The people we call the Cherokee Indians have lived in the
southeastern mountains for hundreds of years. They called
themselves “Ani-yun-wiya” which is translated as “real people”.
The name Cherokee is a Euro-American corruption of the Creek
Indian name for these people – “Teiloki” – which means “people
of the different language”. The Cherokee people probably lived a
pretty good life with plenty of game and fish and wild plants as
well as the corn, beans and squash they grew. That was until AD
1540 when the Spanish traversed their beloved mountains. Then
came the French and English with illnesses and prejudices for
which the natives had no comprehension. The Cherokees needed
some help to ward off the perceived European wickedness and they
got that aid with the development of the Booger Mask. These
Booger Masks were made as grotesque representations of enemies
or the Indians themselves and were worn during the Booger Dance
to elicit humor about fearsome aspects of life. It is quite
likely that the natives made