Cherokee day 2

 After day one in Cherokee I was very impressed by the hospital and the staff in the hospital. Everyone seemed to know each other and people were treated like a big family. Beth Green was our tour guide and you could tell she really enjoyed her job. Even as we were leaving she showed us the old hospital and went over some of the spiritual aspects of the building. We discovered a good amount about the Cherokee culture and their history. One of the legends that we spoke about was the 3 sisters.
According to The three sisters (2016),  
Iroquois legend, corn, beans, and squash are three inseparable sisters who only grow and thrive together. This tradition of inter-planting corn, beans and squash in the same mounds, widespread among Native American farming societies, is a sophisticated, sustainable system that provided long-term soil fertility and a healthy diet to generations. (para. 1)
            I feel as if their beliefs about patient care is what we have similar. The staff at Cherokee seems to really care for their patients and make the satisfaction of their hospital stay their first priority. The rooms offered for the patients are massive so that families can be more integrated into the hospital stay The culture is integrated into the children because many of the beliefs and practices are still taught to the children and passed down so that the culture does not fade with time. This involves the cultural dances, banquet weaving and making arrowheads along with many other practices. These children are influenced by their elders along with those who keep the culture close and still practice some of the rituals and crafting. The Cherokee Indians also believe that a great spider brought them fire, a water bug brought them land, and a great buzzard gave the mountains. This community seems similar to mine in the fact that patient care is the first priority. This is a major goal at Methodist and I feel as if we do very well at achieving it.

            

Comments

  1. Nursing Instructor LGJuly 13, 2017 at 9:36 PM

    I noticed that your citation is in reference to the Iroquois legend. Is this the same as the Cherokee's beliefs on this? Is their a connection between the two tribes?

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  2. UnknownJuly 15, 2017 at 8:32 PM

    Hey Lisa, I looked into this legend and found that the "The Three Sisters" actually emerged from the Iriquois creation myth.

    The Three Sisters, (n.d.) It was said that the earth began when “Sky Woman” who lived in the upper world peered through a hole in the sky and fell through to an endless sea. The animals saw her coming, so they took the soil from the bottom of the sea and spread it onto the back of a giant turtle to provide a safe place for her to land. This “Turtle Island” is now what we call North America.
    Sky woman had become pregnant before she fell. When she landed, she gave birth to a daughter. When the daughter grew into a young woman, she also became pregnant (by the West wind). She died while giving birth to twin boys. Sky Woman buried her daughter in the “new earth.” From her grave grew three sacred plants—corn, beans, and squash. These plants provided food for her sons, and later, for all of humanity. These special gifts ensured the survival of the Iroquois people. (para. 13-14)

    When doing the research I couldn't find much about the legend originating from the Cherokee's or them modifying their own version of the myth.


    The Three Sisters. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.birdclan.org/threesisters.htm

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