Book

Cherokee dance and drama

University of Oklahoma Press163 • Published In 1983 • Pages: xxiv, 112

By: Speck, Frank G. (Frank Gouldsmith), Broom, Leonard, West Long, Will.

Abstract
This document, a second edition of a work originally published in 1951, describes in detail the surviving forms of dance and ritual as practiced among the Big Cove Cherokee at the Qualla Indian Reservation in North Carolina during the 1930s and 1940s. The authors note the greater preservation of Cherokee traditions at the Big Cove settlement due to its marginal geographical position within the Eastern Cherokee culture region. The Foreword to the new edition includes a discussion of the role of Cherokee native Will West Long as an informant and collaborator in this work and other studies of the Eastern Cherokee. Among other matters, the Introduction to the document relates the Stone Coat myth and its account of the origin of Cherokee dances and song formulas. The main body of the document is devoted to the repertory of dances among the Big Cove Cherokee, including discussions of the dances, dance songs, dance masks, dance instruments and other dance paraphernalia. The categories of dances examined include winter and summer dances, war dances, friendship dances and animal dances. In addition, this document includes a discussion of hunting song formulas and associated beliefs and practices.
Subjects
Hunting and trapping
Animal by-products
Tillage
Representative art
Music
Dance
Magic
Organized ceremonial
culture
Cherokee
HRAF PubDate
2000
Region
North America
Sub Region
Eastern Woodlands
Document Type
Book
Evaluation
Creator Types
Ethnologist
Indigenous Person
Document Rating
5: Excellent Primary Data
Analyst
Gerald Reid ; John Beierle ; 1987
Field Date
1913-1944
Coverage Date
1930-1944
Coverage Place
Big Cove, Qualla Indian Reservation, North Carolina, United States
Notes
By Frank G. Speck and Leonard Broom in collaboration with Will West Long
Includes bibliographical references (p. 105) and index
LCCN
83047839
LCSH
Cherokee Indians