Reverence for Water: Feeding the Body, Feeling the Spirit

Reverence for Water: Feeding the Body, Feeling the Spirit. . The Cherokee were highly dependent on rivers and smaller waterways and developed a very strong connection with water that manifested itself both spiritually and practically. Cherokee villages and towns were located in close proximity to streams and rivers. A river was respected as sacred and known among the Cherokee as the "Long Man". Evidence reveals that the gates of Cherokee settlements directly faced rivers., Rivers had many uses, including transportation, drinking water and farming., The Cherokee were committed to purity and balance. Charles Hudson, a 20th century scholar of Native American tribes in the southeastern U.S. wrote, "The Cherokee believed that man had to exploit nature to live, but that man should do so carefully and that nature was not infinitely forgiving." Many Cherokee spiritual ceremonies, sometimes called "going to water" are still practiced today. The "going to water" ceremony of purification and prayer may involve a simple sprinkling or a full immersion. It takes place in a moving body of water like a stream or a river and for some Cherokee remains a daily practice. This statue depicts such a ceremony., About the Statue , . Sculptor Doug Young resides in Greenville, S.C. , . Greenville Water commissioned "Water Blessing" in 2015. , . This piece depicts a Cherokee figure offering thanks to the Creator for the gift of water. , . Doug Young is best known for his signature piece, "Shoeless" Joe Jackson, which was unveiled in 2002.