We happen to arrive in time to see the Keetowah Band (band as in tribe or clan) Celebration, which features, among other things, a dance competition.
Since we have some time off, we also go to the Cherokee Heritage Center, where we get a taste of traditional Cherokee life.
Robert, our guide, shows us some traditional dances...
...and how to hunt (I got the rabbit in the neck, which was very satisfying)...
...and how to play stickball. The original Cherokee version was a war game, so there were basically no rules. You had to get the ball between two goal posts, but you were allowed to whack at people's heads, knees, eyeballs, etc.
The modern version is slightly less violent - you're supposed to hit a wooden fish, perched waaay up on a pole.
Franco hit the fish, so Robert gave him a certificate. He was only the 5th person to hit a fish this year!
Robert also talked about basic Cherokee laws and customs. Did you know that the Cherokee women were the ones who owned everything? Read all about it here.
The Cherokee alphabet.
In the mid-1800's, the Cherokee had a higher literacy rate than the European settlers.
Robert's wife, Veronica, shows PJ how to spin.
This is Fred, the extremely antisocial museum cat, waiting for us to leave.
And here we are, back in our rooms at Tenkiller Lodge, which is very quaint and in the middle of the woods.
No comments:
Post a Comment