One of the biggest tourist attractions in Cherokee, North Carolina each summer is the outdoor drama Unto These Hills, which has brought the story of the Cherokee people to life for audiences for decades. Next door to the theater, visitors can find Oconaluftee Indian Village. Since the 1950s, Oconaluftee has presented guided tours and living history demonstrations designed to educate visitors about Cherokee life around and before the 1750s. ( Cherokee Historical Association Website )
During our visit, we saw craftspeople work at finger-weaving, beading, pottery, woodworking, and weapons-making.
Throughout the tour, our guide explained how Cherokees actually lived, dispelled "Hollywood stereotypes," and answered questions. We saw examples of traps used in hunting and fishing and of the houses used before European contact, consisting of a stick framework covered in clay, the log cabins that became the fashion in the 1700s, and the community house.
At regularly scheduled times during the day, the interpreters and guests gather at the ceremonial village center, where the interpreters demonstrate traditional dances and deliver talks about the seven clans of the Cherokee and how the clan system worked. There are also talks at the community house about political and social structure of the community.
Bear dance
Bison dance (A slightly smaller bison subspecies was commonly found east of the Appalachians unitl hunted to extinction around 1800.)
Bullfrog dance
The Oconaluftee Indian Village is a great educational experience.
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