318 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 196 



Today there are 25 remaining. Once there were five farms in Chero- 

 kee, now there are three. Painttown boasted four in 1960; this num- 

 ber has now dwindled to one. Of the 18 people who used to farm in 

 Soco only 8 remain. Birdtown farms have been reduced from 11 to 7. 

 Only Big Cove remains fairly constant; there are now five instead of 

 six farmers there.^^ Interestingly enough the five Big Cove farmers 

 are "fullblood" or nearly so. This is a consequence of the fact that 

 these folk are too old to leave the land,^^ and their holdings are located 

 where land is not, at present, sought after for commerical exploitation. 

 But this too may change because the road to Big Cove has been paved 

 and more tourists will find their way into this once isolated settlement. 



Trading licenses. — From perhaps no other single source of informa- 

 tion is the picture of expansion more apparent than from the number 

 of trading licenses issued. In May 1963, 134 licenses were granted to 

 people in the following categories: Indian-owned-and-operated busi- 

 nesses, 63 (9 more than were issued in 1960) ; Indian-owned but leased 

 to White operators, 11; non-Indian-owned, 60.^^ A review of the 

 degrees of Indian inheritance of the Indian-owned-and-operated es- 

 tablishments suggests that no significant change has taken place since 

 1960 (cf. p. 238). 



To illustrate the continuing and increasing importance of the tour- 

 ist industry to Cherokee, the following data are offered: there are 

 today 33 motels; 39 craft shops; 11 restaurants; 9 groceries with picnic 

 supplies; and 9 combination craft shop, restaurant, and grocery busi- 

 ness under one roof.^° 



Gross income figm-es reported for three of these Indian-owned-and- 

 operated establishments are: $428,213; $175,072; and $151,538."' In 

 the instance of the largest Indian business a 39 percent increase in 

 the gross was realized in the last 3 years. In addition to wages paid 

 to Indian employees and net profits to owners, 3 percent of these in- 

 comes are paid into the tribal treasury. This increase in tribal funds 

 has made possible more assistance to individuals, but, more impor- 

 tantly, has enabled it to attract light industry by offering financial 

 assistance. 



A new tom-ist attraction is now being constructed representing a 

 million dollar investment of private funds. It is to be a park empha- 

 sizing a historic theme. In addition to a western frontier town and 

 fort there will be 11 Indian villages depicting Plains Indian life. Dur- 

 ing the summer months of operation, periodic Indian raids will be 

 made on the Fort and regular gunfights will occur in the town. The 



*i Home Economics Extension Agent, Personal Conference, December 10, 1963. 



w See footnote 37. 



» Realty Officer, Personal Conference, December 10, 1963. 



« Mimeograph report, Cherokee Indian Agency, May 23, 1963. 



«> See footnote 39. 



