Cherokee marbles: ᎦᏓᏲᏍᏗ, gadayosdi. Played with stone balls or billiard balls. Similar to croquet, the outdoors course has 5 holes. Individual or 3-man teams. Introduced into Cherokee schools in recent years. Of unknown origin—in Monroe County, Kentucky a similar game is played.
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Tortoise and Hare as history: It is one of Aesop’s Fables. Aesop (around 600 BCE) is a semi-legendary Greek story-teller credited with Aesop’s Fables. The ambiguous story about a race between unequals is about doggedness or cleverness or laziness, which is part of the fun—your choice.
Versions of the story occur almost worldwide and likely pre-date Aesop. Other versions feature head starts or trickery such as hitching a ride on your opponent or subbing lookalikes to finish the race. It is a common theme in Native American stories. The Yuchi have a couple, one involving a wolf and hare. Basically, this is an underdog story, similar to lots of sports movies.
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June 25, 1876: Colonel Custer and the 7th Cavalry attacked a huge Indian encampment of Lakota and Cheyenne on the Little Bighorn River, Montana at about 3 pm. Custer’s mistakes are well known, but the entire cavalry blundered badly.
Major Reno took one flank, though his force was smaller than Custer’s. Blunder 1—Reno struck first, not realizing how big the village was—his troops fired into the village killing women and children. At this time Custer’s men had not yet engaged the Indians. Blunder 2—Reno formed a skirmish line where 3 men fired and the 4th held the horses, so 25% of his men were not shooting. Blunder 3—the Indians outflanked him, routed his troops—they fled, leaving wounded behind. Blunder 4-since Custer had the largest detachment, Reno asked that the reserves come to his rescue.
Captain Benteen led the reserves and supply wagons. Benteen’s blunders, A—he was given a note written by Lt. Cooke containing Custer’s commands (delivered by an Italian bugler who spoke no English) yet did not rescue Custer. Blunder B—one of Reno’s lieutenants grew tired of Reno’s inaction, led a group toward Custer but were driven back. Benteen still did nothing.
I’m no historian—just my humble observations. (Lt. Cooke’s note, Benteen’s handwriting top) (Reno’s initial assault)
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Tortoises may be slow, but they are not thin-skinned!
Tortoises are turtles who live on land, in contrast to sea turtles or terrapins (small freshwater turtles). They live on all continents except Australia and Antarctica. Giant tortoises can be up to 4 feet long. It takes one about 3 hours to travel one mile, but don’t laugh—they can live up to 255 years so some around during the American Revolution may still be alive. They are primarily vegetarian but may eat some meat. Please, if you see one on the road, stop and help it, please don’t run them over. They are friendly and gentle.
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Turtles and Tortoises:
Turtles are adapted for living and swimming in the water, thinner water-dynamic shells, flippers/webbed feet for swimming. (Turtle a French word of unknown origin)
Tortoises are adapted for living on land and have a rounder shell and thicker legs. (Tortoise a Latin word)
Terrapins are small, freshwater turtles (Terrapin a word from east coast Algonquians such as Wampanoag or Powhatan)
Clear? Call them any name, please don’t run them over.
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Summer Solstice—longest day of the year—Midsummer’s Day—is today, June21st.
Pagans call today Litha, Anglo-Saxon term meaning gentle month. The Sun god or the horned god preside together with a fertility goddess, Cernunnos and Diana, for example. Today an Oak King will be crowned, representing the Sun God. And bonfires, mead, honey cakes.
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Juneteenth: June 19, 1865, the Union Army declared Texas slaves free. June 19th became a yearly celebration, spreading across the country. It is now a National Holiday, celebrated on Mondays. June 20th this year. Freedom is precious.
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gAt’Ă O agafa Father’s Day—Yuchi
Tecumseh would have called his father notha (Shawnee)
Pocahontas would have called her father noss (Mattaponi)
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Cherokee
ᎠᎵᎮᎵᏤᏗ ᎡᏙᏓ ᎢᎦ
Alihelitsedi Edoda Iga
Happy Father’s Day
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Father’s Day Salute (Sunday, June 19th) to my father: Charles George Lawson Suddeth (1928-2006) He spent many years in Sellersburg, Indiana and Lincoln Park, Michigan. He worked full-time as a tool & die machinist but had many businesses, most of them part-time: real estate investments, coin dealer/numismatist, doughnut franchise holder. What I most recall about him is how he liked to travel through the night—him driving through rural Indiana before expressways, with me talking to him keep him awake.
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C. T. Suddeth 