Dear Reader,

The Ark of Crystals is real. The Eastern Cherokee nation has such an ark. Contained within it are sacred, ceremonial objects for each of the seven clans that comprise this nation.

The three crystal clan totems in my story are fiction. To divulge the true contents wouldn’t be honoring the Eastern Cherokee nation. Secret is sacred. Sacred is secret.

While the Eastern Cherokee nation does have a Paint Clan, to my knowledge, a quartz-crystal mask roughly the size of a woman’s hand does not exist. I created this mask to symbolize the power of this particular clan.

The seven-pointed star is, again, a figment of my imagination. The seven points on the star represent the seven clans of the Eastern Cherokee nation and, more importantly, the Pleiades, which is the seven-starred constellation you can see in our winter skies.

The Wolf’s Head crystal, also fictional, symbolizes the Wolf Clan of the Eastern Cherokee nation. It is from this clan that leaders, both men and women chiefs and counselors, originate and are molded. Without good leaders, a nation becomes disorganized and confused.

Without the return of these three crystal totems, there is loss, disharmony and imbalance on the reservation, which people feel keenly. With their return come healing, abundance and balance.

Enjoy!