Who Are the Eastern Cherokee Indians?
The Eastern Cherokee Indians, or Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, are a Native American tribe with lands near the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina. They are the descendants of the members of the Cherokee Tribe who maintained their lands and refused to take part in the forced move to Oklahoma Territory on the Trail of Tears during the 1830s. The Eastern Cherokee Indians are not affiliated with the Cherokee Nation, but they still maintain cultural and historical ties and practice the original Cherokee ceremonies. The tribe has its own language, religious practices and government.
