Hundreds of years ago, the Smoky Mountains were home to numerous Cherokee villages spanning across a vast geographic area throughout Western North Carolina and Eastern Tennessee. Here they had substantial houses – not the teepees you might expect – and there were multiple trade routes throughout the mountains. As European settlers began moving into the region the Cherokee were eager to learn skills from their new neighbors and traded goods with them. By the late 17th century, they had learned how to grow new foods like watermelon and peaches.

The Tribe continued to coexist with settlers for many years in the beginning of the 18th century, but things became more difficult over time. A smallpox epidemic ravaged the Tribe, the military raided and destroyed numerous villages, and numerous peace treaties were made and broken, which led to the Tribe losing 75% if the land they once occupied.

During the Revolutionary War, the Cherokee aligned with the British. Once the war was over, the leaders of a new America began laying the groundwork to forcibly relocate the Cherokee Tribe.

Just prior to the U.S. government moving 14,000 members of the Cherokee Nation off their land in the North American southeast to Arkansas and Oklahoma on the “Trail of Tears”, a small band of Cherokees were given permission to remain in Western North Carolina.

Known as the Oconaluftee Cherokee, they were recognized as separate from the rest of the Cherokee Nation. Together with rebels who hid successfully in the mountains to avoid capture and removal, and others who escaped back home after arriving in Oklahoma, this band became known as the Eastern Band of Cherokee.

During the removal, it’s estimated that a quarter to half of the tribe died along the way, hence the name “Trail of Tears.”

To understand how the Cherokee people have survived almost insurmountable odds for thousands of years, just look to the values at the heart of their culture: Spirituality; Group Harmony; Strong Personal Character; Commitment to Stewarding the Land, Values-oriented Education and a Good Sense of Humor.  In hand with these,

“Honoring the past by knowing one’s ancestors, identifying with and belonging to the tribe, and living and preserving Cherokee culture”

is woven through every aspect of their language, food, art, storytelling, games, music, and dance. For the best understanding of what you will experience on your trip, read about these tenets and more at Cherokee Preservation Foundation before your visit.