Friends
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A Native American friends group has been organized by Dr. Steven
Lawhon to help realize the vision of the Cherokee Heritage Museum
and Gallery and to support other worthy Native American projects.
We encourage all individuals, whether native or non-native, who are
interested in Cherokee culture and who want to be part of this vision
to contact us and be placed on our mailing list. Dr. Steven Lawhon
is a clinical psychologist who lives in the beautiful mountains of East
Tennessee. He is of Celtic, English, and Cherokee heritage. Dr.
Lawhon is descended through his paternal grandmother to the
Cherokee Taylor family of North Georgia. Steven Lawhon’s
Cherokee name translated into English means “He who brings the
people together.”
Lawhon to help realize the vision of the Cherokee Heritage Museum
and Gallery and to support other worthy Native American projects.
We encourage all individuals, whether native or non-native, who are
interested in Cherokee culture and who want to be part of this vision
to contact us and be placed on our mailing list. Dr. Steven Lawhon
is a clinical psychologist who lives in the beautiful mountains of East
Tennessee. He is of Celtic, English, and Cherokee heritage. Dr.
Lawhon is descended through his paternal grandmother to the
Cherokee Taylor family of North Georgia. Steven Lawhon’s
Cherokee name translated into English means “He who brings the
people together.”
Please help us make this vision a reality. You can contact Dr.
Steven Lawhon at Box 4745, Johnson City, TN 37602, by phone at
423-378-0011, or by e-mail at stevenl386@aol.com.
Steven Lawhon at Box 4745, Johnson City, TN 37602, by phone at
423-378-0011, or by e-mail at stevenl386@aol.com.
Cherokee Booger Dancer with Gourd
Mask: William Crowe, Jr.-EBCI.
Background Masks Artists: William
Lossiah and Charlie Reed-EBCI
Mask: William Crowe, Jr.-EBCI.
Background Masks Artists: William
Lossiah and Charlie Reed-EBCI
The Meaning behind the Booger Dance Masks
by Dr. R. Michael Abram
The Cherokee Booger Dance, performed in winter, was a simple dance
to do, but it had a complex meaning. This masked dance originated from
the legend of Stone Coat (Nuń yunú wi) which means dressed in stone.
He was a supernatural being that possessed mystical powers and had
skin made of solid rock. He had the ability to become invisible or shape-
shift from his old man form into an old woman or a young boy. He was
considered the originator of death because of his cannibalistic practice.
The Cherokee killed Stone Coat by setting him on fire. He introduced the
first diseases among the Cherokee just before he died. While they
watched Stone Coat burn, he talked and sang, informing them about
medicines (stones and sacred formulas, dances, and dance songs for
dealing with every aspect of life.
to do, but it had a complex meaning. This masked dance originated from
the legend of Stone Coat (Nuń yunú wi) which means dressed in stone.
He was a supernatural being that possessed mystical powers and had
skin made of solid rock. He had the ability to become invisible or shape-
shift from his old man form into an old woman or a young boy. He was
considered the originator of death because of his cannibalistic practice.
The Cherokee killed Stone Coat by setting him on fire. He introduced the
first diseases among the Cherokee just before he died. While they
watched Stone Coat burn, he talked and sang, informing them about
medicines (stones and sacred formulas, dances, and dance songs for
dealing with every aspect of life.
Stone Coat foretold the arrival of people from the east: Europeans,
Africans, Asians, and other Native Americans. A Booger Dance
performance produced a powerful medicine and prevented or protected
the Cherokee from acculturation and contamination. This medicine
counteracted the effects of foreign cultures, diseases, and lewd and
belligerent behaviors brought by foreigners and their ghosts. The dance
itself immediately provided for every Cherokee either an immunization to
prevent or medicines for curing acculturation, physical illness, and
mental anguish. A medicine person prescribed this dance when all the
Cherokee or just one individual needed this kind of medicine.
Africans, Asians, and other Native Americans. A Booger Dance
performance produced a powerful medicine and prevented or protected
the Cherokee from acculturation and contamination. This medicine
counteracted the effects of foreign cultures, diseases, and lewd and
belligerent behaviors brought by foreigners and their ghosts. The dance
itself immediately provided for every Cherokee either an immunization to
prevent or medicines for curing acculturation, physical illness, and
mental anguish. A medicine person prescribed this dance when all the
Cherokee or just one individual needed this kind of medicine.
