Clean-up Information

What: We begin in water and we return to water. The Cherokees have always viewed the river as “Long Man (Gunahita Asgaya),” whose head lay in the mountains and the feet in the sea. Long Man (or Long Person), was a revered figure among the Cherokee as one who provided water to drink, cleanliness, food, and numerous cultural rituals tied to medicine and washing away bad thoughts and sadness.

Why: A day to honor “Ga-nv-hi-dv As-ga-ya” (Long man-the river). On this day, we will live our connection with Long Man by cleaning trash out of waterways. However, this is much more than a one-time ‘river cleanup,’ it is a cultural awakening and/or re-awakening. Honoring Long Man Day cleanups will continue into the future.

When: Wednesday, October 20, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. (Rain date October 22)

Signup HERE (note: registration may be capped)

Where: Meet at the Cherokee Fairgrounds, Cherokee, NC
*OR* clean up a waterway that is accessible to you. We encourage EVERYONE to take some time on this day and care for their local waterway by cleaning up trash. Post a picture of your trash on social media and tag your cleanup with #honoringlongman !

How else can folks support this Honoring Long Man event?
• Donate HERE
• Share this information