Cherokee is a town in
Swain County, North CarolinaSwain County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of 2000, the population was 12,968. Its county seat is Bryson City.Swain County is home of the Nantahala River . The Nantahala is one of the most popular whitewater rafting rivers in the nation...
, USA, within the
Qualla BoundaryThe Qualla Boundary is the territory where the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians reside in western North Carolina.-Location:...
land trust. It is located in the
Oconaluftee River ValleyOconaluftee is the name of a river valley in the Great Smoky Mountains of North Carolina, located in the Southeastern United States. Formerly the site of a Cherokee village and Appalachian community, the valley's bottomland is now home to the main entrance to the North Carolina section of the...
, near the intersection of
U.S. Route 19U.S. Route 19 is a north–south U.S. Highway. Despite encroaching Interstate Highways, the route has remained a long-haul route, connecting the Gulf of Mexico with Lake Erie....
and
U.S. Route 441U.S. Route 441 is a spur route of U.S. Route 41. It currently runs for 939 miles from U.S. Route 41 in Miami, Florida to U.S. Route 25W in Lake City, Tennessee. Between its termini, US 441 passes through the states of Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and Tennessee...
within
western North CarolinaWestern North Carolina is the region of North Carolina which includes the Appalachian Mountains, thus it is often known geographically as the state's Mountain Region. It is sometimes included with upstate South Carolina as the "Western Carolinas", which is also counted as a single media market...
.
Cherokee is the
headquartersHeadquarters denotes the location where most, if not all, of the important functions of an organization are coordinated. In the United States, the corporate headquarters represents the entity at the center or the top of a corporation taking full responsibility managing all business activities...
for the
Eastern Band of Cherokee IndiansThe Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians , is a federally recognized Native American tribe in the United States of America, who are descended from Cherokee who remained in the Eastern United States while others moved, or were forced to relocate, to the west in the 19th century. The history of the...
.
Economy
The
Harrah's Cherokee CasinoHarrah's Cherokee Casino is a casino located on the Qualla Boundary in Cherokee, North Carolina. The casino is owned by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and operated by Caesars Entertainment Corporation...
, which opened in 1995, dramatically "changed everything from jobs to education to health care" for Cherokee tribe members; as of 2005, nearly four million people a year visited the casino, generating a
per capitaPer capita is a Latin prepositional phrase: per and capita . The phrase thus means "by heads" or "for each head", i.e. per individual or per person...
profit of roughly $8,000 annually.
At one time, the area had a number of manufacturing and textile plants, but those have mostly closed or moved overseas by 2005. Before the casino, National Park tourism provided work for about half the year, with most tribal members subsisting on welfare during the winter.
Tourism
Cherokee is a tourist-oriented area, located at the entrance to
Great Smoky Mountains National ParkGreat Smoky Mountains National Park is a United States National Park and UNESCO World Heritage Site that straddles the ridgeline of the Great Smoky Mountains, part of the Blue Ridge Mountains, which are a division of the larger Appalachian Mountain chain. The border between Tennessee and North...
and at the southern end of the
Blue Ridge ParkwayThe Blue Ridge Parkway is a National Parkway and All-American Road in the United States, noted for its scenic beauty. It runs for 469 miles , mostly along the famous Blue Ridge, a major mountain chain that is part of the Appalachian Mountains...
. In addition to the casino, it is the site of attractions such as the following:
- Cherokee Botanical Garden and Nature Trail
The Cherokee Botanical Garden and Nature Trail is a botanical garden and nature trail located beside the Oconaluftee Indian Village, off U.S. Route 441 in Cherokee, North Carolina....
- Trail to Mount Guyot
Mount Guyot is a mountain in the eastern Great Smoky Mountains, located inthe southeastern United States. At above sea level, Guyot is the fourth-highestsummit in the eastern U.S., and the second-highest in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park...
- Museum of the Cherokee Indian
- Oconaluftee Indian Village
The Oconaluftee Indian Village is a replica of an 18th century eastern Cherokee community located in Cherokee, North Carolina, USA.This "living museum" is operated by the Cherokee Historical Association...
