III – Cherokees in the Modern Life
a) World War II In 1941, the entry of the United-States into World War II took the minds of the citizens and the government of the US off of matters of interest to Indian tribes. So, Cherokees joined the US military and fought in WWII. This war brought several important and far-reaching changes to Indians in general. Of course, it had redirected the entire budget of the United-States, and many of the programs instituted by the administration of the Bureau of Indian Affairs were abandoned. During the war, many Indians had moved from their reservations or rural homes into cities where wartime jobs were plentiful. At the war’s end, many stayed in their new locations. The Indian population began to shift to an …show more content…
However, the members of all these tribes gather occasionally for two events commemorating removal. The Trail of Tears Singing, a gospel music festival, takes place in the West of North Carolina where the descendants of the Eastern Band managed to avoid removal; and a joint council of the Cherokee Nation takes place at Red Clay in Tennessee, the site of the last council meeting before removal. Besides, the Cherokees live through impassable roads leading to four communities, including Big Cove, the most remote and traditional community, which is about twelve miles to the northeast of Cherokee City. It is a secluded little pocket surrounded by forests and irregular ridges. In 1900, a visit to Big Cove was a retreat to a quieter, more idyllic America. Indeed, its population in the summer of 1957 was 472, divided among 75 households containing 90 families. Even today, it is here that one most feels the immediacy of the mountains and appreciates their shaping of tribal life. However, connected by a winding gravel road to the tourist attractions of Cherokee, the community is still relatively isolated. As late as January 1955 there were only 18 privately owned automobiles in the Cove, but it had risen to 34 by late 1956. Still, most people preferred to hitch a ride to Cherokee with the mailman, take the community’s single taxi, or walk. For instance, high-school students were transported to and from Cherokee City by bus. Outwardly, Cherokee life has changed little since 1970s. Tribal members, numbering 9,590 as of January 1990, still argue about who qualifies as a real Indian and who does not. The core of their homeland, a reservation of 56,621 acres held in trust by the federal government, remains intact and inviolate.
a) World War II In 1941, the entry of the United-States into World War II took the minds of the citizens and the government of the US off of matters of interest to Indian tribes. So, Cherokees joined the US military and fought in WWII. This war brought several important and far-reaching changes to Indians in general. Of course, it had redirected the entire budget of the United-States, and many of the programs instituted by the administration of the Bureau of Indian Affairs were abandoned. During the war, many Indians had moved from their reservations or rural homes into cities where wartime jobs were plentiful. At the war’s end, many stayed in their new locations. The Indian population began to shift to an …show more content…
However, the members of all these tribes gather occasionally for two events commemorating removal. The Trail of Tears Singing, a gospel music festival, takes place in the West of North Carolina where the descendants of the Eastern Band managed to avoid removal; and a joint council of the Cherokee Nation takes place at Red Clay in Tennessee, the site of the last council meeting before removal. Besides, the Cherokees live through impassable roads leading to four communities, including Big Cove, the most remote and traditional community, which is about twelve miles to the northeast of Cherokee City. It is a secluded little pocket surrounded by forests and irregular ridges. In 1900, a visit to Big Cove was a retreat to a quieter, more idyllic America. Indeed, its population in the summer of 1957 was 472, divided among 75 households containing 90 families. Even today, it is here that one most feels the immediacy of the mountains and appreciates their shaping of tribal life. However, connected by a winding gravel road to the tourist attractions of Cherokee, the community is still relatively isolated. As late as January 1955 there were only 18 privately owned automobiles in the Cove, but it had risen to 34 by late 1956. Still, most people preferred to hitch a ride to Cherokee with the mailman, take the community’s single taxi, or walk. For instance, high-school students were transported to and from Cherokee City by bus. Outwardly, Cherokee life has changed little since 1970s. Tribal members, numbering 9,590 as of January 1990, still argue about who qualifies as a real Indian and who does not. The core of their homeland, a reservation of 56,621 acres held in trust by the federal government, remains intact and inviolate.