Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians
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The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians are a federally recognized Native American band in the United States of America. The history of the Eastern Band is very much synonymous with that of the Qualla Boundary, although the Band owns lands extending up to one hundred miles off of the Boundary. The Eastern Cherokee are the descendants of primarily those persons listed on the Baker Rolls of Cherokee Indians. The Qualla Boundary, current homeland of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, is a highly politicized area that makes most of its money from tourism and the Harrah's Casino, instituted in the early 1990s. The negative repercussions of the casino, in this case, have been enormous.
While the Cherokee Nation has multiple casinos and has experienced substantial economic development as a result, the Qualla Boundary's single casino has caused massive rifts in Eastern Cherokee society. The Eastern Cherokee have been alleged to have disfranchised many tribal members due to tribal in-fighting over casino revenues to increase individual shares of the casino proceeds. This has resulted in perceived hardships and a decrease in the size of the Band. The band membership is relatively small in numbers in comparison with the Cherokee Nation.
The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians host the [Museum of the Cherokee Indian], which hosts and exhibits an extensive collection of artifacts and items of historical and cultural interest from the early Mississippian Period through modern times related to the Cherokee Culture. The Cherokee Nation host the [Cherokee Heritage Center], which displays historical artifacts related to the march of the Cherokee on the Trail on Tears and the development of Oklahoma Cherokee Culture.
Many of the traditional religious practices of the Eastern Band have become blended with new age views and customs according to Cherokee traditionalists, and have diverged as the result of cultural isolation of the various factions of Cherokee Society. However, many of the original dances and ceremonies are still practiced by the Eastern Band. Most Eastern Band members are Native Speakers of the Cherokee Language, and speak a dialect that is unique and spoken more rapidly than other variants.
The Eastern Band members are primarily descended from Cherokee who did not participate in the march on the Trail of Tears to Oklahoma Territory. The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians still practice many of the original ceremonies of the Cherokee and many prominent Cherokee historians are affiliated with or members of the Eastern Band.
One of the great Cherokee Leaders and heros of the Eastern Band is Sa-li (pronounced Sah-lee). He opposed the removal and remained in the Cherokee Homeland with a small group of Cherokee who formed an armed and rebellious resistance against the United States to thwart the removal of the Cherokee on the Trail of Tears. Sa-li surrendered and was executed by the United States in exchange for the lives of the small band he protected, who remained in the Cherokee Homeland and became the modern Eastern Band.
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