A close up of the bark of a black tupelo which is a big part of Cherokee medicine. (Tom Potterfield, 2011)

The Native American Cherokee tribe valued the world of medicine greatly. It was thought by Cherokee mythology that the root of most diseases the people had were a result of vengeance by the animals of nature. Humans treated animals exclusively as a resource by killing for meat and pelts. Plants were then said to "intervene" this disruption and produce cures for said sicknesses. This created a special relationship between the Cherokee tribe and the spirt of plants. Thus there existed the middle-man appointed the shaman who possessed sacred powers for health restoration as well as knowledge of remedy recipes. He spoke the the spirits of the plants for knowledge. When illness struck a member of the tribe, the people would turn to the shaman and plants as a sign of hope. Plants were held in high regard for their being as a resource for medicine as well as their position almost as a teacher for teaching the people about remedies.

The Black Tupelo was a great resource for the Cherokee in making medicines. A few remedies made from its parts are:

• Various parts of the black gum contributed to medicines used by the Cherokees.
• A bath with water infused with the bark was given to children as an anthelmintic, treating parasitic worms.
• A mixture of the tree compound, making a decoction, was used as an antidiarrheal.
• The inner bark was used as an emetic (induce vomiting).
• Ooze from the roots was used to drop into the eyes as an eye medicine.
• Infusion of the bark was used as gynecological aid during childbirth.
• Decoction of bark also used as a bath for treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis.
• Decoction of bark taken and applied to gunshot wounds.

There was a particular way to harvest resources from plants. The healer would recite prayers while approaching the plant and moving in a certain way. The sun was also a great symbol to the Cherokee, so only plants whose roots grew east were harvested. Bark from a tree would only be taken on the sun side. Any plants that were struck by lightning were potent. One materials were gathered, they are placed in a sacred hide and given to the shaman healer as a gift.