The Great Smoky Mtns. National Park is the most visited national park in the U.S. and features remnants of southern Appalachian mountain culture. It straddles the North Carolina & Tennessee borders and features bear, elk & deer. Thank goodness we only saw deer!
When the first white settlers reached the Great Smokies in the late 1700's, they found themselves in the land of the Cherokee Indians. The Cherokees were one of the most culturely advanced tribes on the continent and had permanent towns, cultivated croplands, sophisticated political systems, and an extensive network of trails. They were also a matriarchal society - the children took the clan of the mother and kinship was traced through the mother's family. Women had an equal say in the affairs of the tribe.
Most of the Cherokee were forcibly removed to Oklahoma in the 1830's in a tragic episode in the country's history known as the "Trail of Tears". More than 4000 died from cold, hunger and disease.
