Sotoya Organic Tying Tobacco

Sotoya Organic Tying Tobacco

Hummingbird Brings Back Tobacco

To begin with there was just one tobacco plant in the world. All of the Peoples, the two-legged, the four-legged and the winged ones came to this tobacco plant to get a little bit to pray with because Spirit is so fond of the smell of tobacco. They prayed for good health for their relatives and depended on this one tobacco plant mightily. But the greedy geese – the Dagul’ku wanted tobacco for themselves and stole the Great Tobacco plant and took it south one Winter and would not bring it back.

There was an old woman who held all of the knowledge and history of the People and was a Beloved Woman who suddenly fell ill and it was feared that she might die. The healers said that they could make her well if they only had some tobacco. But of course there was none and so a great council was called among all of the animal and human Peoples.

Now this was in the before-time when humans and animals all talked the same language and had understandings with each other. It was decided that the animals could best retrieve Tobacco and so they were sent to get it. But the Dagul’ku were fierce warriors and slew any who got near their hiding place in the South.

Finally all of the four-leggeds had tried and failed except Mole so the Council decided maybe he could tunnel underground to the Tobacco plant and steal it away. But the greedy Dagul’ku geese saw his track and so dispatched him as well.

The Council was in an uproar. “What are we to do; we will never have tobacco again!” No other animals wanted to go. But the tiny Hummingbird spoke up and said “I will go and get some Tobacco hum hummn”. But Crow said “you are so small, how will you get Tobacco? They’ll kill you for sure!” Hummingbird said – “I will show you”.

“You see that Mullein plant over there hum humn?” The People all turned their heads to look and by the time they saw that yellow mullein plant Hummingbird was sitting right in the middle of it. Then he disappeared and before they could all turn their heads again he was back in the council circle and cried“that was pretty fast wasn’t it - hummn?”

Well even the Crows were stunned speechless but when everyone recovered it was agreed to let Hummingbird have a go at it. He wasted no time but flew straight down to where Dagul’ku had the Tobacco plant hid out. Hummingbird buzzed right under their beaks to cut off the top of the plant with a few leaves and some flowers. Before the greedy Dagul’ku geese knew what was happening, Hummingbird streaked right past them again, this time with Tobacco. By Sunset he was back at Council and there was much celebrating and story-telling. The leaves of the tobacco were smoked and blown into the nostrils of the Beloved Woman and she awoke and said Tsa’lu!” Right away she ordered the seeds of the Tobacco flowers to be planted so that the People would all have Tobacco from now on. And that is how Hummingbird brought Tobacco.

Cherokee Origin Story based on Mooney’s Myths and Legends of the Cherokee.

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