Michael J. Zogry
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- July 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780807833605
- eISBN:
- 9781469603940
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- University of North Carolina Press
- DOI:
- 10.5149/9780807898208_zogry
- Subject:
- Society and Culture, Native American Studies
Anetso, a centuries-old Cherokee ball game still played today, is a vigorous, sometimes violent activity that rewards speed, strength, and agility. At the same time, it is the focus of several linked ...
More
Anetso, a centuries-old Cherokee ball game still played today, is a vigorous, sometimes violent activity that rewards speed, strength, and agility. At the same time, it is the focus of several linked ritual activities. Is it a sport? Is it a religious ritual? Could it possibly be both? Why has it lasted so long, surviving through centuries of upheaval and change? Based on work in the field and in the archives, this book argues that members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Nation continue to perform selected aspects of their cultural identity by engaging in anetso, itself the hub of an extended ceremonial complex, or cycle. A precursor to lacrosse, anetso appears in all manner of Cherokee cultural narratives and has figured prominently in the written accounts of non-Cherokee observers for almost three hundred years. The anetso ceremonial complex incorporates a variety of activities which, taken together, complicate standard scholarly distinctions such as game versus ritual, public display versus private performance, and tradition versus innovation. This book provides a striking opportunity for rethinking the understanding of ritual and performance as well as their relationship to cultural identity. It also offers a sharp reappraisal of scholarly discourse on the Cherokee religious system, with particular focus on the Eastern Band of Cherokee Nation.Less
Anetso, a centuries-old Cherokee ball game still played today, is a vigorous, sometimes violent activity that rewards speed, strength, and agility. At the same time, it is the focus of several linked ritual activities. Is it a sport? Is it a religious ritual? Could it possibly be both? Why has it lasted so long, surviving through centuries of upheaval and change? Based on work in the field and in the archives, this book argues that members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Nation continue to perform selected aspects of their cultural identity by engaging in anetso, itself the hub of an extended ceremonial complex, or cycle. A precursor to lacrosse, anetso appears in all manner of Cherokee cultural narratives and has figured prominently in the written accounts of non-Cherokee observers for almost three hundred years. The anetso ceremonial complex incorporates a variety of activities which, taken together, complicate standard scholarly distinctions such as game versus ritual, public display versus private performance, and tradition versus innovation. This book provides a striking opportunity for rethinking the understanding of ritual and performance as well as their relationship to cultural identity. It also offers a sharp reappraisal of scholarly discourse on the Cherokee religious system, with particular focus on the Eastern Band of Cherokee Nation.
Michael J. Zogry
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- July 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780807833605
- eISBN:
- 9781469603940
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of North Carolina Press
- DOI:
- 10.5149/9780807898208_zogry.4
- Subject:
- Society and Culture, Native American Studies
This book discusses the constellation of ceremonial activities that constitute the Cherokee anetso complex, including the proper Cherokee linguistic terminology. It notes that anetso, like several ...
More
This book discusses the constellation of ceremonial activities that constitute the Cherokee anetso complex, including the proper Cherokee linguistic terminology. It notes that anetso, like several other single- and double-racket ball games played by First Nations or Native American peoples, is a precursor to the game of lacrosse, and explains that people were playing it long before 1867, when the rules of lacrosse were standardized. The chapter observes that anetso appears in foundational Cherokee cultural narratives that have the same significance as those found in the Hebrew Bible, New Testament, Qur'an, Bhagavad–Gita, or any other texts considered to be key components of particular religious systems.Less
This book discusses the constellation of ceremonial activities that constitute the Cherokee anetso complex, including the proper Cherokee linguistic terminology. It notes that anetso, like several other single- and double-racket ball games played by First Nations or Native American peoples, is a precursor to the game of lacrosse, and explains that people were playing it long before 1867, when the rules of lacrosse were standardized. The chapter observes that anetso appears in foundational Cherokee cultural narratives that have the same significance as those found in the Hebrew Bible, New Testament, Qur'an, Bhagavad–Gita, or any other texts considered to be key components of particular religious systems.
