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Medicinal Plants

  • Cherokee Language Program Instructor Tom Belt transcribed and translated this passage.
  • Tsogidoda tsigehv goginohiselv, iyusdagwu nudalesv vhyugi anvwodohdi ehv tsunvdasahv. Nigada tsatvsgv gohusdi anigtahv dudo’v nole sgwu gohusdi vsgiyusdi nvwoti ale agisdi yigi. Sgwisdhno igvkewsa gohusd vsgiyusdi gayulv. Nvwodidv anigisgv hia uhyekv gadusi, gohusdihna andisge, gesdi wanigisgvwu yigehe.
  • Our fathers told us, for every sickness or disease, there is a plant cure for it growing in the mountains. Our old people knew the names of all the plants and what they could be used for, food, medicine. We have forgotten a lot of that knowledge now. When they gathered medicine, they always said something, they didn’t just take it.