CHEROKEES OF NORTH CAROLINA — GILBERT 533 



great Cherokee chiefs shown wearing their colorful costumes and 

 turbans. 



In the same way in which the turbulence of the ancient seas was 

 frozen into great rock strata of the Appalachian folds, so the turbu- 

 lence of the early frontier life and the Indian way of living have been 

 frozen into the present-day Cherokee Reservation in North Carolina. 

 The Indians who can be seen there today memorialize the past in a 

 very real and vivid manner. The conflicts of the Indians and whites 

 furnish the theme of the drama "Unto These Hills," given annually at 

 the Mountainside Amphitheatre. The intertown conflicts are symbol- 

 ized in the boisterous Cherokee ball game. Everywhere we see action 

 of the past memorialized in ancient weapons and implements, in the 

 Cherokee Museum, and in the many products on display in the curio 

 shops. 



Commemoration or memorial ization of past events typifies the cul- 

 tural influences now at work among the Eastern Cherokees. It is as if 

 the Cherokees had taken to heart the famous lines of Pope : 



First follow nature and your judgment frame 

 By her just standard which is still the same. 



and in another context : 



All nature is but art unknown to thee. 



But before we proceed to expound the details of this theme it might 

 be well to bring into our consciousness the contemporary condition and 

 general picture of Cherokee life in North Carolina today. 



THE CHEROKEES TODAY 



Since 1917 an annual 5-day Cherokee Indian Fair has been held near 

 the Agency late in September or early in October. The purposes of 

 the fair have been to stimulate agricultural enterprise by offering 

 prizes for various products, to encourage arts and crafts (especially 

 weaving of linen and woolen goods, weaving and braiding of rugs), 

 art metalwork, silverwork, beadwork, cabinetmaking, wood carving, 

 jewelrymaking, basketry, and pottery. Various recreational activities 

 include Cherokee stick ball games, archery contests, dances (both In- 

 dian and square dances), singing contests, and baby shows. 



In 1947 the Qualla Arts and Crafts Mutual Incorporated was or- 

 ganized to market the products of 175 Cherokee Indian craftsmen. 

 In 1950 the Cherokee Indian Farmers Cooperative was organized and 

 the Boundary Tree Tourist Enterprise was opened for business. In 

 1955 it was estimated that there were 90 business enterprises owned 

 and operated by Cherokees on the reservation. 



Much of the growth of the Cherokee economy has come about since 

 the development of good roads, beginning in 1931, brought swarms 

 of tourists into the area. This has permitted the development of, and 



