Editing Cherokee spiritual beliefs (section)

===Medicine and disease===
It is said that all plants, animals, beasts and people once lived in harmony with no separation between them. At this time, the animals were bigger and stronger until the humans became more powerful. When the human population increased, so did the weapons, and the animals no longer felt safe. The animals decided to hold a meeting to discuss what should be done to protect themselves.

The Bears met first and decided that they would make their own weapons like the humans, but this only led to further chaos. Next the Deer gathered to discuss their plan of action and they came to the conclusion that if a hunter was to kill a Deer, they would develop a disease. The only way to avoid this disease was to ask the Deer's spirit for forgiveness. Another requirement was that the people only kill when necessary. The council of Birds, Insects and small animals met next and they decided that humans were too cruel, therefore they concocted many diseases to infect them with.

The plants heard what the animals were planning and since they were always friendly with the humans, they vowed that for every disease made by the animals, they would create a cure. Every plant serves a purpose and the only way to find the purpose is to discover it for yourself.<ref name=Norton>Norton, Terry L. (2016).  Cherokee Myths and Legends: Thirty Tales Retold. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland</ref> When a medicine man does not know what medicine to use, the spirits of the plants instruct him.<ref>{{cite book |last=Mooney |first=James |publisher=Bureau of American Ethnology |title=Myths of the Cherokee |year=1966 }} pages 250-252</ref>