Cherokee Nation adds to its cultural tourism program - Muskogee Daily Phoenix |
| Cherokee Nation adds to its cultural tourism program - Muskogee Daily Phoenix Posted: 06 Dec 2010 08:27 PM PST TAHLEQUAH — With the recent groundbreaking for the Ross Schoolhouse museum and renovations at the Cherokee National Prison, the Cherokee Nation is ramping up growth in its cultural tourism program. The program combines cultural preservation, education and entertainment in a single entity. Molly Jarvis, vice president of Cherokee Nation Cultural Tourism at Cherokee Nation Entertainment, said at the groundbreaking that the 97-year-old schoolhouse will house exhibits illustrating the life of former Principal Chief John Ross. Meanwhile, renovation is continuing on the Cherokee National Prison in Tahlequah, which was established in 1875. "We started the cultural tourism in downtown Tahlequah with the core of our program — the Cherokee capital building (also known as the courthouse), our Cherokee Nation Supreme Court building which opened last March, the Cherokee National Prison and the Ross Schoolhouse," she said. Planning for the program began about 3 1/2 years ago, Jarvis said, but it took time to organize a list of historical sites and a plan for using them. It became public early last year. Despite the word "tourism," program goals go deeper than making money. "Within the Cherokee Nation, I think the function of the cultural tourism program is to preserve our cultural, historical, natural and recreational resources throughout the 14 counties (of the tribal jurisdiction)," she said. "And the other would be focused on education, and that would be for our citizens and the general public as well." Jarvis said the nation wants to preserve its written and spoken culture, one of the reasons storytelling is used during tours and at Cherokee sites. "We want to make sure that our culture is maintained and not lost for future generations," she said. The nation has formed partnerships with tourism locations like the Murrell Home, the Cherokee Heritage Center and the Fort Gibson historical site. On the business side, they've done the same with restaurants and merchants located along tour routes and near historical sites. Travis Owens, senior manager at Cherokee Nation Cultural Tourism, said they offer four tour packages: the Cherokee History Tour, the Will Rogers History Tour, the Old Settlers Tour and the Civil War Tour. Customized tours are available on request. "Those tours are offered two different ways," he said. "One is as a motor coach group where we act as a step-on guide and take the group through the Cherokee Nation on those tours. The second way is through our shuttle. Those are offered every Saturday from here at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino (in Tulsa) and also from Tahlequah. They are a full-day tour that includes a tour guide well-versed in Cherokee culture and history, and also a traditional meal." Information: cherokeetourismok.com or (877) 779-6977. Reach Keith Purtell at 684-2925 or kpurtell @muskogeephoenix.com. This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php |
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