In the beginning, the Cherokee people were many and lived in a country of mountains and plenty of water. It was peaceful and the Blue Light gave them strength. But one day, a mountain exploded in this country. The destruction forced the People to leave, searching for a new home. All could not go so the council selected people from each of the twelve clans to find a new home. Along the long journey, five of the clans were destroyed leaving only seven. These people of the seven clans finally came to rest once again in the mountains where the water flowed clear and cold and they grew to be many again.
There are two numbers that occur over and over again in Cherokee life, songs and stories. These are the number four and the number seven. There are four winds that blow across the land, four phases of the moon, four principal directions (East, North, South and West) and four sacred colors (Red, Blue, White and Black). The number seven appears in the seven encompassing directions (North, South, East, West, Up, Down and Where I Now Stand), seven heavens (the Giver of Breath lives in the seventh heaven) and the seven clans. The names for the seven clans are in the ancient language and there is debate about exactly how the names are interpreted. But this is what I was told of the clans and what they mean:
Ani-Waya The Wolf People
Ani-Go-Ti-ge-wi-dv Comes Grom The North
Ani_Wo-Di The Paint People
Ani-Gi-lo-hi-dv The Long Hair
Ani-Tsi-s-qua The Bird People
Ani-Kawi The Deer People
Ani-Sa-ho-ni The Blue People