A Noble Tradition: The Cherokee of Georgia Pow Wow

The first weekend in October, the Cherokee of Georgia are holding their 45^th Annual Fall Pow Wow, and you are invited. Below, learn about the Cherokee of Georgia, their history, and how you may partake in their festivities.

Georgia Roots

In 1989, the Cherokee of Georgia became a state-recognized tribe. Since then, its mission has been to preserve and share culture and history and maintain not just the traditional Cherokee community but that of other tribes, as well. The Cherokee of Georgia now has around 400 members.

In 1992, the tribe established its Tribal Grounds in St. George, 16 miles south of the entrance to the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. These grounds are near the location where Americans and Creek Indians signed the Treaty of Coleraine in 1796, establishing the boundaries between the United States and the Creek Nation. The Cherokee of Georgia honor that event as well as Native Americans’ long history in the Okefenokee area.

Storied Past

Over the millennia many peoples – including the Timucua and Creek tribes – have lived near the Okefenokee Swamp. From the 1830s to 1850s after the passage of the Indian Removal Act the United States government removed thousands of Cherokee and other tribespeople from the Southeastern United States, including Georgia, to newly designated territory west of the Mississippi River.

Native Americans faced relocation again in the early 1970s, when the United States Congress eliminated much government support for Native tribes and ended the protected trust status of all Native American-owned lands. This act spurred the Bureau of Indian Affairs to begin a voluntary urban relocation program in which Native Americans could move from their rural tribes to metropolitan areas such as Chicago, Denver, and Los Angeles. These migrations brought many Cherokee tribespeople to Georgia. In 1980, these families as well as other tribes came together as Cherokee of Georgia and began hosting intertribal pow wows.

Honoring Tradition

The Cherokee Tribal Grounds in St. George, which span over 18 acres, include a dance arena, a stomp arbor for traditional Cherokee dances, and a seven-sided Council House for tribal functions – one of only a few Cherokee Council Houses actively used in the traditional manner.  The Tribal Grounds also contain a museum displaying cultural items such as Cherokee attire, textiles, stone and bone work, art pieces, pottery, leather, and feather work, as well as items gifted from other tribes.

At the Tribal Grounds, the Cherokee of Georgia hold monthly tribal meetings which are open to the public, but intertribal gatherings, or pow wows, are the tribe’s biggest events of the year. Held in early April and early October since 1995, these pow wows are open to the public with free admission, parking, primitive tent camping, and handicap accessibility. Dancers and traders from many tribes participate in the three-day event.

Pow Wow…Wow

One of the main attractions of the pow wow is arena dancing, in which dancers of all tribes perform in their finest regalia. There are also social dances and dances for children, in all of which the public is invited to participate. Visiting and shopping with traders (vendors) is educational, as some offer demonstrations of traditional crafts and skills at their booths. From home décor, attire, jewelry and accessories to tools, books, and works of art, there is a wide variety of wares to choose from. Guided tours are also available on Thursday and Friday mornings of the pow wow, offering an opportunity for schools, home schools, scouting, and other groups of all ages to learn about the tribe.

Community Counts

The Cherokee of Georgia are active in the community throughout the year, as well. They host field trips and campouts at the Tribal Grounds and give presentations on American Indian culture and history at local libraries, schools, and activity centers. The tribe is also a member of the Okefenokee Chamber of Commerce and participates in their events. Furthermore, the tribe has been a support in times of crisis; they have housed and fed firefighters on the Tribal Grounds for every major wildfire in the area since the 1990s, opened Tribal Grounds for Hurricane evacuees, and gathered and delivered donations to storm-hit areas.

To learn more details about their Fall Pow Wow taking place from October 2^nd to 4^th, follow the tribe on Facebook at “Cherokee of Georgia Tribal Grounds.” The Tribal Grounds are located at 110 Cherokee Way, Saint George, GA 31562.

To learn about the Native American history of Southeast Georgia, join our Cumberland Island Walking Tour: Haunting Ruins and Wild Horses or our Fugitives, Fighters, and Fudge: St. Marys Walking Tour!