Antique Cherokee Booger Cane/Dance Stick. Gift from Running Deer.Great story.

Description

I have been a fan of all things Cherokee, and particularly the Booger Dance since I first saw a toned-down version of it 70 years ago.  In part it ridiculed enemies, trespassers, and jerks, the masked 'dancers' crashing a party disguised as those to be ridiculed, - white men, missionaries, traders, other tribes, etc.  Just as if they were at a convention, as enacted by the Boogers, visitors to the Principal People misbehaved, acted improperly, chased women (indeed some masks had phallic noses, indicating those who had nothing else on their minds) patronized, and thus were to be scorned and not feared.  After causing disruption among the gathering, the "Driver" - the master of ceremonies for the Dance, got them calmed down, seated, and interviewed them.  He would whisper to Booger number 1 and give his answer (cannot talk well through a wooden mask), "I ask him his name.  He says he {Insert ribald, scatalogical, ridiculous name}", where he was from, where he was going, what he wanted (usually women), explained that the Cherokee were, peaceful and moral people, and asked if the Boogers wanted to dance. Of course, as you know, the Cherokee word for 'Dance' and 'Fight' are very similar, and yes the Boogers wanted to fight - with a lot of extra drama and comedy until the Driver settled them down again.  (That one never gets old!).  Then the Boogers each did  indeed dance, one by one, showing their ineptness, clumsiness, cluelessness, lack of coordination, all in sharp contrast to the graceful and talented Cherokees.  One routine is described as one of the Boogers dancing with his short walking stick, about 18" long, which exaggerated his slapstick.
According to the man I bought this from, his late great uncle, a renowned artifact collector,was great friends with Chief Standing Deer.  Standing Deer is a well known Cherokee name, and there have been Standing Deers who were chiefs, but this man was "the most photographed Indian in America" as one of those who posed for tourists in the 30s and 40s, and was known as the best Native angler, making his own horsehair line and using wasp larvae for bait until the Government (of course) outlawed live trout bait in the Great Smokey Mountain National Park adjacent to Cherokee. He was a contemporary of Will West Long, Frank Speck, and others who contributed to the scholarship about the Cherokee in the 30s.
According to the man I bought it from, this is from the 19th century. It is made of diamond willow.  I think in addition to being a Booger stick, it is a parody of the tendency to carve "Indian heads" on walking sticks, which has been going on for 200 years.  This is likely an Indian caricature of a 'white man head' stick, consistent with the ridicule intended.  Provenance information, photos of my sellers's great uncle with Standing Bear, Frank Speck with Standing Bear included.
Dimensions - 51.5" long, 4" diameter at the head.  The eyes appear to have once had some other material (copper?, something white?) around the black bead pupils.