This week Iolo goes to see the Cherokee tribe. This tribe comes from the south-east originally. When the white man came here, they had to move to the west, to the area of Oklahoma. Some of the original Cherokee still live near the Smoky Mountains in the south-east.
Iolo comes to the town of Cherokee. He isn’t happy. It’s a place for tourists here. People are dancing in the street for money and the shops are selling very cheap souvenirs.
Iolo goes to see the president of the Cherokee - Michell Hicks. He’s helping his father in a vegetable garden. The language and traditions of the Cherokee are very important to him.
Iolo goes to see Gil Jackson, the head of the primary school. They go along the river in a canoe. The river was very important to the Cherokee. They fished in the river and travelled on the river to sell and buy goods.
They go to the Cowee holy mound. 2000 years ago there was a big house on top of the mound and there were around 500 people living here.
One per cent of the Cherokee people speak the Cherokee language now. Iolo goes to the new primary school. They built the school in 2009 with the casino’s money. In the school they use the Cherokee language to teach the children.
Iolo has a lesson with the children. They’re learning the alphabet. Then, Iolo talks with the teacher Louise Brown.
There’s a language class in the cafe too. Iolo talks with the teacher after the lesson. He talks about a game the Cherokee play – Indian Stickball. He asks Iolo to come to see the game.
Iolo plays in the game. There aren’t many rules and there are many injuries!
Iolo goes to see The Trail of Tears. There was lots of gold in the Cherokee area. The white man came here and the Cherokee had to move out.
Iolo goes to see Zion Hill Baptist Church. They speak the Cherokee language and English in the church. Iolo talks with the preacher John Flute about Christianity here today.
Iolo goes to hunt turkeys with the president and his friends. They start at five o’clock in the morning!
Iolo goes to see the casino. The casino brings lots of money to the area every year. A quarter of the Cherokee people work here and everyone in the tribe gets around 6000 dollars every year. Iolo talks with Myrtle Driver about the changes she’s seen in the town.
Iolo has had an invitation to play with the stickball team in a big game. It’s a very physical game.