- Oconaluftee (Great Smoky Mountains)
Oconaluftee is the name of a river valley in the Great Smoky Mountains of North Carolina, located in the Southeastern United States. Formerly the site of a Cherokee village and Appalachian community, the valley's bottomland is now home to the main entrance to the North Carolina section of the...
- Qualla Arts & Crafts Center
Eastern Cherokee history, culture, and crafts are portrayed in the historical drama
Unto These HillsUnto These Hills is an outdoor historical drama staged annually at the 2800-seat Mountainside Theatre in Cherokee, North Carolina. It is the second oldest outdoor historical drama in the United States, after The Lost Colony in Manteo, North Carolina...
, presented each year during the tourist season. It is also home to three
roadside attractionA roadside attraction is a feature along the side of a road, that is frequently advertised with billboards to attract tourists. In general, these are places one might stop on the way to somewhere else, rather than being a final or primary destination in and of themselves. The modern...
s with zoos: Cherokee Bear Zoo, Chief Saunooke Bear Park, and Santa’s Land. Retired game show host and animal rights activist
Bob BarkerRobert William "Bob" Barker is a former American television game show host. He is best known for hosting CBS's The Price Is Right from 1972 to 2007, making it the longest-running daytime game show in North American television history, and for hosting Truth or Consequences from 1956 to 1975.Born...
has called for the
Black BearThe American black bear is a medium-sized bear native to North America. It is the continent's smallest and most common bear species. Black bears are omnivores, with their diets varying greatly depending on season and location. They typically live in largely forested areas, but do leave forests in...
zoos at these attractions to be closed, prompted by the experiences he learned of from the family of Rep.
Bill YoungCharles William "Bill" Young is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1971. He is a member of the Republican Party, and is currently the longest-serving Republican member of Congress...
of Florida.
Notable people
Notable residents or natives of Cherokee include:
- Amanda Crowe
Amanda Crowe was an Eastern Band Cherokee woodcarver and educator from Cherokee, North Carolina.-Early life:Amanda Crowe was born on 16 July 1928 in the Qualla Boundary, North Carolina. By the age of four, she had decided to become an artist. Of her children, Amanda said: "Every spare minute was...
- Billy Fives
Billy Fives is an American professional wrestler and former shoot fighter who has competed in North American independent promotions including Combat Zone Wrestling, East Coast Wrestling Alliance, Major League Wrestling and the X Wrestling Federation as well as toured South America, the Caribbean,...
- Clyde Moody
Clyde Moody , also known as the "Hillbilly Waltz King" and sometimes as "The Genial Gentleman of Country Music" was one the great founders of American Bluegrass music....
- Charles George
Charles George was a U.S. Army soldier who received the Medal of Honor for his actions in combat on November 30, 1952, during the Korean War. He was fatally wounded when he threw himself on a grenade to protect other soldiers in his company and was posthumously awarded the Medal of...
, Medal of Honor Recipient
Education
Cherokee Central SchoolsCherokee Central Schools is a school district in Cherokee, North Carolina, consisting of a single campus holding buildings serving grades K-12 and the administration office. The schools are a K-5 elementary school, a 6-8 middle school, and a 9-12 high school...
operates public schools.
Pop culture
Scenes from movies such as
Davy Crockett, King of the Wild FrontierDavy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier is a 1955 live-action Walt Disney adventure film starring Fess Parker as Davy Crockett. This film is an edited compilation of the first three stories from the Disney television series Davy Crockett :...
,
Digging to ChinaDigging to China is a 1998 American drama film that marked the directorial debut of actor Timothy Hutton and the screen debut of Evan Rachel Wood...
,
Forces of NatureForces of Nature is a 1999 romantic comedy film, directed by Bronwen Hughes, and starring Academy Award winners Ben Affleck, and Sandra Bullock.-Plot:...
and
StroszekStroszek is a 1977 film by German director Werner Herzog. It was written in four days specifically for Bruno S. and was shot in Berlin, two towns in Wisconsin, and in North Carolina. Most of the lead roles are played by non-actors.-Plot:...
were shot in Cherokee.
External links