Cherokee, North Carolina
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Cherokee is a town in Swain County, North Carolina, USA. It is the headquarters for the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians. It is also a tourist-oriented area, located at the entrance to Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the southern end of the Blue Ridge Parkway, and the site of a Harrah's Cherokee casino. It is located in western North Carolina on the Oconaluftee River and the Qualla Reservation, and on U.S. Highway 441. An outdoor drama depicting the Eastern Band's story, Unto These Hills, is presented annually during the tourist season. The population is about 1/3 Cherokee.
The town is known in the past for its stereotypical representation of Native Americans. However, in recent years the Tribe has worked hard to overcome this and is currently working on a project to renovate the entire "tourist" area, has given notice to many shops that are considered tacky or fitting into the unwanted stereotype. THe Tribe has built many more cultural centers, including a large ground near the Museum that is often used for cultural events such as Cherokee powwows. Although many of the stereotypical representations of Native Americans still exist in the "tourist trap" stores, these will soon be gone, to be replaced by a more tasteful atmosphere of celebration of the native culture and peoples. The Tribe has plans to build new, state-of-the-arts schools and health care facilities, and has taken an interest in preserving the pride of the people.
A first class education in Eastern Cherokee history, culture, and crafts may be had by attending a performance of Unto These Hills, visiting the Museum of the Cherokee Indian along with the Qualla Arts and Crafts center, where you can buy authentic Cherokee arts and crafts, and strolling through the Oconaluftee Indian Village, where you can see the crafts practiced as well as learning more about Cherokee history and society.
The ending of the movie Stroszek was shot in this town.
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