Cherokee Tribe
of
Northeast Alabama
P.O. Box 66 Grant, AL 35747
The Origin of Strawberries
(Obtained from Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma website. Please visit www.cherokee.org for more traditional stories)
When first man was created, he lived with the mate Creator gave him. When they began to quarrel, first woman left her husband. The man followed, sad and crying, but first woman kept going and never looked behind. Unetlanv, the Creator, took pity on first man and asked him if he was still angry with his wife. He said he wasn't, so Unetlanv asked him if he would like to have her back. He answered, "yes!"
Unetlanv put a patch of the ripest huckleberries in the path of first woman, but she passed right on by. A little further, he put a big clump of blackberries, but she didn't notice these, either. One by one, Unetlanv put fresh fruits in her path, but these she also refused to see. Suddenly, she saw a patch of large, ripe strawberries in front of her. She had never seen these before. She bent down to gather a few to eat, and as she picked them up, and she thought, "My husband would love to eat these!" She gathered a bunch of the finest berries and started back along the path to give them to him. He met her with joy, and together they went home.
Today, strawberries are often kept in traditional homes. They remind us not to argue, and are a symbol of good luck.
