CHEROKEES' TREASURE - THE GREAT SMOKIES
CHEROKEES' TREASURE - THE GREAT SMOKIES
Cherokee, NC - For untold centuries before Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto and his troops moved into the southern mountains of the Appalachian range in 1540, the Cherokee Nation not only included these mountains but 135,000 square miles of territory.Ranging from the Ohio River to the North, southward into northern Alabama and Georgia the Cherokee's land area once encompassed parts of what are now eight states. In addition to
Alabama and Georgia their territory included sections of South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and Kentucky Today, cities and towns dot the once unpopulated territory of the Cherokee people.
At the time de Soto arrived the Cherokee people numbered only about 25,000 - a very small number compared to the millions who now live on former Cherokee land. Part of their original homeland was western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee, an area geographically dominated by a mountainous area internationally known as the Great Smoky Mountains.
Today, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians live on 56,000 acres in the heart of the Great Smokies adjacent to the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. And to many, including the Cherokee, there is no other place as beautiful as The Smokies.
Geologists have defined the Appalachians (of which the Smokies are a part) as the oldest mountains in the world. The Alps and Rockies are "new" mountains according to geologists, their towering rock peaks unworn by nature as are the Appalachians. It wasn't the age of these mountains that intrigued the Cherokee but the bluish haze so evident throughout the year. "Sha-cona-ge" (Land of the Blue Mist) was how the Cherokee named them.
Today, millions of visitors from throughout the world come to enjoy what the Cherokee have experienced for unnumbered generations - the spectacular beauty of the Great Smokies. However, too many people are erroneously led into believing the Great Smoky Mountain National Park and the Great Smoky Mountains are synonymous and others are convinced that the Great Smokies are located only in Tennessee. As seasoned vacationers to the area knows, about 90 percent of the Great Smokies is stretched throughout the entire western North Carolina area. The other ten percent is located in the southeastern corner of Tennessee which borders North Carolina.
Sixty percent of the Park's 550,000 acres are in North Carolina while about forty percent are located in Tennessee. "It's truly unfortunate," states David Redman of the Cherokee Tribal Travel and Promotion Office, "that so many people who vacation in the area never experience the breadth and depth of the offerings of the Great Smokies. To truly experience the Smokies, vacationers need to plan several days in the area and design a variety of day trips throughout both eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina. Many excellent sources for obtaining information are available such as the American Automobile Association and several visitor centers in the region, including those operated by the National Park Service."
So many people are misled and misinformed about the Smokies, Redman says. Park statistics show that about 40 percent of the people driving into the Park never stop and leave their car to enjoy a view or a nature trail. Within the confines of the Park there are more species of trees and plants than on the whole of the European continent. Nine hundred miles of hiking trails have been developed within the borders of the Park to transport people into this wonderland of unmatched views, forest and vegetation.
Each season adds its own special touches to the Smokies. Snow-covered peaks in winter; floral wonderland in the spring; cool temperatures and thick vegetation in the summer; and spectacular colors in the fall.
Although the Cherokee of today live in only a minute portion of their original homeland none will disagree that living in the Smokies simply can't be beat. Visitor Information can be obtained by contacting the following sources:
Cherokee Visitor Center, P.O. Box 460,
Cherokee, NC 28719; Phone: 800-438-1601Smoky Mountain Host, 4437 Georgia Road,
Franklin, NC 28734; Phone: 800-432-4678
