Anikituhwa warrior talking with a young Cherokee girl
The Cherokee Eternal Flame located at Red Clay State Historic Park bears witness to the survival and hope of the Cherokee people
Demonstration of Cherokee culture
Anikituhwa warrior dancing
Red Clay State Historic Park located in Bradley County on the border of Georgia will hold its annual Cherokee Culture Celebration this Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. each day. This year will feature the Warriors of Anikituhwa, a nationally known Cherokee dance group. They are designated as the official cultural ambassadors for the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians. The public is invited. There is no cost to attend the events. There is a $5 parking fee.
Red Clay State Historic Park Manager Erin Medley said, “We are excited about having the Anikituhwa Warriors here at the park. We have been trying for years to arrange their schedule to include Red Clay. The group will bring to life the Cherokee War Dance and the Eagle Tail Dance.”
The dance team has performed around the world including the National Museum of the American Indian, the Smithsonian Museum of National History, Berlin, and Montreal. They will perform Sunday at 10:30 a.m., 1 p.m., and 4:30 p.m.
Also, the Oconaluftee Indian Village will be sending 18th century living history demonstrators who will be demonstrating traditional pottery, basket weaving, and fashion beadwork. The Wolftown Stickball Players will be demonstrating an intense game of stickball.
Attendees can enter a traditional blowgun tournament with cash prizes. Traditional and contemporary food vendors will also be set up in the park.
Ms. Medley said, “The event is sponsored by the Cherokee Preservation Foundation, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, the Cherokee Nation, the United Keetoowah Band of the Cherokee Indians, Tennessee State Parks, and the Friends of Red Clay.’
The park site was the last seat of the Cherokee national government before the 1838 enforcement of the Indian Removal Act of 1830 by the U.S. military, which resulted in most of the Cherokee people in the area being forced to emigrate west. Eleven general councils were held between 1832 and 1837. Red Clay is where the Trail of Tears really began, for it was at the Red Clay Council Grounds that the Cherokee learned that they had lost their mountains, streams, and valleys forever.
For more information and directions to the park go to http://tnstateparks.com/parks/about/red-clay or follow the park on Facebook at Red Clay State Historic Park. The park is located at 1140 Red Clay Park in Cleveland. Contact the park at 423 478-0339.