Our sacred relationship with nature.

I have no fear of snakes because I am a Cherokee. We made a treaty with the snakes long ago: if we do not harm them they do not harm us. Still, there have been some Cherokees who did not honor the treaty, hurt snakes & were punished for it. The snakes have two different ways of doing so. They can make it quick and kill you with their venom, or make it slow and drive you insane. I believe that this happened to my father. He loved guns & shooting animals. He must have killed a snake at some point because by the time I grew up he was living in fear of them. Anytime he saw one he would freak out, no matter how small it was. Sometimes he was triggered when he saw something resembling a snake, such as a garden hose or rope.