
Letting ancestors know how grateful we are for everything they
passed on, including DNA codes, and that
they are welcome to drop in if they feel like it any time they want.
Meal
Provided
·
A meal would be provided for all attendees including the
ancestors. Food is life!
·
Food offering would be left outside for the ancestors and local
spirits in the form of “spirit plate”. A spirit plate is a small
sample of each of the foods being eaten.
It was placed in a bio-degradable item or just left on the ground for
the little people, the ancestors, and the animals to partake of as a sign of
respect and thankfulness.
·
Full portions of food would be added to the ancestors' place
settings and/or gravesites (if applicable).
·
The meal would be eaten. Grandmother called this
“eating for the dead,” which sounds a little morbid. I prefer to think of it as letting them share their favorite foods with us, as they did while still alive.
·
When
the table was set, Grandmother would announce "Dinner's on the
ground," a phrase still heard in the Upland South in connection with to a
church's annual homecoming covered dish, or "Decoration Day," the
predecessor to Memorial Day, when the graves are cleaned and tended and
offerings left.
After eating the meal:
·
A gift would also be left for the ancestors in the form of
flowers or other bio-degradable items.
To close the ceremony the
Cherokee version of “Amazing Grace", would be sung, or whatever
might have been a favorite of one of the ancestors. Amazing Grace, or rather, a Cherokee song
using the same melody (Unethlanvhi
Uwetsi), was sung during the Trail of Tears as they marched west leaving
their Mountain Home and during the many funerals along the way. By the time the
Cherokees reached Oklahoma, it was one song that everyone knew by heart, and
became the de facto Cherokee national anthem.
Others songs sung during the Removal were "Guide Us On,
Jehovah" and "At the Cross".
According to a story I was told about
those who were removed to Oklahoma, one day an Elder was setting out food
offerings at the graves of his family, when he was approached by a missionary.
“Just when is it you expect your
ancestors to return and eat that food you leave for them?” the missionary asked
sarcastically.
“The
same day YOUR ancestors return to smell those flowers you keep leaving for THEM!”
the Elder responded.
We all have our own ways of showing
gratitude to our relatives. In my culture, food and drink are life. Our
gratitude and obligations to our Elders don’t end simply because their bodies
wear out. They live on in us, and we are the whole of them. "Dinner's on
the ground!"
