ENGL 4586-Place Narrative

 Here is a paper for my Native American Literature Studies class that I'd thought I'd post here!

A place that has more or less shaped me into what I am today is western North Carolina. It’s because of my time that I spent at a camp, Talisman Programs, (as well as two unique academic school semesters there!) which is in this area, that I am now a competent outdoorswoman, as well as involved in firefighting and search and rescue. This camp heightened my confidence greatly, made me realize what I like, and, as I said, is the reason that I am now involved in both firefighting and search and rescue (“so that others may live.”)

To start off, western North Carolina is home to breathtaking mountains, forests, and rivers. It’s easy to see why the native Cherokee people (Europeans as well!) consider much of the land “sacred” and home to supernatural creatures and spirits. The Appalachian Mountain range is the oldest mountain range on Earth (geological estimation puts the age at approximately 480 million years) and the rolling hills show the erosion of the mountains caused by the age. (“Top 10 Facts about the Appalachian Mountains - Discover Walks Blog”) Segments of the Appalachian trail are prime hiking and camping choices, and wild, fast rivers such as the French Broad and Nolichucky (the word “Nolichucky” is actually Cherokee – it translates into “rocky river of death”) are great choices for a rafting adventure – although you’ll likely fall in at one point or the other. (I did.)

Beings that consider this area home would, first and foremost be the native Cherokee people. The history of the Cherokee people is rich and fascinating, and I have called several of these people my friends. I will attest to having visited the town of Cherokee, North Carolina, which was a fulfilling experience indeed. A shout-out to their culture would be the road signs in both Cherokee and English. The modern Cherokee alphabet was, as a matter of fact, developed in the early 1800’s by Sequoyah, an individual of mixed European and Cherokee descent. Today, the language is spoken by varying fluencies by thousands of individuals worldwide. (“Cherokee Nation Cherokee Language”) Of course, for hundreds of years, many Europeans, particularly the English and the Scottish, have begun to call this area home as well. While said Europeans such as myself are indeed not native to the land (then again, it’s obvious that the Appalachians were at one point connected to the British Isles…so in some sort of a way we are! 😊) they have added a good deal of their own rich culture and heritage to the land, from fiddle dances to English folk magick.

Tales told about this land? A good place to start would be an outdoor drama entitled “Unto These Hills.” I have not seen this play myself, however according to the reading that I have done (Unto These Hills | Cherokee Historical Association (fareharbor.com)) it is quite a deep, breathtaking experience, and it’s understandable why it was apparently hailed as “America’s most powerful drama.” “Unto These Hills” spans three hundred years – from the arrival of the Spanish conquistador Hernando DeSoto, to the tragic Trail of Tears, featuring a poignant ending with a strong message of hope and power.

As far as “supernatural” tales related to western North Carolina, there are actually several that I can remember off of the top of my head from my school semesters there. First one is: what causes the iconic blue “smoke” to rise over the Smoky Mountains? According to the Cherokee, small blue beings live underground, and the blue mist that blankets the mountains is actually smoke from their campfires.

Many of the other Cherokee tales of this region are quite freaky: one of their legends tells of a witch named Spearfinger. Spearfinger is said to approach Cherokee children in the guise of a family member. She will then use her long, clawed finger to slice to child open…and steal and eat their liver. (Apparently, the Cherokee have their own tales to frighten children into behaving, just as do Europeans. Apparently Spearfinger is just that…a tale…but who knows?) Another Cherokee legend is that of the Wampus, a large, monstrous cat that prowls and roars in the mountains. Deviating somewhat away from the topic of this paper, I actually first found out about the Wampus not in North Carolina, but on the Pottermore site, where I took the sortings for both Hogwarts and Illvermorny – the American school of magic – and my Illvermorny house ended up being Wampus. (Yes, I do know that many particularly in the LGBT community now do have beef with J.K. Rowling, and indeed many others have said that her Illvermorny houses are actually indeed racist towards Native Americans.) I also remember another legend about North Carolina’s own version of Bigfoot, (Boojum) and just now doing research for this paper I found a fairly beautiful Cherokee legend of a mystical spring hidden deep in the mountains…a mystical spring named Atagahi. This spring is a sacred place for the animals of the mountains to find respite and healing…hidden from human eyes. (9 Smoky Mountain Legends, Spooky Stories & Haunted Places (pigeonforge.com))

As most probably know, North Carolina was part of the original thirteen British colonies. Part of the “Southern Colonies,” the “Carolina Province” was established as a propriety colony in 1663. In 1729, the Carolina Province split into the Divided Provinces of North and South Carolina, two royal colonies, and on November 21^st, 1789, North Carolina achieved statehood. It was, in fact, the first state to instruct its delegates to vote for independence from the British Crown during the first Continental Congress. (North Carolina - HISTORY)

