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Editorials - 08/29/02Congratulations in order as village marks 50th year |
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Legendary Sylva author John Parris (1915-1999) and others who were a vital part of the beginning of Oconaluftee Indian Village stood by in spirit Tuesday as Vice Chief Carroll Crowe and other officials gathered to mark the village's 50th anniversary.
"A 200-year-old Cherokee village is being recreated here and will be inhabited by descendants of the aborigines so posterity can see what life was like before the white man pushed into the American wilderness... the village is to be known as 'Oconaluftee,' after an ancient Cherokee town that existed 4 miles west of here and was visited by William Bartram in his travels through the Western North Carolina highlands in the 18th century," wrote Parris, then public relations director for the Cherokee Historical Association, in 1952. The village continues to preserve, hold dear and share authentic Cherokee culture with the world, Crowe said Tuesday. "We believe it will prove a popular attraction for your guests while they are in Western North Carolina," stated an information booklet sent out just one week before the village's opening. It appears those words were nothing short of prophetic. Through its 50 years of operation, Oconaluftee has repeatedly exceeded expectations. Not only has the village drawn more than 6.5 million visitors through the years, it has done so while staying true to its original promise of historical accuracy. Researched by the Tsali Institute for Cherokee Studies, the village contains seven structures: Indian homes from the mid-18th century, a seven-sided council house and an earth-covered sweat house - all built, maintained and re-enacted by members of the Cherokee tribe. It is located on a 40-acre tract of forested land, encircled by a stockade that required more than 2,000 locust poles and is complemented by Mountainside Theatre, where the drama "Unto These Hills" still comes alive nightly from mid-June through late August. Oconaluftee exemplifies the original purpose of the Cherokee Historical Association, said Ed Henson, the organization's chairman. Through it the association and the Eastern Band continue to perpetuate the history and traditions of the Cherokee, while at the same time raising living standards of the Cherokee and instilling in them a greater appreciation of themselves and their race. Congratulations to all who continue to preserve the proud heritage and culture of the Cherokee.
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