T 



JL he Cherokee have lived in this area of North Carolina 

 for more than 11,000 years. 



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In Cherokee, you are 

 welcomed by people 



ISCOVER 1 1,000 YEARS OF CULTURE AND 

 ladventure in Cherokee, North Carolina, the 

 ancestral homeland of the Cherokee Indians. 

 This sovereign nation in western North Carolina, about 

 100 square miles wide, is the home of the descendants of 

 those who defied the forced removal to Oklahoma (on 

 the famed Trail of Tears) or returned. These descendants 

 are preserving a culture older than that of Egypt or 

 Greece in the heart of the Great 

 Smoky Mountains. 

 The Oconaluftee Indian Village 

 who proudly preserve a replicates the sights and sounds 

 Culture far older than of Cherokee life in 1750. Here 



the new nation you can see P otter y bein § crafted 

 j. ,i in the ancient Cherokee tradi- 



surrounding them. , , , , , 



° tion, intricate baskets handcraft- 



ed from oak, blowgun demonstrations, and the creation 

 of brilliant mosaics, one bead at a time. Be there on the 

 opening night of the fifty-seventh season of "Unto These 

 Hills," an outdoor drama that tells the story of the 

 Cherokee (including a recreation of the Eagle Dance), 

 featuring Cherokee actors, authentic Cherokee music 



using real Cherokee, and use of the Cherokee language. 

 Now updated to present a more culturally accurate ver- 

 sion of Cherokee history, the play is performed nightly, 

 except Sundays, at the beautiful Mountain Side Theater, 

 from June 8 to August 19. At the Museum of the 

 Cherokee Indian, the Eastern Band of the Cherokee 

 present themselves and their history according to their 

 own world view. Don't miss the new exhibit "Emissaries 

 of Peace," which features tales of Cherokee encounters 

 and travel abroad. Meet living masters of Cherokee arts 

 as you browse for treasures at Qualla Arts & Crafts, an 

 outstanding Cherokee-owned and operated arts coop- 

 erative. Witness the largest gatherings of indigenous 

 tribes in the Southeast in 2006 as the Cherokee Indian 

 Fairgrounds presents the Southeastern Tribes Cultural 

 Arts Celebration, May 19-20, as well as the 2nd 

 Annual Festival of Native Peoples, August 24-25. 

 These weekends promise to be filled with native dance, 

 song, storytelling, authentic foods and art. For more 

 information on cultural events in Cherokee in 2006, 

 please visit the web at www.cherokee-nc.com 

 All of Cherokee awaits you... with pleasure! 



Left to right: The ancient art of fingerweaving is demonstrated daily at the Oconaluftee Indian Village; the infamous Eagle Dance has been 

 performed at "Unto These Hills" for 56 years; Cherokee dwellings from the 1750's are replicated at the Oconaluftee Indian Village 



