In the course of numerous trips to the Beaver Gap area in Adair County, GCPRI became intrigued with the small little structures built over the graves there at the Beaver Gap Cemetery. So much, that we also found other cemeteries where these little structures, known as spirit houses, are located. After a great deal of documentation on video and in pictures, we believe we have successfully preserved a piece of Cherokee Heritage for future generations to see.
The following information was sent to us by Lisa Stopp of the Cherokee Nation Heritage Center about spirit houses.
The houses on top of graves were very common for both Cherokees and Creeks, and today, there are still some being built, but since there are not as many traditional Cherokees, they are harder to find. There are some great examples of brand new ones in Sequoyah County, they even have vents in the eaves.
The houses over the graves serve several purposes. One, it serves as a spiritual 'home' for the deceased. Sometimes people put things in the houses for their loved ones throughout the years. When the house dwindles away through time, then the person's soul has moved on to its next place. They also protect the graves from any animals, or from anyone tampering with it, so that there is no possibility of persons putting 'bad' on the grave, or taking dirt from the grave to use for 'bad' purposes. And another use is to provide shelter for the Little People, who are protecting the grave.
