The Cherokee name for bean bread is tuya asuyi gadu. In form and function, it bears a strong resemblance not only to tamales (which are of Aztec and Mayan origin), but also to the Choctaw and Chickasaw’s banaha, as well as the Diné people’s Kneel Down Bread. All of these were food staples in the period prior to the introduction of wheat on the North American continent, and featured corn — a sacred grain to these civilizations.
For the Cherokee, corn is called selu, which happens to be the name of the aforementioned First Woman, sometimes known as Corn Mother. Selu sacrificed herself in order to provide corn for her descendants; wherever her blood fell, corn stalks grew. This basic tale of corn as an expression of motherly sacrifice is common among many indigenous North American cultures. Domesticated corn was essential, not only to the creation of sophisticated Native American societies, but also for the very survival of the Mayflower settlers.
