Trip: Cherokee Truck-in
“`Cherokee, NC
Date: June 7-9, 2024
Author: Cristian Baca
History:
Cherokee County was formed in 1839 from a part of Macon County, and is North Carolina’s western most county, bordered by the states of Tennessee and Georgia, and located in the southern tip of the Great Smoky Mountains. Cherokee County was named to honor the Cherokee Indians who inhabited this area before being removed and relocated to Oklahoma in 1838. Those who escaped removal to Oklahoma now live on the Cherokee Indian reservation in Cherokee, NC.
President Andrew Jackson approved the Indian Removal Act of 1830, which provided removal of all Indians to Oklahoma. In 1835, the New Echota Removal Treaty was signed and plans were executed to remove the Cherokee Indians. Many Indians defied the government and went into hiding in the wilderness of the Blue Ridge Mountains, now known as Cherokee, NC Indian Reservation. Under the New Echota Removal Treaty of 1835, over 17,000 Indians were removed from North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, Mississippi, and Arkansas to Oklahoma. It was a miserable road that the Cherokee endured for 6 long months in the bitter cold. 1 out of every 4 Indians died on the march. This long, sad journey is known as the Trail of Tears.
Cherokee is a town on the reservation home of the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Nation, in western North Carolina. At Oconaluftee Indian Village, the 18th-century Cherokee lifestyle is preserved through live demonstrations. In summer at the outdoor Mountainside Theatre, the drama “Unto These Hills” tells the tribal story leading up to the Trail of Tears. The drama has been performed since 1950.
Experience:
The Cherokee, NC trip was one of the best trips I’ve been on since I joined the troop 2 years ago. We set up camp Friday night and planned to go swimming but it was too late. Instead we enjoyed camp time and got a good night’s sleep for the next day. We took a hike on Saturday to a beautiful waterfall. We then went to visit Oconaluftee village to learn how the Cherokee lived in the 1800s. We went river tubing after that (super fun) and got ice cream (my favorite was cookies n cream). After returning to the campsite, we swam in the pool until it was time to get ready for the Indian drama “Unto These Hills.” It was a good play but very sad to watch how the Cherokee were treated. After another good night’s sleep, we packed up on Sunday morning so we could tour the Wheels Through Time museum. The old motorcycles we saw were super cool! We headed home after a busy, fun-filled experience.
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