The Ocunaluftee Indian village

The Ocunaluftee Indian Village is an outdoor museum/ education center/ reenactment to teach what life was like for the Cherokee Indians in pre-Colombian times. You are treated by a guide dressed in authentic Cherokee dress, Guided tours begin every 15 minutes. They introduce themselves and the clan they are a part of. They then walk you around the village where you learn about crafts, beading, Bow & arrow and tool making. You are then shown a replica of a home and other community structures. Each Cherokee village had a storage shed for food and necessities that families could take from when in need and give back to when they had the means to. There your guide will explain things and answer questions. Every half hour or so you can join a lecture taking place in the council house or on the square grounds. These lectures are given by the guides and re-enactors and give in-depth information about Cherokee culture, myths, and history.

There are two shows that also take place on the square grounds twice daily. depending on the time of year, and day of the week you will either see the “traditional dance” show or the “time of war” reenactment show.  You will sit with your “clan” which is the clan of your tour guide and watch a show that id approximately half an hour. The names of the shows are pretty self explanatory, you will either see traditional native dances or a war time reenactment. Both are very interesting. Once you leave the village, you enter into the gift shop. I recommend looking at all the beautiful crafts and basketry work the people of the community have done. But it is a pretty pricey little shop.

If you don’t feel like visiting the village, there is a free botanical trail that runs along side the village. Here you can walk among the indigenous plants, and read placards about how the Cherokee used the plants for food, medicinally and even artistically.

Check it out!!!