One of my favorite childhood memories was an exciting weekend in the small town of Cherokee in western North Carolina. I recall that at that time several tame black bears were chained at the street corners, and cars stopped to feed them. The town, as far as I knew, was one wondrous street with Native Americans in feather headdresses inviting us into their stores, where my siblings and I found fascinating handmade items. My brother chose a small drum and corncob pipe, while my sister was thrilled with the child-size bows and arrows. I chose a pair of soft deerskin leather moccasins with decorative beadwork on the toes. I have always wanted to return to Cherokee, and recently I finally did. The town is much larger, and while this generation of the Cherokee Nation enjoys a lifestyle typical of most Americans, they have diligently kept alive their culture, history, arts, …