Frequently Asked Questions
What is a "heritage trail," and why did the N. C. Arts Council choose this approach to talk about Cherokee heritage?
A heritage trail is a way of organizing "tours" that contribute to an understanding of Cherokee tradition and culture. These trails are organized around geographical hubs or communities within the original Cherokee homeland in Cherokee, Robbinsville, Franklin and Murphy, N.C. This approach has been successfully used in two other collaborations with UNC Press—Blue Ridge Music Trails and Literary Trails of the North Carolina Mountains—as well as in the HomegrownHandmade.com, Historic Happy Valley, Blue Ridge Music Trails and Performing Arts Web sites and in other online resources currently in development that will highlight North Carolina Craft and African American Music.
How are the trails used?
Each trail highlights attractions including museums and memorials, arts and crafts outlets, greenways and parks, and historic sites and markers. Visitors also can explore side trips and scenic drives in the same vicinity, or organize their travels around a calendar of annual events ranging from a ramp festival to an outdoor drama to a fall fair.
What towns are included in the Cherokee Heritage Trails Web site and companion book, and how were they selected?
Following the approval of the project by the Cherokee Tribal Council, a task force guided its development. The task force developed criteria for including sites in the heritage trails, in particular that "all sites on the trail should contribute to an understanding of Cherokee history and culture." The task force also organized the sites around strategically located "hubs." With the Museum of the Cherokee Indian in Cherokee, North Carolina as the main interpretive center, the interpretive hubs in North Carolina became the Junaluska Memorial and Museum in Robbinsville, the Scottish Tartans Museum in Franklin, and the Cherokee County Historical Museum in Murphy.
How did the Cherokee Heritage Trails project originate?
Cherokee Heritage Trails is a project of the Blue Ridge Heritage Initiative, a multi-state partnership founded on the idea that heritage—the cultural traditions, natural resources, and historical events that together create a distinctive identity for the region—is integral to the well-being of communities and that the Southern Appalachians should preserve the heritage that is significant to the region and the nation. Along with the Cherokee Heritage Trails, the Blue Ridge Heritage Initiative has worked toward the creation of other trails including the Blue Ridge Music Trails.
In addition to the North Carolina Arts Council, major institutional partners involved in the development of Cherokee Heritage Trails include the Museum of the Cherokee Indian, the Tennessee Overhill Heritage Association, the North Carolina Folklife Institute, the Tennessee Arts Commission and the Blue Ridge Parkway and the National Park Service.