The Cherokee Indians used the Great Smoky Mountains as hunting grounds. The wide variety of trees provided fuel, weaving fibers, twine, medicinal barks and the framework and covering of dwellings. The area provided hundreds of species of plants used for food, medicines, and crafts.
The “smoky”mountains were bountiful for providing the Cherokee with natural resources. The Cherokee used the word Shacorage meaning “blue, like smoke” to describe the mountain region. The first inhabitants of the mountains were the Cherokee Indians. The town is tourist-oriented due to its close proximity to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the Blue Ridge Parkway, and the casino- Harrah’s Cherokee Casino which opened in 1995. It is the headquarters for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. Cherokee is the Gateway From NC to the Great Smoky MountainsĬherokee is located in North Carolina south of the Great Smoky Mountains in the Oconcluftee River Valley and is the gateway to both the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Blue Ridge Parkway.
