Sign # 55 - Blue Ridge National Heritage Area

Transcription

Sign # 55
Museum of the Cherokee Indian
“To preserve and perpetuate the history, culture, and stories of the
Cherokee people.” To accomplish this mission, the museum maintains a
permanent exhibit, extensive artifact collection, archives, education
programs, artist series, and a museum store. The museum also publishes
the Journal of Cherokee Studies.
The Museum of the Cherokee Indian opened in 1948 and moved to its
present facility in 1976. Its exhibit was totally renovated in 1998, when a
new 12,000-square-foot exhibit was installed. The museum is a non-profit
organization with 501(c)3 status.
Left: The
Cherokee
Museum,
located in
downtown
Cherokee, prior
to moving to its
present facility.
Circa 1950.
Right: Depiction
of a Cherokee
Medicine Man
of the
Mississippian
Period.
The museum has helped to revitalize the stamped pottery tradition by
creating and working with the Cherokee Potters Guild; traditional dance by
sponsoring the Warriors of AniKituhwa; traditional 18th century Cherokee
dress; feather capes; and language. Because of this work, the museum
received the Community Traditions Award from the North Carolina Arts
Council.
The Museum of the Cherokee Indian is open daily except for
Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day.
The North Carolina mountains and foothills were
designated the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area in
recognition of their natural beauty and living traditions
of music, craft, agriculture, and Cherokee culture. This
location is part of a regional trail of distinctive heritage
sites. Ask for information at area visitor centers.
Depiction of the Cherokee Delegation of 1762 who traveled to London to meet King George III.
More information online at: www.blueridgeheritage.com
Oconaluftee Indian Village
Sign # 56
“To perpetuate and preserve the history and culture of the Cherokee People.”
Owned and operated by the non-profit Cherokee Historical Association,
the Oconaluftee Indian Village opened its doors in the summer of 1952.
This recreated Cherokee Village of the 18th Century sought to immerse
visitors in the history and culture of the Cherokee People.
The Village is a time machine, transporting you back to the 18th Century,
immersing you in the daily lives of Cherokee People. Learn more about
the Cherokee People from traditional arts, weaponry, government,
ceremony, dances, times of peace and times of war.
The Oconaluftee Indian Village Traditional Dancers
perform the Corn Dance on the Village Square
Grounds.
Cherokee artist Amanda Swimmer,
demonstrating how to make pottery at
the Oconaluftee Indian Village.
Through the years, the Oconaluftee Indian Village has become an institution
of knowledge on the history, culture, language, and heritage of the
Cherokee People. Hundreds of Cherokee Artists have played integral roles
in the success of the Oconaluftee Indian Village. Through the mastering of
traditional arts and crafts, to the preservation of the Cherokee language and
even keeping traditional songs and dances alive, this institution continues to
perpetuate and preserve history and culture for the benefit of generations of
Cherokee People to come.
The Oconaluftee Indian Village is open daily from early May to late October.
Demonstration of the Cherokee art of Finger Weaving, used to make belts, garters, sashes, shawls and blankets.
Sign # 57
Qualla Arts and Crafts Mutual, Inc.
Qualla Arts and Crafts Mutual, Inc. was founded in 1946, with the goal
of promoting the development, production, and marketing of unique
and authentic Cherokee arts and crafts. Known locally as the “co-op,”
Qualla Arts and Crafts is one of the oldest Native American
cooperatives in the United States. Soon after its formation, the
organization rented a storefront on Highway 441, a few miles from its
present location.
In testimony to the skill of its members, it
was juried into the Southern Highland
Handicraft Guild in 1949. In 1954, the co-op
took its current name, Qualla Arts and Crafts
Mutual, Inc., when it was formally
incorporated under the State of North
Carolina. In 1960, the co-op moved to its
present location and, in 1969, began
organizing exhibitions to showcase the work
Rivercane single weave storage
of its members. Basket weaver Eva Wolfe
basket by Nancy Bradley.
was the first person to have her work