The dance consisted of several men and a few women. All the boogers
covered their entire bodies with old, torn, and worn-out European-style
clothes, bandanas, quilts and sheets. The dancers wore masks
constructed from wood, gourd, fur, and hornets’ nests, and in later times,
they used cardboard and paper bags. The masks represented
exaggerated and distorted human features, being of a hideous,
humorous, or emotional nature. The long-necked gourd mask expressed
a sexual connotation. A hornet’s nest mask signified a mean creature or
a diseased person. Occasionally a booger dancer wore a mask in the
likeness of an animal (bear or buffalo) and either portrayed a hunger or
a half animal-half human creature. The Cherokee mask-makers painted
their masks, created in the likeliness of human faces with the appropriate
racial color, using natural pigments and dyes. The materials used for
facial features were various kinds of natural dyes, pigments, hair, furs,
feathers, hides and leathers.
covered their entire bodies with old, torn, and worn-out European-style
clothes, bandanas, quilts and sheets. The dancers wore masks
constructed from wood, gourd, fur, and hornets’ nests, and in later times,
they used cardboard and paper bags. The masks represented
exaggerated and distorted human features, being of a hideous,
humorous, or emotional nature. The long-necked gourd mask expressed
a sexual connotation. A hornet’s nest mask signified a mean creature or
a diseased person. Occasionally a booger dancer wore a mask in the
likeness of an animal (bear or buffalo) and either portrayed a hunger or
a half animal-half human creature. The Cherokee mask-makers painted
their masks, created in the likeliness of human faces with the appropriate
racial color, using natural pigments and dyes. The materials used for
facial features were various kinds of natural dyes, pigments, hair, furs,
feathers, hides and leathers.
The boogers, pretending to speak a foreign language, always spoke in
whispers. The dancers told of coming from a far off land or from across
the water and were traveling north or south. The boogers said that they
came for girls and that they wanted to fight. The Cherokee did not
permit the boogers to do either. Next the boogers wanted to dance, and
the Cherokee allowed them to do so. The boogers, identifiable by their
names and masks, represented persons of a particular race, nationality,
or geographic region. Some masks and names were vulgar and
obscene. Others characterized diseased, individuals, half animal-half
human beings, or mean hornet creatures.
whispers. The dancers told of coming from a far off land or from across
the water and were traveling north or south. The boogers said that they
came for girls and that they wanted to fight. The Cherokee did not
permit the boogers to do either. Next the boogers wanted to dance, and
the Cherokee allowed them to do so. The boogers, identifiable by their
names and masks, represented persons of a particular race, nationality,
or geographic region. Some masks and names were vulgar and
obscene. Others characterized diseased, individuals, half animal-half
human beings, or mean hornet creatures.
The Booger Dance song began with the lead singer playing a drum and
the other singers playing rattles. Each dancer’s footsteps and body
movements were clumsy, contorted, floundering, and blundering as he
imitated an Indian dance. At times the dancers ran toward the children
and women to scare them or made indecent gestures.
the other singers playing rattles. Each dancer’s footsteps and body
movements were clumsy, contorted, floundering, and blundering as he
imitated an Indian dance. At times the dancers ran toward the children
and women to scare them or made indecent gestures.
Later the boogers chose either a Cherokee Eagle or Bear Dance to do
as a group. Some of the Cherokee women would decide to dance with
the boogers. The women danced with their partners gracefully, calmly,
and undisturbed. Thus this joint dancing demonstrated a willingness to
somewhat accept and interact with these strangers.
as a group. Some of the Cherokee women would decide to dance with
the boogers. The women danced with their partners gracefully, calmly,
and undisturbed. Thus this joint dancing demonstrated a willingness to
somewhat accept and interact with these strangers.
The Booger Dance symbolized in a dramatization what happened to the
Cherokee in historic times, which fulfilled Stone Coat’s prophecy. The
Booger Dance provided a process to avert conflict and allow the
Cherokee to regain some control over their situation. The assembled
Cherokee laughed at, make fun of, belittled, and finally got rid of these
ridiculous masked booger dancers who represented living foreigners
and their ghosts, diseases, and creatures. The Cherokee reduced, by
these means, the boogers’ powers and influences over them,
established some rules of moral conduct, and diminished their stresses
and frustrations when coping with forces outside their world. Therein,
lays the curing medicines in song and dance that the Cherokee inherited
from Stone Coat.
Cherokee in historic times, which fulfilled Stone Coat’s prophecy. The
Booger Dance provided a process to avert conflict and allow the
Cherokee to regain some control over their situation. The assembled
Cherokee laughed at, make fun of, belittled, and finally got rid of these
ridiculous masked booger dancers who represented living foreigners
and their ghosts, diseases, and creatures. The Cherokee reduced, by
these means, the boogers’ powers and influences over them,
established some rules of moral conduct, and diminished their stresses
and frustrations when coping with forces outside their world. Therein,
lays the curing medicines in song and dance that the Cherokee inherited
from Stone Coat.
Stone Coat Painting
William Taylor-EBCI
William Taylor-EBCI
Booger Mask
William Lossiah-EBCI
William Lossiah-EBCI
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