For 176 years, the site of the original Mother Town of the Cherokee people, on the banks of the Oconaluftee River near present-day Bryson City, was held in ownership by the settler-colonizer people. But in 1996, under the leadership of Principal Chief Joyce Dugan, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians reacquired this sacred land, to be held in perpetuity by the descendants of the original inhabitants. Each year, around June 6, the EBCI celebrates the acquisition with dancing, entertainment, food, and social gathering at the Kituwah site, 3831 Ela Road, Bryson City NC. Festivities begin at 10:00 a.m. and continue until 2 p.m. Open to the public, free of charge.
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