The Snowbird Cherokees looks at life in the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians, particularly in the relatively isolated traditional community of Snowbird, deep in the mountains of western North Carolina. When Cherokees were evicted from their native lands by the United States government in 1838, many of the ancestors of Snowbird managed to flee in advance of the soldiers, returning to their homes after months of hiding in the forests of the Smokey Mountains.
In addition to exploring the daily lives and culture of the Eastern Cherokees, this program delves into the history of the Cherokees, especially since the arrival of European whites in their territory. Descriptions of traditional Cherokee beliefs offer some insight into their worldview and how Cherokees today see their world and their future. Intercutting historical elements with contemporary life in the Eastern Band, this is one of the few programs that focuses on Eastern, rather than Western, Cherokees.
Audio
“W” is for Williamson, Andrew [ca. 1730-1786]. Soldier. Williamson immigrated to Ninety Six District from his native Scotland. He was a lieutenant during the Cherokee War. An ardent patriot at the...
Document
By Dr. Will Goins. Goins is the president of the Eastern Cherokee, Southern Iroquois, and United Tribes of South Carolina, a non-profit organization dedicated to Native American cultural issues...
Video
The "Palmetto Special" leaves Columbia and travels to Spartanburg County. At the beginning of the program the Fall Line is defined, along with an introduction to the backcountry, the frontier of South...
Video
The lesson consists of the host and three students visiting Keowee-Toxaway State Park in Pickens County. The story of the Cherokee is told there through drawings and artifacts in a series of display...
Photo
The Cherokee nation was gradually pushed out of the western Piedmont by the expanding European encroachment on their lands. The Cherokees in South Carolina had been hard hit by the attacks of Andrew...
Photo
The title page and first page of hymns, "Cherokee Hymnbook," printed in Philadelphia, for the American Baptists Publication Society around 1820. The Cherokee were a highly organized society, and early...
Photo
Table Rock Mountain, long a favorite scenic spot of South Carolinians, takes its name from its distinctive shape. A Cherokee legend tells the story that a giant who once lived in the nearby valley had...
Video
The story of the Cherokees is told through scenes from "lJnto These Hills" the outdoor drama in Cherokee, North Carolina that depicts the story of the Cherokees. The video centers around an Indian...
Video
The Legend of Isaqueena blends fact with fantasy. An Indian trade based out of Ninety Six in the early 1750's grew to become the largest business operating outside of Charleston. Alan assisted with...
Photo
Today, Oconee County is home to the modern Cherokees of South Carolina. Traditional arts, crafts, foods, and language are still part of the Cherokee way of life.