Honor Long Man (Ganvhidv Asgaya) River Cleanup
We begin in water and we return to water. The Cherokees have always viewed the river as “Long Man” whose head lay in the mountains and the feet in the sea. Long Man (or Long Person), was a revered figure among the Cherokee as one who provided water to drink, cleanliness, food, and numerous cultural rituals tied to medicine and washing away bad thoughts and sadness.
On this day, we will live our connection with Long Man by cleaning trash out of waterways. However, this is much more than a one-time ‘river cleanup,’ it is a cultural awakening and/or re-awakening.
Honoring Long Man Event from Chris Cassels on Vimeo.
8:00 a.m. – Opening Ceremony and Breakfast at Wolftown Gym, 27 Long Branch Road Cherokee, NC 28719. Opening with Juantia Wilson. Remarks from Principal Chief Richard Sneed.
9:30 a.m. – Waterway Cleanup (Teams will form at Wolftown Gym and divide up to clean a portion of a local stream).
12:30 p.m. – Closing Ceremony, Lunch and Native Plant Giveaway at Oconaluftee Islands Park near the Fire Pit.
1:30 p.m. – Event concludes, Closing with Juanita Wilson.
We encourage EVERYONE to take some time on this day to clean up a waterway accessible to you. Post a picture of your trash on social media and tag your cleanup with #honoringlongman !
Honoring Long Man Facebook Page
