- Details
- By Native News Online Staff
Hundreds of Cherokee citizens gathered on the Cherokee Nation Reservation in Tahlequah, Oklahoma to watch the eclipse on Monday afternoon under blue skies with temperatures in the low 80s.
The citizens were joined at the festive 2024 Solar Eclipse Watch Party by Cherokee Nation Deputy Principal Chief Bryan Warner, along with other Cherokee Nation leaders and students from our immersion school.
Cherokee National Treasurer Robert Lewis told the Cherokee story, “Frog Eats the Sun,” to the pleasure of the school students.
According to Cherokee lore, a giant frog eats the sun or the moon during an eclipse, which causes the earth to go dark. Men and women needed to scare the frog into spitting the sun out, so they created as much noise as they could. The men shot rifles into the air and pounded on drums while the women banged on pots and pans and used shell shakers. Once the frog released the sun which restored balance, the noise turned into a celebration.
The Cherokee Nation provided a telescope for viewing, along with stickball and cornhole for everyone to enjoy.
The next total eclipse in North America will not occur for two decades.
More Stories Like This
Native News Weekly (August 25, 2024): D.C. BriefsNative News Weekly (August 4, 2024): D.C. Briefs
Rep. Mary Peltola's Reelection Race Still to be Called
Native News Online Post-Election Survey Shows Trump-Harris Split, Reservation Divide
Six Native American Women Making a Difference in Indian Country
Support Independent Indigenous Journalism That Holds Power to Account
With the election now decided, Native News Online is recommitting to our core mission: rigorous oversight of federal Indian policy and its impact on tribal communities.
The previous Trump administration’s record on Indian Country — from the reduction of sacred sites to aggressive energy development on tribal lands — demands heightened vigilance as we enter this new term. Our Indigenous-centered newsroom will provide unflinching coverage of policies affecting tribal sovereignty, sacred site protection, MMIR issues, water rights, Indian health, and economic sovereignty.
This critical watchdog journalism requires resources. Your support, in any amount, helps maintain our independent, Native-serving news coverage. Every contribution helps keep our news free for all of our relatives. Please donate today to ensure Native News Online can thrive and deliver impactful, independent journalism.
