Day 2: CIHA, Museum of Cherokee Indians, & Ocanaluftee Indian Village

Now that you are here, what is your first impression of the environment in Cherokee? 

          I was thinking that it would look worse than it did. I am not sure if we have gone through the area that is more run down. I was in awe as we drove through the city seeing the cute local shops and cafes. I felt that this area is more entertaining than Peoria because there was more to do. It was cool to be able to just drive up the road and be able to go tubing. That’s already more than what we can do in Peoria.

What did you find most interesting about this culture’s history? 

            The most interesting things to me were the stories of the water beetle, water spider, and the raven. These beliefs in how the world was created is different than mine. Their beliefs seem to always revolve around nature and I think that this makes it interesting in the fact that it is said that these stories were passed down through many generations. While their beliefs are different than mine, it was intriguing to hear such a thought out and different way of looking at how the world was made.

Are there values and beliefs that are similar and or different to your own?  

            The value that I share with the Cherokee is the importance of family. I would not be where I am today without the help of my family, and seeing what the Cherokee do for each other as a whole makes me happy to see another group even more close-knit than my own family.

How is this culture’s heritage integrated into the children in the community? 

            We have passed a school for the children in the community in which they are sent to and learn the native language of the Cherokee. This is an important thing to do so that the heritage can continue down generations. With the percentage of Cherokee in each child getting lower, this is an important way to keep the children in their roots and to keep the culture living on. Another way this is done is to tell the stories shared with them by their ancestors and spread them to those that will listen, which is likely to happen when they grow up and have children of their own, and so on.

Are there other influences? What are some common threads in this community that is similar to your community?

            I would say that hospitality is similar in the Cherokee community as it is to my community.  The Cherokee seem very welcoming to outside visitors as these visitors are here to learn about them and their culture. With my community, it can act as the same concept as we have a group that opens their doors to others. It is also kind of a custom that if we have visitors we offer them drinks and meals if they desire them. As stated by J.P. Evans in 1835 (2017),

“Hospitality is a prominent feature in Cherokee character and that instinctive impulse to ‘eat when you are hungry’ is scrupulously complied with by them when among their own people and anything can be found acceptable to a hungry stomach. To such a height is this custom carried, that in many towns an invitation is not a necessary preliminary to eating; whether the person be a stranger or a relative; and from a native, no compensation is required for eating, lodging, and provender for beasts.”

Reference

Cherokee Nation. (2017). Cherokee hospitality. Accessed on 10 July 2017. Retrieved from https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/07/.