"Brit-Am Now"-158
28 Nov 2002 12:12:53
Contents:
1. GEORGE W. BUSH: The President's Hanukkah
Message
2. Cherokee origins??
3. Amerindians
4. Mormons
1. GEORGE W.
BUSH: The President's Hanukkah Message
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release
November 26, 2002
Hanukkah, 2002
I am pleased to send greetings to everyone celebrating Hanukkah, the  festival of lights.
For eight days and nights, Hanukkah commemorates the rededication of  the Holy
Temple in Jerusalem and the ancient story of Israel's courageous faith.
In a victorious struggle against their oppressors, the Maccabees heroically
overcame enormous odds to liberate the ancient kingdom of Israel. Hanukkah
reminds us that faith can give us the strength to overcome oppression. Today, the
spirit of the Maccabees continues to live and thrive among the Jewish people
and  in the State of Israel.
During the eight days of Hanukkah, Jews throughout the world gather  with family
and friends to rejoice and celebrate. Each night, they light a branch
of the menorah to commemorate the miracle of the lamp that, with only enough
oil for one day, burned in the ancient Temple for eight days. The festival of
lights culminates on the eighth night when all the candles burn in unity,
symbolizing the eternal light of the Temple and the long-standing struggle of the
Jewish people against adversity.
Americans join in thanking God for our blessings and renew our  commitment
to the values of faith, family, and community that make us strong. The candles
of Hanukkah remind us that in the face of darkness, goodness will prevail.
Laura joins me in sending our best wishes for a joyous Hanukkah.
GEORGE W. BUSH
####
2. Cherokee origins??
From: EcoRebbe@aol.com
Subject: Fwd: Re:Cherokee origins??
Dear Reb Yair: Shalom v'chag Hahodayah simcha
I am forwarding you a response to your article on the Cherokee Indians from a
friend who is a member of that tribe of holy people.
Blessing
Rabbi Gershon Caudill
In a message dated 11/27/02 5:03:26 PM, two_spirits02@yahoo.com writes:
<<
Shalom Rebbe! Thank you for thinking of me. Here's my interpretation -
Cherokee is the approved anglicised from of the name rendered Tsalagi
in the Cherokee laanguage,
 > We were always told in school Cherokee was the French word for
"friendly
people". The Tsalagi and French were trade partners & many times came
to each others rescue. Colonial day Cherokee adopted some clothing from the
French and it is still part of what we call "traditional clothing". Of course
real traditional Tsalagi clothing is bare naked draped in a feather cape.
The Choctaw, whose language was long the trade medium in the Southeast,
called the Cherokee CHALAKKI, this having been recorded in early
Spanish records as the name of the "Province of Chalaque," a part of
the historic habitation of the tribe in what is now western North
Carolina, Never heard of this Province of Chalaque.
highland, the usual interpretation of Chalakki has been "cave
people," from the Choctaw work chuluk or chiluk meaning cave.
 >Perhaps, but I would say it is questionable. The Choctaw are
Cherokee. A small band got in dispute with other tribal members... there were
disagreements, someone pitched a hissy fit, marched off, some family
and friends tagged along-alas the Choctaw were born. So how much could the
language deviate that much after separation? Apparently not a whole lot
because fluent Tsalagi speakers tell me they can converse effortlessly
with Choctaw. The Cherokee name for cave is "ustagalayi" .
Cherokee term Tsalagi might be mnemonic signifying "Ancient
Tobacco People," from their name for wild tobacco tsal-agayun li from
the Cherokee words tsalu, "tobacco" and agayun li, "old" or "ancient".
 > I think this is grasping at straws. A lot of our words begin with Tsal...
Tsali is our name for Charlie. A man known to us as Tsali is the reason
I am alive today. He prevented the removal of all the Cherokee peoples from
the Smoky Mtns. Because of this those who escaped the Trail of Tears are
known as Eastern Cherokee & still live in our sacred Smoky Mtns. So it is
suggested Tsalagi meant " Tsali's or Charlie's People". As a child I was also
told the "real" name of the people was either Wanaugwa or Tsaunga which was
suppose to mean "children of the Forest". I have not seen that written anywhere
however.
The name origin has been debated as much as the which came first
chicken or egg story. I don't think anyone really knows anymore.
In some of the oldest tribal ceremonials, they referred to themselves an Ani Kitu' hwagi,
signifying " People of Kituwha.
 >Technically incorrect...the Kituwa or Keetoowah are a secret society
of traditional elders within the tribe. There are the Kituwa & Etowa
societies. The Cherokee are well built, are
primarily of the "round hed" type, and are medium to tall in height.
