Ancient Beginnings

The Eastern Band of Cherokee

The culture of the Cherokee people is a rich, deep narrative that yearns to be explored. Delicately, carefully protected by the Cherokee Preservation Foundation, Cherokee culture can be seen as a book filled with 11,000 years of artistic invention and intellectual achievement, survival and perseverance, featuring a peace-loving people who proudly dealt with the savagery of war and overcame. But that barely scratches the surface of what makes Cherokee culture a treasure for the curious traveler.

Intricately woven like the sturdy yet beautiful baskets of the Cherokee weavers, ones made of river cane once so plentiful in these parts and carefully dyed with bloodroot, the Cherokee culture beckons.

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Quick Facts

  • Explore the age-old arts and crafts of the Cherokee artisans at Qualla Arts and Crafts Mutual, Inc.; see them made and demonstrated at Oconaluftee Indian Village, with its incredibly vivid recreation of a historic Cherokee village.
  • Attend the spectacular outdoor Cherokee drama “Unto These Hills” under a starry night.
  • Spend summer nights by a roaring bonfire among Cherokee storytellers and dancers as they tell tales and dance traditional dances of days gone by. Stories often feature native myths, survival skills and history passed down through generations of the Cherokee people.
  • Don’t forget the interactive cultural exhibits waiting at the Museum of the Cherokee Indian, one of the top 10 native sites east of the Mississippi.

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Featured Accommodations & Attractions
Listing City Phone Web
Unto These Hills Outdoor Drama Cherokee, North Carolina (866) 554-4557 visitcherokeenc.com
Museum of the Cherokee Indian Cherokee, North Carolina (828) 497-3481 visitcherokeenc.com
Sequoyah National Golf Club Whittier, North Carolina (828) 497-3000 SequoyahNational.com
Qualla Arts & Crafts Mutual, Inc. Cherokee, North Carolina (828) 497-3103 visitcherokeenc.com
Cherokee Grand Hotel Cherokee, North Carolina (828) 497-0050 Cherokeegrandhotel.com
Hampton Inn Cherokee Cherokee, North Carolina (828) 497-3115 hamptoninn3.hilton.com
Chestnut Tree Inn Cherokee, North Carolina (828) 497-9181 chestnuttreeinncherokee.com
Cherokee Lodge Cherokee, North Carolina (828) 497-2226 CherokeeLodgeNc.com

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