Visiting the Cherokee Village

Today our group visited the Oconaluftee Indian Village. This village was built to represent a Cherokee village as it would look in the 1700’s (Cherokee North Carolina, n.d.). Individuals there demonstrated traditional crafts and skills that the Cherokee would have done at this time. Examples of various crafts we observed were: pottery making, beading, jewelry making, weaving of belts and blankets, basket weaving, hunting and weapon tools, traps, and instruments. We also had the opportunity to see traditional dances and a lecture on the clan political system.

            Yesterday at clinical, our group had the opportunity to speak with a social worker at Cherokee. She discussed with us the topic of historical trauma. The social worker shared that many Cherokee children were taken from their families and were sent to boarding schools that forbid them from speaking their language and cultural practices. At the Cherokee village today, they discussed that because of these restrictions, many of that generation and the following do not speak the Cherokee language. In a way, a generation was lost. Jerry Wolfe, the speaker at the Cherokee Museum we visited on Monday, speaks about his experience at a boarding school as a child, where he shares that the students were only allowed to come home for two weeks, during Christmas (Museum of the Cherokee Indian, n.d.). As a way to combat this historical trauma and preserve their culture, the Cherokee are working to instill in their children their native language and traditions. A staff member at the Cherokee village today shared that a way that they are doing this is to teach Cherokee language and alphabet to children in the school system. In addition to this, we learned earlier this week that there are schools that exclusively speak in and teach the Cherokee language. In the community, the individuals with the highest authority are the Elders. This is because, in the Cherokee culture, the elderly are highly respected. In the hospital on Tuesday, we learned that the Tribe’s counsel must approve the budget and referrals at the hospital.

            During my clinical day, many of the family structures I observed included a mother with children, who reported having a significant other. Many of the mother reported that their parents or the children’s grandparents regularly helped assist in childcare. Upon arrival to Cherokee, our contact Kayla shared the story about when a past client had gotten in an accident, not only extended family, but the neighborhood as well came out to the hospital to support this family. There are resources within the hospital setting available to these clients as well, such as the social worker that we spoke to and care coordinators. When I think of the word resilience in the sense of families and children, I think of a strong community and support network. A group that will rally around a family in need to assist and ‘pick them back up again’. I believe having that system of a close, supportive community in place is key to families overcoming challenges and coming out stronger.

            From what I observed at the performance of ‘Unto These Hills’ and the staff at the Oconaluftee, there is a sense of strong cultural pride and desire to preserve their way of life. Our contacts at Cherokee hospital and staff have been wonderful. They are passionate about the model of care that they are working to provide and about the community they serve.  I am so thankful to this community for all they have shared with us these past few days.

            Tomorrow we will visit the Children’s Mission Hospital. I am looking forward to visiting a children’s hospital because I never have. It will be an interesting experience!

References:

Cherokee North Carolina. (n.d.). Oconaluftee indian village. Retrieved from:          http://visitcherokeenc.com/play/attractions/oconaluftee-indian-village/
Museum of the Cherokee Indian. (n.d.). Jerry Wolfe-christmas at the cherokee boarding school in the 1930s. [Video file]. Retrieved from: http://www.cherokeemuseum.org/christmas-at-cherokee-boarding-school/