Signs of Cherokee, North Carolina When we went to The Great Smoky Mountains the other day, we drove thru the town of Cherokee. Cherokee is part of the Cherokee Indian Reservation as well as gateway to the National Park, so of course thousands of tourists go thru the town. The town has tried to capitalize on all these visitors by offering a variety of stores and attractions over the years. We have visited this are a few different times over the years and have noticed some changes. Years ago, Cherokee men would dress up in full Indian dress including feathered head dress and stand in front of wooden tee pees, with a sign that would say, photos $5.00. Tourists would pay to have their photo taken with the man and teepee. Most of the men doing it were younger men, in their 20s but we saw one man, much older also doing it. We stopped at his location. He was known as Chief Henry. We met him, and talked for quite a while. We told him we had just come from the Cherokee outdoor museum. He really liked that and said, you know the Cherokee never wore feathered head dress...I asked why do you wear it then? He said, its what the tourists want...its their perception of Indians from Hollywood. He explained tribes from out west would wear them, but the Cherokee never did, the Cherokee were farmers, and had log homes, they did not use tee pees as they did not roam like they did in the west. So then I asked him if I could take his picture with the head dress off. He was sooo happy, and said oh you bet! He took it off and tossed it aside, and then pointed out his shirt, he said his wife made it, and it is a traditional Cherokee Ribbon shirt. The workmanship was wonderful, with colorful ribbons sewn flat on the front. I gave him the 5.00 and he thanked us, and said, you know why I do this----I have put 3 kids thru college doing this. I work in the coal mine in the winter and in summer I pose for photos Chief Henry was a wonderful man, so friendly, open, and would talk with any visitor. We heard he passed away a few years ago, and we miss him. Today in Cherokee, instead of Cherokee men posing in front of teepees, now there are various stages build around some souvenir shops where they will do a show of Indian dances. There is a tip jar of course, but they are passing on their culture. All over town there are signs and such that let you know you are on the Cherokee Indian Reservation. Here are a few I caught with my camera.
Posted on: Fri, 17 Oct 2014 12:41:57 +0000
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