First Impressions

The drive in:

The first thing that that I really saw after entering Cherokee was the Bingo Hall. As a Bingo lover from way back, I was super excited (and still am) to go play one evening. The next big thing that I saw was Harrah’s Casino. It was about nine in the evening when we drove in so all the lights were on and the parking garage seemed pretty full from the road. There were people walking around outside and traffic was pretty thick right in town. I was eager to get to our rental and get Pheonix out of the car so I made my way to a gas station and called our land lady so that she could come out and meet us.

Around town:

Our first mission after we arrived was to get some groceries. We drove back toward the casino in the daylight and sheer volume of vendors aimed at tourists was overwhelming. Most of the shops have signs for things like arrowhead necklaces, moccasins, t-shirts, and pottery. As the casino came into view I noticed that there was a big new pawn shop with a “Cash for Gold” sign out front. I asked around at work afterwards and found out that my assumption (that the shop popped up because of the casino and the money people were spending/losing there) was correct. The pawn shop has only been open for a couple of months.

We noticed a small grocery store/smoke shop and decided that we would go ahead and get some basics there before we continued looking around town. As we got up to the door I saw a picture posted with a note that said so-and-so (edited for privacy) you are not welcome here. I noticed that the last name on the sign and the name of the shop’s owner. Because of my own background I already know that little dramas between friends and family  can get easily blown out of proportion in a small town so I made the connection that Cherokee, despite being a tourist area with a large casino, is definitely a small town.

Oconaluftee Indian Village:

Once I made it up to the top of the mountain where the village is located I was able to take in the scenery. The village itself is shrouded by trees and has a creek running through it. There are fires necessary at several of the crafting stations so there is always that smoky smell in the air. That smell is something I love because it takes me back to the wood fires of my childhood but I did find out that a previous intern had a smoke allergy that made it really difficult for her to be at the village.

Tours of the village are provided every fifteen minutes for interested parties and they consist of visits to different stations where traditional crafts are being produced. The work that I saw during my tour was beautiful. Outside of the tours there are traditional dances performed every day (at least during May) at 12 and 3. The dancers were all dressed in traditional clothing and each performer brought their personality into the dance. I got a good idea about who I should start talking to first just from watching these dances. There is also a small demonstration of stickball, a traditional sport played by the Cherokee, at 1:30 each day. This demonstration was especially interesting because of all the history involved. It is the oldest sport in America and some version of this sport was played by nearly all tribes as a way to settle disputes and avoid war.

My initial idea of the village is that it is a really good introduction for anyone who is interested in Cherokee history and culture (including people who don't yet know that they are interested). The people working within the village know a lot about their history and seem genuinely excited to share it with others. I have begun interviewing different workers to get an idea of who they are and why they work here. After I have collected a few more I will start posting some bits of those interviews and the patterns that I see emerging from them.