Cherokee Storytelling: The Hand 

Because in our culture, the spirit does not rest if part of the body is missing. The spirit will search for the missing parts until they are found. Then the spirit can rest.

I was taught that Halloween was born of fear, and the customs around it involved placating the spirits of the dead for the safety of the living. The indigenous American tradition was born of celebration, a reunion with those who have walked on, and recognition of death as part of a natural cycle, nothing to be feared

@@tiffanywest25 Hey Mrs. Tiffany West, your comment was very informative . If you have World book encyclopedia, you can find the origins of Halloween. On pg. 24 it states: Halloween parties feature such activities as fortiontelling, storytelling about ghosts, witches, & bobbing for apples. Halloween developed from ancient new year festivals & festivals of the dead. In the 1800's the Christian church established all saints day on Nov. 1 so that the people could continue a festival they had celebrated Before before becoming Christians. The Mass said on All Saints Day was called Allhallowsmas. The evening before All Saints Day became known as All Hallows Eve or All Hallow e'en. In Scotland, people paraded through fields and villages carrying torches. They lit huge bonfires on hillsides to drive away witches and other evil spirits. But this celebration goes against God's word the Bible. For in Exodus 22:18 it says, Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live. Deuteronomy 18:10, says, There shall not be found among you anyone that maketh his Son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth devination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch. On Halloween, children dress up like spirits, witches, and goblins, and zombies which are supposed to be the living dead. Deuteronomy 18:14 says, For these nations, which thou shalt posses, hearkened unto observers of times, and unto deviners: but as for thee, the Lord thy God hath not suffered thee to do so. Therefore, people celebrating Halloween are detestable to Almighty God. Just thought you might like to know more about the celebration of Halloween. Not being a know it all or trying to offend you but, I was surprised the Native Americans celebrated those holidays. I grew up with the Choctaw, Blackfeet, Osage, Cherokee & crow tribes when I lived on the Foss reservation in Oklahoma State.