Honor Long Man River Cleanup

Honor Long Man (Ganvhidv Asgaya) River Cleanup

What: We begin in water and we return to water. The Cherokees have always viewed the river as “Long Man (Ganvhidv Asgaya),” 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.

Why: A day to honor “Ga-nv-hi-dv As-ga-ya” (Long man-the river). 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 Day cleanups will continue into the future.

Honoring Long Man Event from Chris Cassels on Vimeo.

When: Wednesday, October 19th, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Where: Meet at the Yellowhill Activity Center, 1416 Acquoni Rd, Cherokee, NC

More Info: Download the 2022 Honoring Long Man flyer

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 !

volunteer sign-up form

Honoring Long Man Facebook Page

Honoring Long Man Event Page