Participation Type
Paper
Session Title
Session 7.06 Environment and Ecology
Presentation #1 Title
Ukte'na: Horned Serpent of the Southern Appalachians
Presentation #1 Abstract or Summary
Ukte’na: Horned Serpent of the Southern Appalachians The Cherokee ukte’na, a fearsome giant horned rattlesnake, is central to Cherokee cosmology. Ukte’na stories and associated sacred sites illuminate a Cherokee knowledge system and intellectual tradition akin to ecological science and expressed through the concept of tohi- “balance” or “rightness.” The ukte’na was as real to Cherokees as any other animal. Many early European travelers, including James Adair and Henry Timberlake, were convinced the beasts lived in the mountains. A creation story describes how ukte'na first came to hate humanity and compete with the powerful rattlesnake, whom was not intent on humanity’s destruction. The “scales” of the ukte'na, quartz crystals called ulunsu’ti, were the most powerful talisman of the Cherokee, used in community ceremonies, war rituals, and divination. Special priests, called Ulistuli, were selected as children, spending their entire lives learning the secrets of ulunsu’ti and ukte’na. In Cherokee ways of thinking, ukte’na share characteristics and relationships with specific animals. Particular geologic features, such as granite outcrops, deep river pools, and quartz crystals, are also closely associated with ukte’na. Some Cherokee scholars interpret petroglyphs along the Hiwassee and Tuckaseegee rivers in western North Carolina as representing the underworld powers of ukte’na. Furthermore, ukte’na stories are still told in North Carolina and Oklahoma Cherokee communities, connecting scattered Cherokee peoples with each other and their ancient homeland, shoring up Cherokee national sovereignty.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #1
James Owen is a PhD student in history at UGA. His work focuses on interactions between Native Americans, runaway slaves, and missionaries in the US southeast and Caribbean, emphasizing religious practice, music, and community ritual.
Ukte'na: Horned Serpent of the Southern Appalachians
Harris Hall 136
Ukte’na: Horned Serpent of the Southern Appalachians The Cherokee ukte’na, a fearsome giant horned rattlesnake, is central to Cherokee cosmology. Ukte’na stories and associated sacred sites illuminate a Cherokee knowledge system and intellectual tradition akin to ecological science and expressed through the concept of tohi- “balance” or “rightness.” The ukte’na was as real to Cherokees as any other animal. Many early European travelers, including James Adair and Henry Timberlake, were convinced the beasts lived in the mountains. A creation story describes how ukte'na first came to hate humanity and compete with the powerful rattlesnake, whom was not intent on humanity’s destruction. The “scales” of the ukte'na, quartz crystals called ulunsu’ti, were the most powerful talisman of the Cherokee, used in community ceremonies, war rituals, and divination. Special priests, called Ulistuli, were selected as children, spending their entire lives learning the secrets of ulunsu’ti and ukte’na. In Cherokee ways of thinking, ukte’na share characteristics and relationships with specific animals. Particular geologic features, such as granite outcrops, deep river pools, and quartz crystals, are also closely associated with ukte’na. Some Cherokee scholars interpret petroglyphs along the Hiwassee and Tuckaseegee rivers in western North Carolina as representing the underworld powers of ukte’na. Furthermore, ukte’na stories are still told in North Carolina and Oklahoma Cherokee communities, connecting scattered Cherokee peoples with each other and their ancient homeland, shoring up Cherokee national sovereignty.
