Cherokee Indian Museum


Cherokee, NC (2006) – Most people don’t realize just how long the Cherokee tribe has been around Western North Carolina. Direct descendants of the first people in North America, Cherokees have had – to use a modern term – staying power. Power, over 11,000 years worth, that has made them one of the oldest continuous cultures on earth. Thinking back to dreaded history class, that makes the Cherokee tribe older than the Mayans and Aztecs of South America. And to illustrate this fact, The Museum of The Cherokee Indian in Cherokee, NC has designed an award-winning, interactive space that celebrates the tribe’s longevity with much more excitement than any textbook.

A trip through the museum is an interesting merging of the very ancient with the very modern. With help of writers and designers from Disney Imagineering, interactive features, stunning video and special effects audio make the tour as much about entertainment as education. Here, members of the museum staff draw on their ability to be storytellers in addition to being archivists, historians and teachers.

“We have put a lot of emphasis on making the history of our people an exciting adventure for guests,” said Ken Blankenship, executive director of the museum. “We understand that while many people know we are here in North Carolina, they have no idea what significance the Cherokees have in world history until they step inside our doors. You can see their eyes light up with that realization.”

The self-guided tour starts in the intriguing story lodge where animated Cherokee myths surround guests and immerse them in a significant part of the tribe’s culture. Then, it is on to hunting mastodons in the Paleo period from 11,000-8,000 B.C., or 13,000 to 10,000 years ago. Next comes a trip through the Archaic period, 8,000-1,000 B.C. (10,000 to 3,000 years ago), when the Cherokee began to develop agriculture, fishing and extensive trade. And to the Woodland period, 1,000 B.C. to 900 A.D., where Cherokee people lived in villages, with developed agriculture, the creation of pottery and use of bows and arrows.

The Mississippian period follows, dating 900-1,500 A.D. (500-1100 years ago), where farming was based on corn, mounds dominated the center of villages and the arts flourished. The Green Corn Ceremony dates to this time and continues today, along with the stickball game, chunkey game, songs and dances, many of which are illustrated on the tour with life-size figures and voices of Cherokee people.

Guests are introduced to the legendary Sequoyah, creator of Cherokee written language. He is the only man in 5,000 years of recorded history to invent a language while not being literate. The Sequoyah syllabary contains eighty-five syllables representing sounds of Cherokee language. The Cherokee national council approved this syllabary in 1821 and in one year, more than 90% of Cherokee people learned to read and write.

An especially poignant stop at the museum is at the Trail of Tears exhibit, where the reality of that event is presented in moving detail. Many people have heard the words “trail of tears” before. However, few realize the event’s magnitude before touring the museum, which is the official interpretive site for the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail, administered by the National Park Service.

It was along this trail in 1838 that more than 15,000 Cherokees were forced to leave this region and walk over 1,000 miles to Indian Territory, now the state of Oklahoma. They were an established people by this time, with a written constitution, bilingual newspaper and Christian churches, and they resisted removal with petitions, lobbying efforts and Supreme Court cases. But, they were ultimately forced to leave their ancestral home. Between 4,000-8,000 Cherokees, almost half of the tribe, died along the way. Approved by Congress in 1987, the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail covers 2,200 miles in nine states and commemorates this tragic part of America’s history.

Along with permanent exhibits, the museum offers new exhibitions and special events to honor Cherokee history each year. Its newest exhibition, “Emissaries of Peace: the 1762 Cherokee and British Delegations,” is open now through September 30. Funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities, the traveling exhibition has received a special presidential designation as a “We the People” exhibit and will end its tour at the Smithsonian’s Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C.

The exhibition was created at the Museum of the Cherokee Indian based on the memoirs of British Lt. Henry Timberlake, which details his three-month visit to Cherokee in 1762. A brilliant observer and writer, Timberlake provided the most complete account of Cherokee life of that period. The exhibition includes compelling stories, supported by diary entries, artifacts from the region, British newspaper accounts and original artwork. The exhibit was funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Cherokee Preservation Foundation, Harrah’s Foundation, First Citizen’s Bank and the Cannon Foundation.

In addition to painting a picture of Cherokee and British diplomacy at the time, the exhibition has led the way to new additions at area cultural attractions. Timberlake’s detailed descriptions enabled a group of Cherokee dancers to recreate the Welcome/War Dance and Eagle Tail Dance, some of which will be included in the all-new production of the outdoor drama “Unto These Hills.” His writings go on to describe huge twenty-gallon Cherokee pots that have also inspired members of the Cherokee Potters Guild to recreate the vessels, one of which is featured in the exhibition. And, Timberlake’s notes on Cherokee clothing led to additional research by Barbara R. Duncan, Ph.D., the museum’s education director. Duncan directed redesign of clothing for the Warrior’s dance group and Cherokee hosts at Oconaluftee Indian Village, which will be a new addition in 2006.

The Museum of the Cherokee Indian has received numerous awards, including the North Carolina Governors Award for Cultural Arts Organizations, Public Interpretation Award from the National Association of Interpretive Media, Western Carolina University Mountain Heritage Award, NC Folklore Society Community Traditions Award and WNC Historical Association 2000 Achievement Award. It is also the Primary Arts Organization for the North Carolina Arts Council.

The Museum of the Cherokee Indian is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years Days. Admission is $9 for adults and $6 for youth 6-13. Other Cherokee, NC attractions include: Oconaluftee Indian Village, a 1750 replica of a Cherokee village; tribal art galleries such as Qualla Arts and Crafts Mutual; and the region’s renowned outdoor drama “Unto These Hills.” For information, visit www.cherokee-nc.com, call (866) 554-4557 or (828) 497-3481.