Appalachian Roots

[Atehequa]

I take  serious offense to the above statement.

 I  am a white pagan, I have worked with several American Indians ( although they DO prefer the term Native American), deal with some on a daily basis, am good friends with one, and MY FIANCE is half Cherokee.

*I  am using my phone  to reply to messages*

Then be offended.
 
We are older than America. There was no America when we arrived here. Anyone born in what is now America is a Native American. Columbus called us Indios which means of or, in god. In 1492 no country existed called India that land was then called Hindustan.

It seems that it's white people more than NDNs who push the term 'Native American' Sorry just because you've worked with "Native Americans" or are currently married to a "Half Cherokee" does not make you an authority in regards to the indigenous people of the western hemisphere. Meaning no offense, but I wish I had another year of life for everybody who claims they are part Cherokee, who by the way were at one time blood enemies of my people.

Quote -

"It is a generic government term used to describe all the indigenous prisoners of the United States. These are the American Samoans, the Micronesians, the Aleuts, the original Hawaiians, and the erroneously termed Eskimos, who are actually Upiks and Inupiaqs. And, of course, the American Indian. I prefer the term American Indian because I know its origins. ... As an added distinction the American Indian is the only ethnic group in the United States with the American before our ethnicity. At an international conference of Indians from the Americas held in Geneva, Switzerland, at the United Nations in 1977 we unanimously decided we would go under the term American Indian. "We were enslaved as American Indians, we were colonized as American Indians, and we will gain our freedom as American Indians and then we can call ourselves anything we damn please."

~ Russell Means, Oglala Lakota and a former leader of the American Indian Movement(AIM)

[Atehequa]

Native Americans tend not to come to Pagan forums to discuss their religions -- probably because they their religions are tribal and they have no need to discuss them with random strangers on the Internet.

NDNs tend to speak of what they feel comfortable with. I replied in regards to the Appalachians before the whites settled there only to have my comment more or less snubbed in lieu of non-NDN replies about these ancient mountains.

So what's next, the standard white Pagan demonizing of an NDN, deleted or locked thread or perhaps my account being suspended, or

do we have an understanding?

[HeartShadow]

NDNs tend to speak of what they feel comfortable with. I replied in regards to the Appalachians before the whites settled there only to have my comment more or less snubbed in lieu of non-NDN replies about these ancient mountains.

So what's next, the standard white Pagan demonizing of an NDN, deleted or locked thread or perhaps my account being suspended, or

do we have an understanding?

 
I went and looked back - and there really wasn't anything there to reply TO.  it was "yes, these are powerful mountains".  .... what's there to SAY to that?  It's hardly demonizing or snubbing to simply not HAVE anything to say about something.

You want commentary, there needs to be a conversation point.  A question, a story, a SOMETHING.  Vague "this is powerful" is ... vague.

It's really hard to comment on vague.

[Atehequa]

I went and looked back - and there really wasn't anything there to reply TO.  it was "yes, these are powerful mountains".  .... what's there to SAY to that?  It's hardly demonizing or snubbing to simply not HAVE anything to say about something.

You want commentary, there needs to be a conversation point.  A question, a story, a SOMETHING.  Vague "this is powerful" is ... vague.

It's really hard to comment on vague.

Anyway, not wanting to come off as overly vague, but these Appalachians, a region where I've spent a good part of my life in are at least worthy of words pertaining to a time before the Irish, Scottish, German, English or even the French arrived and attempted to make them a new version of their old world mountains. Those Appalachian roots are deeper than enhanced or modified magic, legends or tales brought over with them from Europe. There are ancient sacred sites up in those dark wooded hills and I could show people places fraught with supernatural occurrences and local spirits that are older than our reckoning of time or share a few tales rarely if ever told. The name Appalachian was taken from the Floridian Apalachee tribe, by the Spanish who once considered all of southeastern North America including the southern Appalachians as Florida.

Are we only going to scratch a little dirt at the bole's base or dig some more in getting a closer look at those roots?

[AthenaiiseSofia]

Ahhh, some of the oldest mountains in the world and fraught with wild spirits. I usually regard the whole mountain range as being Appalachia, but have traveled through and stayed in Appalachia proper. I'm particularly fond of Black Mountain east of Harlan Kentucky.

 
I've read of Black Mountain and Harlan in a few of the books I do have. That's so cool that you've actually been there. =)

My hometown was on the Cumberland Plateau in East Tennessee. Our mountains were Renegade, Hinch, and Black Mountain (a different one, I'm sure), but last time I went home I heard that a bunch of murders happened there. =( It breaks my heart to think that the sacredness may have been tainted, not to mention the lives lost are a tragedy.

[AthenaiiseSofia]

Yep wild spirits everywhere. I thought I'd mention the jack tales. If you haven't heard of them their series of stories revolving around a character usually named Jack in the Appalachians. They're told in the accent of the region by traditional storytellers. They are filled with bits and pieces of magic and lore which I usually refer to collectively as the Appalachian mythos.

I think I've heard of them, but can't say I've heard any of the actual stories. I will definitely do my research. =) Thank you so much.

[Atehequa]

I've read of Black Mountain and Harlan in a few of the books I do have. That's so cool that you've actually been there. =)

My hometown was on the Cumberland Plateau in East Tennessee. Our mountains were Renegade, Hinch, and Black Mountain (a different one, I'm sure), but last time I went home I heard that a bunch of murders happened there. =( It breaks my heart to think that the sacredness may have been tainted, not to mention the lives lost are a tragedy.

Some of us use to live along the Cumberland River until double crossed and evicted in 1715. Tennessee is a beautiful land, especially the eastern part.

[Merin]

Regardless, are there any other Applachian-based pagans out there? And if so, how has the region affected your spirituality?

 
Sorry I took so long.  I had some RL issues come up.  

Anyway, here is a very brief list of resources.  I hope they help.

Articles:

Folk Magic and Protestant Christianity in Appalachia by J Richards in Esoterica 2006. (Can be found online, but I couldn't find a link)

A Modern Appalachian Folk Healer by Edward C. Green

Belief and the American Folk by PB Mullen


Books:

Witches, Ghosts, and Signs: Folklore of the Southern Appalachians by Patrick Gainer
Appalachian Folklore Omens, Signs, and Superstitions by Nancy Richmond
Ozarks Magic and Folklore by Vance Randolph
Jack in Two Worlds by William McCarthy

Other Resources:
Signs, Cures, and Witchery: Appalachian Cosmology and Belief (Film)
 (A review of the movie is found here )

Songcatcher (Film)

Folklore and Folk Life

Folk Medicine Database

[AthenaiiseSofia]

Sorry I took so long.  I had some RL issues come up.  

Anyway, here is a very brief list of resources.  I hope they help.

Articles:

Folk Magic and Protestant Christianity in Appalachia by J Richards in Esoterica 2006. (Can be found online, but I couldn't find a link)

A Modern Appalachian Folk Healer by Edward C. Green

Belief and the American Folk by PB Mullen


Books:

Witches, Ghosts, and Signs: Folklore of the Southern Appalachians by Patrick Gainer
Appalachian Folklore Omens, Signs, and Superstitions by Nancy Richmond
Ozarks Magic and Folklore by Vance Randolph
Jack in Two Worlds by William McCarthy

Other Resources:
Signs, Cures, and Witchery: Appalachian Cosmology and Belief (Film)
 (A review of the movie is found here )

Songcatcher (Film)

Folklore and Folk Life

Folk Medicine Database

 

Thank you thank you thank you!

[Merin]

Thank you thank you thank you!

 
You're welcome.  And please feel free to send a pm any time you would like to talk/exchange ideas.