Michael J. Zogry
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- July 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780807833605
- eISBN:
- 9781469603940
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of North Carolina Press
- DOI:
- 10.5149/9780807898208_zogry.6
- Subject:
- Society and Culture, Native American Studies
This chapter is an examination of anetso as an expression of Cherokee identity during the period between 1799 and 1836, beginning with the entrance of Christian missionaries into the Cherokee Nation ...
More
This chapter is an examination of anetso as an expression of Cherokee identity during the period between 1799 and 1836, beginning with the entrance of Christian missionaries into the Cherokee Nation and concluding with the forced removal known as the Trail of Tears. It uses written accounts from the period, primarily by missionaries, to gauge the significance of anetso as an important cultural activity. The chapter presents brief discussions of two events, the so-called “religious revivals” of 1811–13 and what is known as “White Path's rebellion,” from 1824 to 1827.Less
This chapter is an examination of anetso as an expression of Cherokee identity during the period between 1799 and 1836, beginning with the entrance of Christian missionaries into the Cherokee Nation and concluding with the forced removal known as the Trail of Tears. It uses written accounts from the period, primarily by missionaries, to gauge the significance of anetso as an important cultural activity. The chapter presents brief discussions of two events, the so-called “religious revivals” of 1811–13 and what is known as “White Path's rebellion,” from 1824 to 1827.
Michael J. Zogry
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- July 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780807833605
- eISBN:
- 9781469603940
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of North Carolina Press
- DOI:
- 10.5149/9780807898208_zogry.8
- Subject:
- Society and Culture, Native American Studies
This chapter focuses on the utilization of anetso as a cultural presentation of identity and also treats the prevalent notion of cultural degeneration that in the past has been endemic to scholars of ...
More
This chapter focuses on the utilization of anetso as a cultural presentation of identity and also treats the prevalent notion of cultural degeneration that in the past has been endemic to scholars of First Nations cultures. It contextualizes events in the first several decades of the twentieth century with selected examples that span several hundred years. The chapter argues that the concept of withering, or degeneration, particularly when part of an organic metaphor, is a problematic assumption both in general and specifically with regard to anetso and the ceremonial complex.Less
This chapter focuses on the utilization of anetso as a cultural presentation of identity and also treats the prevalent notion of cultural degeneration that in the past has been endemic to scholars of First Nations cultures. It contextualizes events in the first several decades of the twentieth century with selected examples that span several hundred years. The chapter argues that the concept of withering, or degeneration, particularly when part of an organic metaphor, is a problematic assumption both in general and specifically with regard to anetso and the ceremonial complex.
Michael J. Zogry
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- July 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780807833605
- eISBN:
- 9781469603940
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of North Carolina Press
- DOI:
- 10.5149/9780807898208_zogry.9
- Subject:
- Society and Culture, Native American Studies
This chapter considers two main points: 1) What are the “meanings” of anetso, according to cultural consultation and scholarly investigation; and 2) What is the history of scholarship regarding the ...
More
This chapter considers two main points: 1) What are the “meanings” of anetso, according to cultural consultation and scholarly investigation; and 2) What is the history of scholarship regarding the game/ritual divide? It interrogates the work of Stewart Culin and Claude Levi-Strauss, along with scholars who have followed in their considerable wakes, and notes that while the Cherokee term anetso occurs most frequently in the written record as the name of the Cherokee ball game, the term translated as “little war” also appears. The chapter explains that Raymond Fogelson provided a nice summary of the most common explanation given for the ball game.Less
This chapter considers two main points: 1) What are the “meanings” of anetso, according to cultural consultation and scholarly investigation; and 2) What is the history of scholarship regarding the game/ritual divide? It interrogates the work of Stewart Culin and Claude Levi-Strauss, along with scholars who have followed in their considerable wakes, and notes that while the Cherokee term anetso occurs most frequently in the written record as the name of the Cherokee ball game, the term translated as “little war” also appears. The chapter explains that Raymond Fogelson provided a nice summary of the most common explanation given for the ball game.
