 |
|
|
|
|
|
Cherokee Central in the Carolinas by Jess Clarke Many tourists who visit Cherokee country may not know that the Cherokees didn’t use teepees. In the reservation’s retail in Cherokee, North Carolina on U.S. 19/441, amid fast-food eateries and stores with t-shirts and moccasins, is a gift shop with two teepees on top-and that’s not the only place they pop up in Cherokee. But for every misleading image of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians’ reservation, new initiatives – funded in part by Harrah’s Cherokee Casino & Hotel, found at one end of the town’s commercial district – are offering visitors a more authentic look at Cherokee life, culture and history. The changes signify renewed tribal pride, reclaiming heritage. “For the first time in 50 years, we are blazing the trail and envisioning our own destiny,” notes Mary Jane Ferguson, the tribes marketing and promotion director. “We have a rich heritage and rich culture.” Attendance is up at the cultural centers in Cherokee, which was named Travel Attraction of the Year in 2006 by the Southeast Tourism Society. One Popular destination is the Museum of the Cherokee Indian, including its exhibit Trail of Tears, a look at the forced, tragic journey of the Cherokees from their homeland in the Smokey Mountains here and elsewhere in the southeast to Oklahoma starting in the late 1830’s. But it seems the tribe’s path now is a trail of dignity. “It’s sort of like coming into your own, says Ferguson. Here’s a look at some of the museum’s festivals and attractions to enjoy and explore in Cherokee country. Museum of the Cherokee Indian
Each June, the Museum sponsors the Southeastern Tribes Cultural Arts Celebration and Cherokee Voices Festival, with storytelling, dancing music, crafts and traditional foods. Museum admission is $9 for adults, $6 for children 6-13 and free for kids 5 and younger. For more information, contact the museum at 589 Tsali Blvd., Cherokee, NC 28719; (828) 497-3481 or cherokeemuseum.org “UNTO THESE HILLS: A RETELLING” This outdoor drama, produced by the Cherokee Historical Association, started in 1950. It tells the story of the Cherokee, including first contact with Europeans, the tribe’s forced removal and the present day. Scriptwriters Ben Hurst and Pat Allee, whose credits include movies, television and the text of the very successful Emissaries of Peace exhibit last year at the Museum of the Cherokee Indian, have extensively revised the storyline for this summer’s show. More Cherokees and other Native Americans are also acting in the drama, and the music, dances and wardrobe have been modified to improve authenticity. Stephen Ayers, who teaches at Western Carolina University, is directing this year. Mountainside Theater has been refurbished for the season. Performances are Monday through Saturday through August 18. The pre-performance entertainment starts at 8 p.m., and the 90-minute drama begins at 8:30 p.m. Reserved seats are $22 for visitors 13 and older (general admission seats $18), $10 for children 6-12 (general admission $8) and free for kids 5 and younger. Details: 866/554-4557 or cherokee-nc.com. FESTIVAL OF NATIVE PEOPLE In its third year, this festival has become one of the largest gatherings in the East for traditional Native American dancing. About 75 dancers and other performers from tribes around the United States will participate in the event. This year, a new component will be an arts fair that will feature fine Native American pottery, baskets, wood and stone carvings and beadwork produced by some 50 artists from Easter Band of Cherokee Indians and other tribes. The festival runs 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. July 19-21 at the fairgrounds beside the Museum of the Cherokee Indian. Admission is $10; children 6 and younger are free. Details; 800/436-1608 or cherokee-nc.com. QUALLA ARTS AND CRAFTS MUTUAL About 300 artists, most of them enrolled members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, belong to this cooperative, which was founded in the late 1930’s and chartered in 1946. All members are juried into the co-op, which runs a gift shop and has a permanent collection. Members offer classes on pottery; basketry using honeysuckle, river cane and white oak; painting; and other arts. Items for sale include stone pipes, carvings of wood masks and animals, pottery, baskets, dolls, painting and beadwork. The co-op is at 645 Tsali Blvd. and open 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily in the summer. Details; 828/497-3103 or e-mail quallaartscrafts@verizon.net.
OCONALUFTEE INDIAN VILLAGE Whether it’s crafting coiled pottery, making a canoe or blowgun, knapping flint arrowheads, weaving baskets or carving masks, you’ll experience Cherokee ingenuity in this replica of a village, circa 1750. The guided tour includes the Council House, where Cherokees discussed issues in the pre-Removal Period, and the medicine house of herbal remedies. There’s also craft demonstrations, and presentation of singing, drumming and dancing. The Cherokee Historical Association runs the village, which operates 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. every day through Nov. 4 this year. The box office is at 564 Tsali Blvd. Admission is $15 for visitors 13 and older, $6 for children 6-12 and free for kids 5 and younger. Details: 866/554-4557 or cherokee-nc.com. TRIBAL GROUNDS COFFEE CULTURE Hit the ground(s) running! Don’t miss this coffeehouse, which shares space with an art gallery, community center and stage for music, dance, poetry, art exhibits and films, all inside LIFT Culture House. Natalie Smith (Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians) owns and operates it with Leon Grodski. A large lounge with a stage overlooks the Oconaluftee River. The space hosts knitting and drumming groups, live music that ranges from Christian metal to bluegrass, and other events. At the front of the building is Tribal Grounds, a cozy café’ with wireless Internet service, soups and sandwiches, and organic, indigenously grown coffee from around the world roasted on site. 516 Tsali Blvd. Details: 828/497-0707 or tribalgroundscoffeeculture.com
Jess Clarke is a freelance writer and editor based in Ashville, NC. This is her first article for Native Peoples. Article used by permission of Native Peoples Magazine. |
Opened in
1976, this museum is a clearinghouse of culture for the Eastern Band of Cherokee
Indians. The permanent collection includes stories about the world’s creation
according to Cherokee legend. Visitors will see such artifacts as spear points
used in hunting; gorgets, or pendants; and traditional coiled pottery. “We
really try to sell a story with our museum, and that’s the best way to educate
people.” Director Ken Blankenship says. “Let the artifacts tell a story.” A new
exhibit about the Trail of Tears features photographs of contemporary sites
along the routes Cherokees used as they traveled to Oklahoma.