First day!

Well first off, there are so many mountains! Being born and raised in Illinois, you just get used to the flat, occasionally hilly, land with a ton of corn fields. This is so very different with the thick forest and mountains in the distance, it is unreal and awesome to see. The environment of Cherokee, in my opinion, is very prideful and welcoming. Today we were immersed in the historical portion of Cherokee. We attended a Cherokee historical museum where we saw many things, like tools, outfits, and learned more about their beliefs. The most interesting thing we learned there was how the world developed from one island to an entire world through a series of animals performing different tasks, ultimately ending with the creation of fire and more abundant life, all thanks to the animals and insects.  After that we went and toured Cherokee Indian Hospital Authority (CIHA), where we met Kayla Holland, who is the Nurse educator and works with students visiting their hospital. She was very personable and provided us with a lot of information about the culture, like how they hold their elders in high regard. It is expected that individuals show them the upmost respect them. I found it interesting that within their healthcare system they took into account healing methods from their elders and shaped it into a more modern presentation. Respect for elders does not only relate to the Native Americans, but also the surrounding area population. I feel this is similar to at least my families values, for a simple fact that it was ingrained in our upbringing as children, and lessons like that just stick with you for life.  The children are able to grow up within this historical area, where they have reenactments of many important historical happenings that shaped their livelihood. We were able to attend a village and a show in the evening tonight where there were local children and teenagers (as well as adults) reenacting how tools and traditional items (clothing/baskets/pottery) were made. The show was in an outdoor theater, that looks like it was just placed in the middle of the mountains and forest, like it had been there forever. The show described the Cherokee story and their battles with the "white people" throughout history, eventually leading to the trail of tears. The show was titled "Unto These Hills" and it was a very moving experience to be able to attend. I think that this culture although very different does have a lot in common with our surrounding culture because for some individuals families and friends rank of high importance, and this group of people really take that to the next level. They are supportive through all crisis and happenings and really take care of their people. Today was a great day, I feel like I was able to understand more of the history, which leads me to understanding more about how they shaped into he culture they have today.