Tag Archives: North Carolina

Native American Dancers, Cherokee, North Carolina

This image shows a troupe of Native American dancers dressed and posed in dance posture. The dance is called the Eagle Dance. Cherokee, North Carolina is the headquarters of the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Nation.

Color Photo by Cherokee Historical Association, Inc.


The description states:
“UNTO THESE HILLS”
Cherokee, North Carolina
The centuries-old colorful Cherokee Indian Eagle Dance is recreated on the outdoor drama. “Unto These Hills” will be presented nightly except Mondays, from late June through early September, at Mountainside Theatre, Cherokee, North Carolina.
–The performance of “Unto These Hills” continues to the present day and describes their history up to the deportation and Trail of Tears in 1838. The current version was first performed in 1950.
This card was used and is dated 30 June 1961.

Purple Rhododendron, Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina

Originally known as the Appalachian Scenic Highway during its construction, the Blue Ridge Parkway is a linear park connecting other National Parks in the system, while not being a national park itself. It is the most visited unit of the National Park system.

Ektachrome by Elliot Lyman Fisher, Asheville, N. C.


The description states:
PURPLE RHODODENDRON in bloom on the Blue Ridge Parkway and Craggy Dome in the background.
–Craggy Dome is the highest point in the Great Craggy Mountains of North Carolina. It is the smoother of the two prominences in this picture.
This card was used and is dated 31 May 1973.

Tootie Burgess, Cherokee woman, North Carolina

This image shows the woman identified as Tootie Burgess sitting in a demonstration tipi with a bow and arrows displayed at the entrance. Her dress looks very European rather than Native American, though it is likely it was made by the woman or another rather than purchased.
This woman may have been considered particularly photogenic, as she appears in several other postcard images of the time. She is recognizably Native American, but the use of a more European style name would indicate a blood connection to the Burgess family.
There are indications from others that the photo is from the late 1950s, but her appearance with other Cherokee who were photographed in the late 1930s would imply this image likely dates to the 1940s. The misdating may be a result of the photo being sold for many years or decades after the original was produced.

Cherokee Chief Standing Deer, North Carolina

This image shows a notable Native American of the 1930s eastern Cherokee Nation, by the name of Chief Standing Deer. His clothing is a mix of Cherokee design and manufacture, specifically the headdress, vest and pants, while the shirt and shoes appear to be more typical of American manufacture.
Since the man shown is a champion archer, it is likely the bow and arrows were constructed by him, using target points instead of the more well known arrow heads. Where he stands is a place where archery demonstrations and training took place for visitors to the reservation.
There is no description on the back, but the card is dated in the lower right corner to 1938.

Cherokee Bead Worker, North Carolina

This is another photo of the woman shown in the lower left of the previous image. She still holds the bead making device she had in the previous picture, and sits on the same steps with much of the same pottery as shown before. It is easier to see the beaded headband she wears, presumably an example of her own work.
While the head band and shawl drape she wears appear to be of Native design and production, the dress and necklace is more typical of clothing worn widely throughout the United States during this time.
The legend on the front says: Cherokee Pottery and Bead Worker, Cherokee Indian Reservation, N.C.
This card also has no description on the back. Unlike the others in this series, this one has a date printed on the front, so it can be definitely dated to 1937.

Cherokee Potters, North Carolina

This image is ostensibly of three Cherokee women potters, although the woman in the lower left is working on a bead board, making a beaded band while the others hold completed pots. Such bands would be applied to other objects or clothing.
This is one of the converted photos that have no description on the back, but it is consistent with other cards indicating that it dates from the 1930s.

Maude Welch, Cherokee Pottery Maker, North Carolina

This is an image of the noted Cherokee pottery maker Maude Welch, shown with an unidentified girl. This was undoubtedly taken on the North Carolina Cherokee reservation.
There is no caption on the back of this card, as it was a photograph converted to a postcard by stamping the back with simple markings to allow it to be mailed.
The legend on the front says: Maude Welch Making Cherokee Pottery, Cherokee, NC
This image likely dates from the 1930s.

Cherokee Woman with Infant at home, North Carolina

This image is a colorized version of a photograph, intended to look rustic and primitive. The language used on the card front is now considered pejorative, particularly the word squaw. The child, or papoose, was commonly carried on the mother’s back when unable to walk.

Harry Martin, P.O. Box 224, Asheville, N. C.


The description states:
Immediately south of the Great Smoky Mountains National Parrk will be found the Cherokee Reservation where the remnants of the eastern branch of the Cherokee Indians live. Although the government has instituted a comprehensive system of education and modern methods of living, ancient ceremonies and sports are still preserved as tribal customs. The Indians still play the Cherokee game of ball, one of the world’s most strenuous sports. Many are expert in archer and in the use of the blowgun.
 
–The Cherokee and other Native American nations were ordered out of much of their original lands and made to march to the west, all the way to the Oklahoma territory, on a journey now famous as the Trail of Tears. This led to a split in the Cherokee nation, now identified as the eastern and western branches.
This card likely dates from the 1940s.

Cherokee Mother and Child, North Carolina

This image is the first of the week featuring Cherokee Native Americans from North Carolina. This first shows a mother with a child bundled to her back.

Harry Martin, P.O. Box 224, Asheville, N. C.


There is no description on the back of this card. The card style and coloring are typical of cards made in the 1940s.

Soco Gap, North Carolina

This is an aerial photo of the Soco Gap and it’s current occupation by the Blue Ridge Parkway and US Highway 19. The original picture was apparently taken in early autumn by the appearance of a bit of color change among the trees.

Aerial Photography Services, 2300 Dunavant St., Charlotte N.C. 28203


The description states:
Scenic Soco Gap, at the intersection of the Blue Ridge Parkway and U.S. 19, is the marked boundary of the Qualla Reservation of the Cherokee Indians and was the gateway to the last Cherokee stronghold in Western North Carolina.
The postcard is used, but was mis-cancelled and the postmark is not present. The 15 cent coil stamp would indicate the card was mailed shortly after the stamp’s issue date of 1978, with the photo predating it.