In Cherokee legend, yunwi tsunsdi (also known as "little people") are short and kind spirits who frequent the craggy rocks within mountainous regions. Not to be mistaken with the Nunnehi (another spirit race), the yunwi tsundi are a very gentle and noble race, often giving aid to anyone in need of it. However, the race is not without its laws. If a person stumbles upon an item that they want in a forest, they have to ask very loudly for the yunwi tsundi's consent. If the person does not have that consent, and they try to take the item, they are pelted with rocks and forced to retreat.
In addition, this race of spirits enjoys music; particularly drumming and dancing to a beat. However, should a person wandering through the mountains hear this drumming, they are advised to stay far away. If not, they risk becoming lost and dazed due to a hex put on them by the yunwi tsundi.
Furthermore, when the yunwi tsundi gather near a dwelling within a Cherokee settlement, and they can be heard conversing, no one must watch them or they will face death. If they are not watched, they will bring a great boon, such as harvesting and gathering entire crops for the whole settlement in one night.
In regards to physical appearance, the yunwi tsundi are described to be an attractive race with lengthy hair and a stocky build. While they are of small stature (reaching only up to two feet in height), the yunwi tsundi have big hearts. The race is detailed in numerous accounts to guide lost travelers and children through the rocky terrain to safety.
One story tells where a lone man is wandering and comes across tracks of the yunwi tsundi. Upon finding their cave, he is invited in and taken good care of. Once the man departs to return to his own settlement, the yunwi tsundi caution him that he cannot tell anyone of his experience, or he will drop dead. Once he is back at the settlement, the man does not hold out and spills the secrets of the yunwi tsundi, only to die a few days later.
Another story is where a man ailing of smallpox goes out into the world, only to be found by the yunwi tsundi and taken care of, until he made a full recovery. A third story details a man called Tsantw who becomes lost during a winter snowstorm, but rescued and nursed back to health by the yunwi tsundi. After he is in good health, Tsantw makes it back home with proper guidance, but ultimately dies a few days later due to him swimming in an ice-cold river.
The third story raises the question of whether the yunwi tsundi were truly helpful. Of course they found Tsantw in the middle of nowhere and helped to heal him, but they also told him to take the river path, which ended up killing him. Perhaps the yunwi tsundi felt that Tsantw was destined for death, but out of kindness wanted Tsantw to die in his own settlement, as a more honorable death, compared to freezing alone in the snowstorm. Either way, this remains a very interesting tale.
A final story tells of a settlement that received many a blessing and helpful labor from the yunwi tsundi, but in an undisclosed way, ends up offending the spirits and losing the boon. As the yunwi tsundi left the settlement offended, a few people watched them, and as punishment, they were never seen again.
Despite the few unfortunate events that befall people around the yunwi tsundi, ultimately they are a kind race who, if given the proper respect and privacy, can be incredibly helpful to a Cherokee settlement and its people