exhibited. In 1976, the co-op’s building was renovated, adding large
windows, native stone, and a new exhibit gallery.
Qualla Arts and Crafts Mutual, Inc.
In its earliest days, baskets were the mainstay of the young artisan
cooperative, accounting for half its sales. Today, the co-op continues
to attract collectors from all over the world and represents artists
working in a variety of media. All items in the store are authentic,
handmade Native American crafts with the majority of the work
coming from Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians members. When sold,
these and other crafts are tagged with a certificate of authenticity.
Clemens Kalischer photograph; Qualla Arts and Crafts Mutual, Inc.
Ethelyn Conseen holds a rivercane basket at the
entrance to Qualla Arts and Crafts.
Qualla Arts and Crafts Mutual, Inc.; photograph by W.M. Cline.
Basket weaver, Nancy Bradley.
Sign # 58
Unto These Hills Outdoor Drama
“To perpetuate and preserve the history and culture of the Cherokee People.”
Owned and operated by the non-profit Cherokee Historical Association,
Unto These Hills Outdoor Drama made its debut to a sell-out crowd on
July 1, 1950. Within its first three years of operation the performance had
repaid its debt. By its sixtieth anniversary in 2009, Unto These Hills had
been performed before 6 million visitors.
Performed under the glow of summer stars, Unto These Hills Outdoor
Drama tells the triumphant story of the Cherokee People. From the first
contact with Europeans, through the infamous and tragic Trail of Tears,
Unto These Hills brings Cherokee history and culture to life.
Junaluska, from the original performance of Unto
These Hills (1950-2005) before embarking on the Trail
of Tears.
The Great Eagle Dance, from the original
performance of Unto These Hills
(1950-2005).
The Cherokee have re-written their place in history and Unto These Hills is
reflective of the mantra “Our Story Lives”. Nowhere else in the world can you
become truly connected to the history and culture of the Cherokee People.
The people on stage are not only actors, in many instances they are directly
related to the historical characters they portray.
Unto These Hills is the Cherokee story, as told by the Cherokee People. Unto
These Hills is performed from June to mid-August, nightly except Sundays.
Selu, the Corn Mother, and Kanati, the Great Hunter, guide visitors through the story of the Cherokee People.
Gem Mining
Sign # 59
Long before the first settlers arrived here in 1818, this area teased explorers with
hints of mineral wealth – especially gold, silver and copper. Not much interest
was taken in Macon County’s gemstones until a farmer turned up some strange
rocks while plowing his field in 1867. A local scholar identified the rocks as
corundum and commercial mining began at Corundum Hill about 1871.
Word of the corundum spread like wildfire. During this period, a red corundum
crystal (ruby) was taken from Caler Creek, the gem-rich tributary of Cowee
Creek. In 1895, the American Prospecting and Mining Company and Tiffany’s of
Left: Shopping at
one of three gem
shows held annually
in Franklin.
Right: Large
Corundum from
Corundum Hill Mine.
Photo by Linda Mathias
Franklin Chamber of Commerce
New York began actively searching for the source of Cowee’s rubies, which was
thought to rival those of Burma. No mother lode was found and interest in
large-scale mining of gemstones faded.
A book written about these gems in 1905 set the stage for the second wave of
gem mining in Macon County. People would come here and pay farmers to mine
on their land. In the early fifties, Frank Wykle became the first to open a mine like
those here today. The mines were made famous in the mid-1960s by John P.
Brady, a local reporter.
In 1974 the Gem & Mineral Society of Franklin established the Franklin Gem &
Mineral Museum in the 19th Century jailhouse. Among the prized exhibits is a
49-pound corundum crystal from the old Corundum Hill mine.
Gem mining in one of the many mines located in Macon County.
Photo by Eric Haggart
Sign # 60
Little Tennessee River Greenway
In 1997, Duke Power acquired unused property along the Little Tennessee
River to build a new power line. After the line was completed, Duke deeded
the property to the Town of Franklin and they enlisted Macon County to
partner with them on the development of the Little Tennessee River
Greenway. Two major grants were received to restore the riverbanks, build
