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Community Work

  • Cherokee Language Program Instructor Tom Belt transcribed and translated this passage.
  • Yvwino sgadugi gesv anadadsgisgvi. hilvhiyu tsigesv danisdelisgv yvwi gohusdi uyonv nunalasdanehv, ale gohusdi yuninigvga. nole sgwu gohusdi nigada sgadugi unilutsehv iyunadvdi. sgwu aligone dunilvwisdanehvi. hiano sogwu eha yvwi dihyanisgi anosehv. yvwino dahyanisgv gohusdi vsgi yudelahos iyadvdi gesv, asdeldi yvwi yigi gohusdi, ale unadulisgv yvwi. dahyanisgv yvwi, nigada anilugv. nole dahnohisehvno iyunadvdi ale sgwu iyv vsgi iyunadvdi gesvi. iyudaliha no galtsode ananesgesgv, nole adanisgwalvvsgv, nole danilogesgv. ale asgwu alsdaydi yunaduli yvwi kilo utsvgi yigi anadvnvsdisgv vsgi iyusdi. nole sgwu danadanisisgv yvwi sgwu danasgosgv diganisodi yvwi. gohusdi no yinulsdane yvwi uwasv udasdeldi nigesvna yigi vsgi atsisdelisgvi. nole sgwu anitsisisgv adela sgadugi unalsdeldodi uyeldi.
  • Gadugi is about people in the community coming together to assist people in need or to correct community problems. We used to have a crier, a dihyvnisgi. He would call people together. The people would gather and the crier would tell them what needed to be done and when they were going to do it. The people would raise houses, cut wood, plow, prepare meals, and dig graves for people who were sick or unable to do the work themselves. Sometimes the community would raise money for various community functions.