The following recordings are Cherokee Elder Charles Foster teaching and guiding us through the Cherokee pronunciations of the seven directions. With each recording, Charles first pronounces the word three times and then Phil and Rachel repeat. The seven recordings are not arranged by order of cultural importance. The explanations of the directions that follow the audio recordings come from conversations Rachel has had with Charles Foster as his student for the last eight years and from interdisciplinary research into Mississippian Mound cultural epistemologies and aesthetics.
Ayehli (Center, Where We Are Now) – the place/space we occupy, the center of everything; also the word used for “nation” in reference to the Cherokee Nation and the word used for “half” in reference to time.
Galvladidla (Up) – associated with the “upper world” or spiritual world, the sun, light, life, order, the heavens, and heavenly beings.
Eladidla (Down) – associated with the “below world” (also a spiritual realm), the moon, darkness, death, chaos, water, powerful beings, and water creatures.
Juhyvdlv’i (North) – the place where it is cold; according to Cherokee stories and oral histories, the Cherokee migrated from the north; also associated with Republicans after the Civil War.
Juganawv’i (South) – the place where it is warm; the location of Cherokee original homelands according to written history; also associated with Democrats after the Civil War.
Dikalvgv’i (East) – the place where it (the Sun) rises.
Wudeligv’i (West) – the place where it (the Sun) sets.