Cherokee Recipes

Bean Balls


2 cups brown beans
4 cups cornmeal
1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
(soda is used in place of lye water)


Boil beans in salted water until tender. Put cornmeal, flour and soda in large mixing bowl. Mix well. Add boiled beans and some of the juice to the cornmeal/flour mixture to form a stiff dough. Roll in balls and drop into pot of boiling hot water. Let cook for 30 minutes at a slow boil.




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Bean Bread (tu-ya ga-du)



Cook about 2 quarts of brown beans until thick and soupy, add salt to your taste Add 1/4 cup of oil or two tablespoons of pure grease. When beans are done and still boiling, place in a bowl 4-8 cups of yellow corn meal and 1/2 cup of oil, stir this until well incorporated, pour the boiling beans into the corn meal about 4-6 cups or more. Pour into a well oiled pan and bake in 350 degree oven. When it is done, cut into squares and enjoy.
more Native recipes

Music Of The Wolf and Elders Meditations

Below is a poem sent to me from a friend on Cherokee path
and some quotes from Elders Meditations from the Manataka newsletter.
Today is a good day to join Manataka and get your own monthly newsletter.

"Music Of The Wolf"

Night moon forever watching the earthen creatures padding through the night,
Stars that paint the world with ideas and truth,
Sky being that holds them all together,
Watch the wolf travel the land and carry his hymn through the night,
Wolf who walks in the night scared not of his shadow,
Wolf who always sees the path that is open even when it is dark,
Wolf who owns his place in the universe even when he travels the land,
Howl to the greatness of the night,
Plains that hold the life blood of the buffalo,
Mountains that provide homes to those in need of shelter,
Hills sharing the space in between the two,
Watch for the wolf as he approaches carrying his song through the day
Wolf who would listen,
Wolf who's leadership is also his harmony,
Wolf who's prowess encourages the young to grow,
Howl to the greatness of the day,
Winds that breath the wolf's howl to the world,
Trees that share the world with the animals,
Flowers that whisper when the wolf stops to smell the earth,
Watch the wolf as he binds the earth with sky in a single breath,
Wolf who holds friendship, loyalty, and love,
Wolf who preservers against the thunder,
Wolf who hunts when his brethren are hungry,
Howl to the the greatness of the world,
Ocean of blue and keeper of rain,
Streams that share the life flow of mother earth,
Rivers that weave the earth to the ocean,
Watch for the wolf as he sings his story for all to hear
Wolf who knows solitude is a friend to the soul,
Wolf who knows a glass pond is sometimes better walked around,
Wolf who knows... the beauty of your Spirit
Sing your music.

ELDER MEDITATION
"God is making use of you - you should be grateful He's found a use for you." --Mathew King, Lakota

The Creator can only create through human beings. Each human being has a purpose given to us by the Creator. We are on this earth to fulfill this purpose. Our only work is to make ourselves ready, to become a channel, to perform for the Creator. We prepare ourselves by prayer. We prepare ourselves by becoming unselfish. We prepare ourselves by seeking and choosing to walk on a spiritual path. Each morning we look to the east and we say an honor prayer to the Creator. We offer our gifts: tobacco and corn. We ask him to help us do His will for today. In this simple way, we still fulfill our purpose. It should be an honor to serve the Creator.



Great Spirit, today I am ready to serve You.

By Don Coyhis