In 1850 the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians numbered approximately 1,000.

Others hid in the mountains and refused to be relocated. Under the 1819 treaty some Cherokee had taken land and were allowed to remain. Others are descended from Cherokee who managed to keep land they owned and did not march West. Some members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians living in modern day WNC are descendants of Trail of Tears survivors, some of whom made it to Oklahoma and then walked back home. The Connection between the North Carolina and Oklahoma Tribes Between 25% and 50% of the Cherokee tribe died on the Trail of Tears. More than 16,000 native people were marched on what would historically become known as the Trail of Tears and relocated to Oklahoma. In 1838 the desire for more land and Georgia gold gave the government an excuse to forcefully remove Cherokee in the Southeast. Unfortunately, despite the Cherokee’s efforts to adapt to European culture, the federal government of the United States decided it was no longer important to maintain a strong allied relationship with the Cherokee nation. In 1828, just 7 years later, a Cherokee language newspaper began publishing. Cherokee courts and schools were established and, in 1821, a Cherokee scholar named Sequoyah invented a written Cherokee language. In the early 1800’s, the Cherokee adapted the tribal governing structure to include a written constitution. The Cherokee have a rich and storied history. How the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Formed Qualla Boundary encompasses untouched mountains, rivers, and forests and is located next to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

This land, called the Qualla Boundary, is owned by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and kept in trust by the federal government. Instead, in the 1800’s, the tribal members purchased 57,000 acres of property. Cherokee people do not live on a reservation, which is land given to a native American tribe by the federal government. The Qualla Boundary is the home of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. Take a Journey to the Home of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians The Qualla Boundary – The Original Home of the Cherokee

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