Topics Related to Cherokee

On November 25, 1838, the Cherokee Indian known as Tsali was executed.

On November 20, 1858, distinguished Cherokee warrior Junaluska died. Little is known of his early life. Although he was not chief, Junaluska spoke for the tribe in 1811 when he refused the Shawnee request for the Cherokee to join in fighting against the influx of settlers.

On November 13, 1997, Harrah’s Cherokee Casino—the first casino in North Carolina—opened in Cherokee on the reservation of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI). Owned by the EBCI and operated by Caesars Entertainment Corporation, the casino complex recently expanded and now offers live table games, slot machines and traditional video gaming machines, as well as a spa. Its amenities also include a 21-story hotel, conference center, events center and several restaurants.

On November 1, 1838, the Cherokee Indian known as Tsali was captured.  Tsali, also known as Charley, was among those who refused to leave North Carolina after a group of Cherokee leaders signed a treat ceding their tribal lands to the United States. 

On June 4, 1924, the United States Congress passed an act aimed at terminating the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians.  Indian Agent Fred A. Baker was tasked with preparing an official roll of all members of the Eastern Band. The roll anticipated a final allotment of land and granting of United States citizenship to the Indians. Now known as the Baker Roll, it was to be the final conclusive list of the Band’s membership.

An image of William Holland Thomas from the N.C. Museum of History

On January 3, 1837, Nimrod Jarrett Smith was born near what is now Murphy at the height of the Cherokee removal. He was raised in the Cherokee communities of Valley Town and Cheowa but was also well acquainted with William Holland Thomas and the Oconaluftee Cherokees. During the Civil War, he enlisted with Thomas’s 69th N.C.