 > Okay what Cherokee was he looking at? As my mom would say Cherokee
are short & dumpy people. Even among the men most are short. There are
families of super-tall slim Cherokee and they are thought to be from another
tribe that was "absorbed" ages ago. It is suggested the Blackfeet were this
tribe.
The fullblood men usually have more of an olive than a dark complexion, and some of the women are fairer,
 > That's accurate. We're not the infamous redskins. :) the tribe having been
noted for its beautiful girls, especially among the mixed bloods.
 > Yes of course we are all very beautiful! lol The Cherokee are known for their quick tempers,
 > only if they are mixed blood Irish... my greatgrandma said Cherokee
& Irish blood doesn't mix good & that's why the mixed women are so dang
tempermental & moody. Many Cherokee are shy & quiet by nature.
and some of their friends have said that they are shrewd and crafty in their dealings.
 > True. Try dealing with one of the "coyote" medicine men. They can be  real
pains and like to mess with you. A Cherokee legend that tells of a prehistoric migration from
a land toward the rising sun was lost a a very early period.
 > Legends I know... "our brothers in red cloaks who come from the
East" are said to be the Tibetans... the monks wear red cloaks even today.
I'm told we are a group that broke off from the Maya. Of course they
were in South America, however I'm not sure where the Maya say they originated
or migrated from. Old Cherokee artwork looks much like Mayan... the spooky carved head designs.
Osada!
Wohali
... we are free to set our soul out to the wind - Corey Hart
3. Amerindians: (borrowed from another list)
Hi,
A philosopher once said, "Define your terms and I'll have an
intelligent conversation with you." This is NOT an intelligent conversation because
Native American cannot be defined, much less "Native American looks."
The Navajo look Central Asian. They only came to America in 1233 C.E.,
fleeing from Ghengis Khan. Their homeland is in southern former
U.S.S.R.
Many southeastern tribes like the Creek and Cherokee look like Roman
senators and were so painted by the artist Turnbull. The Abenaki look
like Norsemen and Irishmen (probably because they were mixed with these
settlers in pre-Columbian times). Maya look like Dravidians from India.
Caribs look Maylasian. There was more racial diversity in the Americas
than in Europe. The stupid thing was the Spanish and other invaders
lumped any and all people they found here together. Even today if a
skeleton is dug up in America and it is over 500 years old it is
automatically declared Native American.
Don Panther-Yates
(who probably doesn't look Native American but is)
4. Mormons
From: Claude Boisseau <claude.boisseau@club-internet.fr>
Subject: News of one of the ten tribes
Hi,
I have read with interest your position about the ten lost tribes of  Israel.
I am glad to see that a Judaite considers the Jews as one of the twelve
tribes and does not represent alone the Israelites.
I am a member of the Church of Jesus-Christ of Latter Day Saints, known
also as the Mormons. We have the same position as yours concerning the
tribes of Israel. We believe they were taken away in about 720 BCE to Assyria. We
acknowledge they went in a later time to Europe and also to Asia. But
we believe the most of them went to Europe and particularly in the
countries you describe as Great Britain, and the North countries.
In my Church we also believe we represent the tribe of Ephraim the son
of Joseph who was sold and taken away in Egypt. We believe the efforts of
our missionnaries are to gather together this tribe firstly then the other
afterwards. We consider with sympathy the efforts of the Judaites to
come back to our original homeland. In 1840, the first prophet of the
Restoration, Joseph Smith, sent an apostle Orson Hyde to Palestine to
dedicate the country for the next return of the Judah tribe. He came
from USA and after more than six months of travel, he arrived at Jerusalem
where he offered a prayer to the Most High and gave a blessing for the return
of the Jews.
Claude Boisseau
Bordeaux France

Brit-Am Comment: From experience I know that a few of our Christian subscribers will get
irritated with me because I even allowed a Mormon to say something  about  his beliefs.
The person is speaking here of where his beliefs coincide with those of  Brit-Am and therefore it
is of interest to Brit-Am. From what I understand the Mormons believe
that their members descend from the Lost Tribes (mostly from Ephraim) and this is of interest to us.
Several Millions of people, a whole state in the USA, etc, all agreeing on the identity question in principle with Brit-Am is significant.
[It's a pity most of them never heard of us].
We are commanded in the Bible to seek the truth, to seek true religion.Religions answer the needs of people.
In some cases they answer these needs in the wrong way or they answer them in ways that are only partially correct; or they answer the wrong needs. Certain people feel a need to know that they are part of the Israelite
people. Most of the world does not. Where this need exists it has significance. In some cases it may reflect reality.
Brit-Am proves that this reality exists.

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