For a good enough part, the Cherokee people and Europeans lived together without too much conflict. As a matter of fact, the Cherokee were even considered one of the “civilized” tribes of America (the others were the Choctaw, Chickasaw, Seminole, and Creek), likely due to their excellence in farming, as well as the willingness of many to adopt European dress and ways. However, in 1830, Congress passed the “Indian Removal Act,” which called for the removal of the Cherokee people as well as neighboring tribes. This act would lead to the tragic march to “Indian Territory” in Oklahoma – the infamous “Trail of Tears.” President Andrew Jackson advocated strongly for the removal of the native peoples from the lands that they had called home for thousands of years. The term “Manifest Destiny,” coined a bit later by President James Polk, pressed the belief onto those of European descent that America was their land for the taking – and that they not only had the “God-given” right to be in America. America was now the land of the whites, and the “savage Indians” had no right to life anymore. Or at least that’s what the society of the time was more or less brainwashed to believe.

The Trail of Tears was indeed a tragic and shameful part of history. Thousands of Cherokee people between the years of 1830-1850 were forcibly rounded up and forced down said “Trail of Tears” to Oklahoma – Indian Territory. Tons died along the way. Over the years, the Cherokee have come to show their resilience – these people are bent, but will not let themselves be broken. In the recent past, the Cherokee have begun to “rise again” and their strong spirit is evident in many ways. I have been honored to have called a few of these people my friends! As a matter of fact, the news just came out very recently that “mainstream” schools have begun teaching the Cherokee language and alphabet!

As for “stories that *I* have told about this land…”? This is an interesting question to ask me.

As I mentioned, for myself as a person, western North Carolina, aka Cherokee country, has shaped much of who I am. Going to camp and school in this area totally made me realize who and what I am. I have a knack for outdoor sports and recreation, and eventually they helped me get into both firefighting and search and rescue – two both very challenging, yet rewarding, paths! Talisman Programs was a rewarding experience in very many ways, which is why that I chose this area to write this “place narrative” on.

Of course there are interesting camp/school stories, which would of course more or less deviate from the topic of this paper (campers screaming profanities at counselors for being forced to walk up the mountains…the bus breaking down and us having to sleep on the side of the highway…)

However, even for myself, the many backpacking and camping trips that we would go on did indeed turn me onto “nature” and understanding the land. Being in this area, particularly hiking and camping in the mountains, didn’t just make me understand the ways of the native Cherokee…it made me start to get in touch with my own ancestral roots! As mentioned earlier, many Scots and English people in particular settled in these mountains…and brought much of *their* culture with them.

I am a white person, and have a very strong ancestral pull to all of Europe…but very much in particular the British Isles. (Scandinavia is a close second.) And over the years, I have little by little become more and more attuned to the ancient ways of my own people…and in some ways, I can somewhat attest that Talisman Programs has something to do with it.

As mentioned earlier in this paper, eons ago, it’s likely that the British Isles *were* connected to Appalachia. I remember looking out over some of the land on backpacking trips and thinking of how much some of it strongly resembles Ireland (my great-grandparents were immigrants from Ireland – Roscommon and Galway – in the early 20^th century.) Overall, much of the feel to me in many instances was “Celtic.”

As I have become more and more attuned to the ancient ways of my own people, I have become to feel a kinship to the ancient deities of the land, sky, and sea. I am now a charter member of The Asatru Community (*NOT* the white supremacist Asatru Folk Assembly!) and even work as a website volunteer for them.

First it was Celtic, and it still is very strongly. However (and this is one of the reasons why I am affiliated with The Asatru Community) I am also beginning to (and this would make my great-grandparents scream 😊) become engrossed in the ways of the Anglo-Saxons…the ancient English (maternal great-grandmother and paternal grandfather.) I have been studying utiseid (the Anglo-Saxon/Norse meditation technique) and even seidr/wiccecraft (not the Wiccan faith) which is the ancient European shamanic technique. I have even been told by someone that I could have potential as a Volva (a seeress) down the road. Yes, the Europeans had (and are beginning to bring back) pagan and shamanic practices that in many ways are similar to that of the Native Americans! As a matter of fact, as I said before, the very ironic thing is that many Native Americans are beginning to move into big cities, as well as becoming employed in IT and tech careers…while at the same time many white people are beginning to turn back to the old pagan and nature-centric ways of pre-Christian Europe…myself included, and in some ways, I thank my time in North Carolina for this.

In conclusion, there are many tales that the Cherokee tell about western North Carolina…and many that Europeans have begun to tell as well. This land has very much shaped who and what I am…and not only attuned me to the ways of the Cherokee, but to my own people as well! However first and foremost it’s Cherokee land…a tough and resilient people.