Our Heritage of Colorful Characters with Fascinating Histories
The Highlands Pass area is steeped in history. In the heart of the Southern Appalachians tucked deep in the western corner of North Carolina, in the foothills of the Great Smokies, this area was part of the Cherokee Nation until 1819.
The tribes that dwelt in the mountains were known as the Otari or Overhill Cherokees. Franklin, North Carolina was called “Nikwasi” by the Cherokees, meaning “center of activity.” This holds true today as Franklin is the center ofthe area’s history and the mountain way of life. In the center of town is the Nikwasi Mound. This mound held the ever-burning sacred fire, and was the dwelling place of the immortal spirit-beings, the Nunnehi.
Many colorful characters have been a part of the history of this region. In 1730, Alexander Cuming, a Scottish nobleman from Britain, came into Cherokee territory. Cuming arrived at a time when the Cherokee were on the verge of allying themselves with the French and were by all accounts rather hostile towards the British. He visited many Cherokee councils and convinced them to hold a grand council at Nikwasi, where they selected a single chief to represent them with the Brithish. This unprecedented act of diplomacy was Cuming’s crowning achievement. Cuming then escorted a Cherokee delegation to England where they were the first Cherokee presented in the court of King George II.
Highlands Pass is right in the center of all this history and all this incredibly beautiful country – surrounded on three sides by the Nantahala National Forest, which is the largest of the four national forests in North Carolina. There are many more stories and fascinating characters that make up the rich history of the Highlands Pass area. Perhaps you will add your own story to the traditions and legacies of past generations and help us preserve the beautiful heritage of the landscape.
Cherokee Nation
The Eastern Band of Cherokee Nation is one of the only three federally recognized Cherokee tribes. The EBCN is located in Cherokee, NC. There are about 13,400 Eastern Band of Cherokee members, most of whom live on the Reservation. Properly called the Qualla Boundary, the Reservation is slightly more than 56,000 acres held in trust by the federal government specifically for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.
Cherokee culture is both rich and storied. Cherokees and “pre-Cherokees” have lived in the south eastern United States and the mountains of North Carolina since the end of the last ice age, before the begining of the PaleonIndian Period (10,000BC). Most historians postulate that Cherokees are decended from what was a branch of the Iroquoian people. Now some anthro-Linguists suggest that the Cherokee dialect suggests that the “Pre-Cherokee” (and therefore the original Cherokees) are the originators of both the Iroqoian and Cherokee peoples.
The first brick home within the Cherokee Nation was built by James Vann in 1804 in the nearby area of Chatworth, Georgia. This classic two-story mansion has a commanding view of all the land around and a stunning view of the Cohutta Mountains, less than 10 miles to the east. Vann was both a hero and a rogue. He was responsible for bringing the Moravian missionaries into the Cherokee Nation to build schools. Yet, he killed his brother-in-law in a dual, fired a pistol at a dinner guest through the floor of an upstairs bedroom, and once even shot at his own mother. In a somewhat fitting end, Vann himself was shot and killed at a local tavern in 1809.
To learn more, visit the official website of the Cherokee Nation.
The Bartram Trail Society
The Eastern Band of Cherokee Nation is one of the only three federally recognized Cherokee tribes. The EBCN is located in Cherokee, NC. There are about 13,400 Eastern Band of Cherokee members, most of whom live on the Reservation. Properly called the Qualla Boundary, the Reservation is slightly more than 56,000 acres held in trust by the federal government specifically for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.
Cherokee culture is both rich and storied. Cherokees and “pre-Cherokees” have lived in the south eastern United States and the mountains of North Carolina since the end of the last ice age, before the begining of the PaleonIndian Period (10,000BC). Most historians postulate that Cherokees are decended from what was a branch of the Iroquoian people. Now some anthro-Linguists suggest that the Cherokee dialect suggests that the “Pre-Cherokee” (and therefore the original Cherokees) are the originators of both the Iroqoian and Cherokee peoples.
The first brick home within the Cherokee Nation was built by James Vann in 1804 in the nearby area of Chatworth, Georgia. This classic two-story mansion has a commanding view of all the land around and a stunning view of the Cohutta Mountains, less than 10 miles to the east. Vann was both a hero and a rogue. He was responsible for bringing the Moravian missionaries into the Cherokee Nation to build schools. Yet, he killed his brother-in-law in a dual, fired a pistol at a dinner guest through the floor of an upstairs bedroom, and once even shot at his own mother. In a somewhat fitting end, Vann himself was shot and killed at a local tavern in 1809.
To learn more, visit the official website of trails.