Cultural Heritage

Cherokee Heritage: From Repression To Renewal

A faraway look enters Myrtle Driver Johnson’s eyes as, in her native tongue, she intones the words which in English mean, "Welcome to Kituwah, where the first Cherokee come from." Beyond her gesture, surrounded by fields of corn which end at the edge of the Oconaluftee River, lies a circular mound no higher than a man but huge in its significance for Johnson and her people. Kituwah, now two-thirds of its original size, is the site of the first sacred fire, the first metropolis of the people known as the Ani-Yun-Wiya, the Tsalagi, or more recently, the Cherokee. After decades of neglect, the mound was recently repurchased by the tribe, due in no small measure to proceeds from Harrah’s Cherokee Casino. And therein lies a tale.

The Cherokee, who once modeled their tribal constitution on that of the United States, were forcibly removed from their ancestral home in 1838-39. The few who remained in North Carolina formed the Eastern Band of the Cherokee. By the 1940s, pressure to assimilate had become so intense, Cherokee were discouraged from learning the native language. But with the postwar boom in tourism to the adjoining Great Smoky Mountain National Park, the tribe began the road back to autonomy.

The addition of a casino in the ‘90s brought a sea of change. Revenue from the gaming industry has been used, not just to finance beautification of the town astride the Oconaluftee, but to bring about a revival in traditional Cherokee arts and crafts. Even to repurchase tribal historical sites like Kituwah.

Today, objects of Cherokee culture which in years past had been purchased purely for their functional purpose are now collected for their quality as Native American art. Most Cherokee families can point to at least one area of expertise in the varied fabric of tribal culture, knowledge of which is handed down from generation to generation. Says basketweaver George Goings, for example, "I didn’t start till I was 22. I learned from my mother and my grandmother."

Like many of the Cherokee artisans, Goings reinterprets traditional themes in his designs, yet adheres to the old ways, such as using dyes from indigenous plants to create the subtle colors in his basketry. In addition to baskets made from reed and white oak, the Cherokee craft tradition offers native pottery, fine weaving, traditional masks and carvings from wood and stone.

A new and exciting way for tourists to access Cherokee culture is a program called Cherokee Trails. According to storyteller and tribal member Freeman Owle, "Cherokee Trails is pretty well beginning to be finished. And it’s going to be a wonderful thing for visitors and for the Cherokee."

Even gaming, as it turns out, may have had a precedent in the culture of the Cherokee. Clearly, it is playing a role in a cultural revival that is producing a brighter future. An abundance of artwork from the hands of many present day artists of the Eastern Band of the Cherokee may be seen and purchased at the Qualla Arts and Crafts Center in Cherokee. In addition, a fascinating interpretive display of Cherokee cultural history awaits at the Museum of the Cherokee Indian.

Getting There: The city of Cherokee, North Carolina is at the southern edge of Great Smoky Mountain National Park. Cherokee is accessible from I-40 (Exit 27) via Hwy 19-23 and Hwy 441 or by Hwy 441 south from Gatlinburg, TN.

added: December 30, 2008

updated: January 8, 2009