For centuries, the Cherokee Indians have cultivated these lands, and now they're sharing that knowledge

Walker, in red, talks at a workshop on traditional Cherokee food
in South Carolina. (Photo by Mike Belleme, The New York Times)

Cherokee Indians have worked the land that borders the Great Smoky Mountains for centuries. From generation to generation they passed down knowledge and tradition, which they now are sharing with a broader community of learners," reports Jacey Fortin of The New York Times. "Known as the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, many call this mountainous corner of North Carolina home. . . . Mx. Sampson and Ms. Walker live in the town of Cherokee, N.C., within the Qualla Boundary, a 57,000-acre piece of land owned by their tribe. And they often host visitors: In recent years, non-Native people have shown a growing interest in Cherokee knowledge, culture and food."

Kituwah is considered sacred by all three Cherokee tribes, including
those based in Oklahoma. (Photo by Mike Belleme, The New York Times) 

Natalie Bogwalker, who runs an earth skills and carpentry school outside of Asheville, N.C, told Fortin, "There’s so many young people, and people of all ages, who really want to connect with a more earth-centered life." Fortin adds, "Walker [gives] workshops on traditional Cherokee food in South Carolina. Earth skills gatherings like these have been happening in the Southeast for a number of years but have only recently made a bigger effort to include Cherokee people and knowledge."

"The true heart of the community is called Kituwah, it was once a town and cultural center," Fortin writes, "Today, many Cherokee people farm at Kituwah, including Walker. The crops on her five-acre plot include corn, peppers, beans and sweet basil. . . .  surrounding terrain has lured hikers and hippies for decades, fostering a counterculture that still thrives in Asheville, about 50 miles east. . . . Asheville has also become a center of the Land Back movement, which prioritizes Native American knowledge and property claims."

The Cherokee have had to create ways to survive beyond farming. Tourism dollars made from roadside shops help pay the bills, "along with revenues from a casino that generates hundreds of millions of dollars annually," Fortin reports. Mary Crowe, 60, an activist who is campaigning to bestow a Cherokee name, Kuwohi, on the tallest peak of the Smoky Mountains, told Fortin: “Money talks. We learn that. But we also know that, no matter what, this land right here is priceless.”