^^THROP. PAP. EASTERN CHEROKEE GROUPS — ^KUPFERER 233 



Across the river on the west side was another small settlement. One 

 of the stores was a craft and cm-io shop. The Cherokee language 

 was spoken by more than three-quarters of the population. All but 

 a 10th could speak EngHsh and all could understand it. During this 

 year two boys were in college, and three boys and two girls were in 

 junior college. Prior to 1929, according to Henry Owl (MS., 1929, 

 pp. 133-161), four boys had received college degrees, and two girls 

 had completed nurses' training. 



The preceding glimpse into the turbulent past of the Cherokee helps 

 set the stage for Cherokee, 1960, for in that which exists today are 

 threads from other days. 



THE PRESENT 



The present-day Cherokee occupy a reservation of 56,572 acres. 

 Included in this are 159 acres controlled by the Bureau of Indian 

 Affairs and used for schools and other service areas. The region is 

 mountainous; coves are sheltered by thickly wooded hiUs; good bottom 

 lands floor the valleys. As a consequence of this topography, 46,582 

 acres are forest land, 4,053 are agricultural, and the remainder are in 

 grass, pastnre, and wasteland. The main reservation, Qualla Bound- 

 ary, straddles two counties: 29,504 acres are in Swain County and 

 19,347 acres are in Jackson County. In Graham County, the Snow- 

 bird section includes 2,249 acres. Approximately 5,571 acres of land 

 are held in Cherokee County in fragmented tracts. If all the land 

 were to be distributed according to families, each family would hold 

 approximately 95 acres. The largest landholder lives in Big Cove and 

 controls between 500 and 600 acres, most of which are in timber. 



Elevations in the area range from 1,900-4,700 feet. Although the 

 vaUeys may be bare, snow is frequently visible on mountain tops dur- 

 ing the winter. Spring arrives gradually in March and April, reaching 

 the lowlands first and creeping up the mountains as shades of green 

 blend into each other. Trees are just budding at the top of Soco Gap 

 when lower regions are a panorama of green. Rhododendron and 

 flame azalea bloom long after they have gone from the riverbanks 

 below. In February, the coldest month, the temperature averages 

 29.7° F. and in July, the warmest month, the average is 80.5** F. 

 The mean for the year is 54.9° F. Although the temperatures vary 

 from year to year, the climate is relatively mild and there is an abun- 

 dance of moisture. 



The land is held in trust for the people by the U.S. Government. 

 Individuals do not hold title to their lands, but have possessory rights 

 to certain tracts. These holdings are freely bought, traded, and sold 

 among the Indians, and they may be willed and inherited within the 

 band. Just prior to my first period of fieldwork, one landholder, an 