trails, picnic shelters and bridges across the river.
Providing a cornucopia of wildflowers and wildlife, the Greenway cuts a
meandering path of nearly five miles through Franklin. Reflecting the
extraordinarily rich diversity of the Macon County landscape, visitors
experience wetlands, stroll through two railroad cuts left behind by the
Photo by Karen Lawrence
The Greenway is an official N.C. Birding Trail in the
Mountain Region.
Photos by Karen Lawrence
Over 275 species of wildflowers are seen along the
Greenway.
Tallulah Falls Railroad, wander alongside an old pasture, catch sight of the
desert agave plant, and experience the upland woods. It is also an early
migration quarter for birds and a unique distribution system for a large
variety of seeds deposited alongside the river during periods of flooding.
Friends of the Greenway, Inc. serve as good stewards of the Greenway,
which in turn supports our economic development, heritage, recreation,
health, environment, and a sense of community. Nothing in our community
has garnered more pride than the Little Tennessee River Greenway, the
envy of many communities.
The Tassee Bridge across the Greenway near the convergence of Little Tennessee and Cullasaja Rivers.
Sign # 61
Nantahala Community and Lake
The Cherokee lived in this area for nearly 4,000 years, until European traders
followed Indian paths to Western North Carolina. In 1838, when the Cherokee were
being rounded up for the Trail of Tears removal to Oklahoma, they were detained at
Camp Scott (now covered by water), near the mouth of Wine Spring Creek. Broken
pottery, broken spearheads, arrowheads and other artifacts have been found in all
areas of the Nantahala Community providing evidence of Native American villages.
Nantahala Lake was created in 1942 by the Nantahala Power Company to provide
electricity for the war efforts. The power generated went to Tennessee smelteries for
production of aluminum to build airplanes. Located in the Nantahala National Forest
at an elevation of 3,012 feet, the lake is the second-highest lake east of the
Fishing from the banks of the Nantahala Lake.
Yellow Lady Slipper which is found
around Nantahala Lake.
Mississippi. The lake now covers what was once the town of Aquone, a stagecoach
stop between Asheville and Murphy, N.C.
The lake offers recreational opportunities that include swimming, boating and skiing
with 29 miles of shoreline. Fishing is also popular - largemouth bass, smallmouth
bass, trout, salmon, catfish and many different species of pan fish are found here.
Nantahala Lake, still a major source of hydroelectric power, also supplies water to the
Nantahala River, one of the nation’s top rafting, kayaking and fly fishing destinations.
The beautiful Nantahala Lake.
Sign # 62
The North Carolina Bartram Trail
The North Carolina Bartram Trail is a hiking trail to commemorate the 1775
visit of Philadelphia naturalist William Bartram to western North Carolina.
Begun in the 1970s, the trail parallels Bartram’s actual route into Cherokee
country. It begins at the Georgia state line and crosses the summit of Scaly
Mountain and the Fishhawk Mountains before descending into the
Tessentee Valley. From Franklin, it rises to the summit of Wayah Bald, its
highest point, and drops to the Nantahala Gorge and then ascends to its
terminus at Cheoah Bald.
View of Whiterock and Fishhawk Mountains from Jones Knob
William
Bartram
by Charles
Willson Peale,
from life,
c. 1808
Courtesy
Independence
National
Historical Park
The trail joins the Appalachian Trail at two points – Wayah Bald and Cheoah
Bald. The North Carolina Bartram Trail provides a less-traveled alternative
to the Appalachian Trail in Western North Carolina through some of the
most spectacular natural habitat in the area.
William Bartram passed very near here on his visit to the “Middle towns” of
the Cherokee nation, the principal town being Cowee, north of Franklin.
Bartram describes his trip vividly in his well-known book, Travels, which
contains the most complete existing description of the life of the Cherokee
in the eighteenth century. The book was widely and eagerly read in Europe.
Images from the Bartram Trail: Waterfall and bridge at Wallace Branch; Bartram Trail Kiosk at Wayah Bald; and Flame azalea.

Sign # 55 - Blue Ridge National Heritage Area

Transcription

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