In the 1830s, the U.S. government forced most Cherokee to march west. This is the Trail of Tears. It’s heartbreaking, but it’s only part of the story.
That forced journey ended in Oklahoma. Today, the Cherokee Nation is the biggest tribe in the U.S., with over 400,000 citizens. Their capitol? Tahlequah, Oklahoma. Yes, it’s a real town.
But wait—some Cherokee refused to leave. They hid in the mountains of North Carolina. Today, that group is the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. They live on a reservation called Qualla Boundary, right next to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
