Snowbird
Indians
"Snowbird" Indian student* in Robbinsvillc School. In Grohom County, the Fedcrol Government
provides a two-teacher school in the hcorl of the Indion community for Chcrokccs in
grodes I to 6. Those in grades 7-12 ottend the Robbinsville consolidated high school, and
ore shown obove. Note the interesting nomes:
1st
го»
— Dovid Crowe, Bernice Rattler, Dovid Ledford, Arnold Wochocho, Richard Smoker,
Gertrude Wochocho, Betty Jeon Brown, Rcbo Jumper. 2nd row— Molly Ann Smoker, George
Rottlcr, Velmo Ledford, Anono Rottler, Margaret Teesoteskie, Kotherine Wochocho. 3rd row —
Andrew Wochocho, Rosolene Ledford, Allcnc Ledford, Lindo Sounookc. 4th row— Woyne
Wochocho, George Teesoteskie, Albert Wochocho, Som Teesoteskie, Archie Wochocho, Tom
Wochocho, Woodrow Teesoteskie, Jeff Sounookc.
In Cherokee, you can hardly see the
Indians for the tourists. Happily escap¬
ing this pawing mob arc some Indians
few North Carolinians have ever heard
about. They have come into the
modern tourist era almost untouched,
have moved along with progress, but
without yielding their identity as a
group, or amending their lives to show
off.
These arc 247 Indians living on
scattered tracts of the Cherokee Band.
When Colonel W. H. Thomas, white
chief and benefactor of the tribe, took
headright money and bought a Smoky
Mountain refuge for the Cherokees.
not all the land was contiguous. Aside
from the large Qualla Boundary in
Swain and Jackson counties, there are
tribal lands also in Cherokee and
Graham counties.
Junaluska
Most noted of the Snowbird Indians
was Junaluska, a chief who is buried
in a boulder-marked grave near Rob¬
binsville.
He led the Chcrokccs in support of
Andrew Jackson at the Battle of
Horseshoe Bend in Alabama in
1814, and tradition says he saved
Jackson’s life during the battle.
In spite of this, he was forced in
1838 to move, with others, to the west¬
ern lands. He found his way back
home, however, and the state of North
Carolina voted him a 640-acre farm,
where he lived and died at the age of
100, more or less.
After Junaluska's death in 1858, his
widow, Nicie, sold the farm, and in
( Continued on page 30)
Tribal Lands
In Graham, the so-called Snowbird
Indians live on these tribal lands as
they have for centuries. It is rugged
and beautiful country, too rough for
much farming, so most of the Indians
arc employed in lumbering.
About 60 Snowbird Indian children
attend an elementary school. About 30
more are in the high school at Rob¬
binsville. “They arc fine citizens;
An Indion Troil Tree in Grohom County. Long ogo, on Indion pulled the bronch down and stuck the
tip in the ground to mork the woy. A similar tree is ot Southport.
among the best,” said School Supi.
Stanly. “You rarely hear of an Indian
in court or in any kind of trouble.”
The Indians have their own council
house and govern their little com¬
munity themselves. They also elect two
representatives to sit in the big coun¬
cil at Cherokee. They have their own
church.
In 1961, for the first time, the
federal government allotted $62.50 to
the county school system for each
Snowbird Indian enrolled.
THE STATE. JULY 22. 1901
IS
