Cherokee Heritage Festival returns to historic Hayesville
Community, News September 16, 2019
HAYESVILLE, NC – The heritage of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) which reportedly dates back to to more than 11,000 years will shine Saturday, Sept. 21, from 10 am – 3 pm at the 8th annual Cherokee Heritage Festival in historic Hayesville.
Located just off the Hayesville Square and adjacent to the Clay County Old Jail Museum, the Cherokee Homestead Exhibit is a replica of a 17th century homestead complete with a winter house, summer house, corn crib, multi-use shelter and mound gardens. The area will serve as the site of the festival. “The exhibit is the perfect place to see the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians sharing their culture,” a visitor from a past festival commented.
Photos by CCCRA
This 2019 event will include:
- Stories on the Cherokee culture
- Demonstrations on flint knapping and woodcarving by renowned artist and EBCI member Davy Arch
- Hoop dancing by world champion performer Eddie Swimmer
- Art Demonstrations: finger weaving, bead work, basket weaving, dart making, and blowgun skills
- Flute music by Dan Hollifield, a Hayesville crafter and member of the Cherokee Nation
- Native American-related activities for children
- Food by Reed Frybread: fry bread with various toppings, hamburgers, hot dogs, beverages
- Authentic Native American art for perusal and purchase
- Native plants “walk and talks” by MountainTrue resoration Coordinator Tony Ward
The Clay County Old Jail Museum will be open for touring at no charge during the festival. The historic site features artifacts, local history displays, and art. A silent auction will take place with work from regional artists.
A free shuttle will transport festival guests from several parking lots to the exhibit and museum.
Nearby, the two mile Quanassee Path: A Cherokee History Trail features the exhibit, museum, Cherokee Cultural Center at Moss Memorial Library, Spikebuck Mound/Quanassee town site, and the Botanical Santuary. While in Hayesville, visitors are encouraged to view the new Lake Chatuge Cherokee History kiosks which are the result of a Clay County Communities Revitalization Association (CCCRA) partnership with the Tennessee Valley Authority.
CCCRA, a non-profit organization, is sponsoring the free festival. Last year’s event was cancelled due to rain, but at the time of publication, the weather forecast is predicting sunny skies for the 2019 affair.
For additional information, dial 828-389-3045 or click this link.
Public input sought on TVA’s effect on historic properties
News January 2, 2019
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Public comments directed toward the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) will be accepted through Jan. 17, 2019, concerning a proposal to review and create a programmatic agreement among various state and federal agencies related to how historical properties could be affected by the actions of TVA.
As a federal agency, the National Historic Preservation Act requires TVA to consider the repercussions of their actions on historic sites.
Tennessee Valley Authority service area
The agreement would make the review process more efficient for certain categories of activities,” Kathy Hodges, a spokesperson for the project, explains, “It would identify those activities to exclude from further Section 106 review because they would have little or no effect on historic properties, along with activities that are small and repetitive in nature that would instaed undergo an internal review. Those later activities include building maintenance and rehibilitation, mainly on structures less than 50 years old; operation and maintenance of transmission lines, substations, and switchyards, and repair and maintenance activities including fencing, road maintenance, exterior lighting, and others.”
According to Hodges, TVA is consulting with seven state historic preservation officers within the service area, 18 federally recognized tribes, and the advisory council on historic preservation in the development of the programmatic agreement.
Comments should be submitted through Jan. 17 by email t0 [email protected] or in writing by mail to: Travis Hill Henry, Tennessee Valley Authority, 400 West Summit Hill Drive, WT 11D, Knoxville, TN, 37902.
Additional information can be found at www.tva.com/nepa
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TVA River Management Continues to Address Above Average Rainfall in 2019
Announcements, Outdoors February 26, 2019
TVA River Management teams are preparing Valley reservoirs for above normal rainfall forecasted to continue over the weekend and increase next week.
The current forecast for an inch of rainfall through Saturday could ramp up to bring an additional 3-6 inches mostly during the middle of next week.
“After record rainfall in 2018, we are seeing much of the same so far in early 2019,” said James Everett, senior manager for TVA’s River Forecast Center. “With above average rainfall totals on already-saturated ground possible next week, we are moving lots of water through the system to create as much storage as possible in our reservoirs while also limiting flows to protect downstream areas.”
TVA has increased spill or sluice released at its tributaries through its Cherokee, Douglas, Norris, Melton Hill and Apalachia dams to create more storage capacity. Increased releases at all nine Tennessee River main stem dams are expected with the possible exception of Kentucky Dam in order to provide flood control operations on the Ohio River.
TVA river management activities – including spilling, sluicing, hydro generation, and reducing flows at some locations – will be ongoing at tributary and main stem sites across the valley, with release strategies being updated around the clock by TVA’s River Forecast Center staff as the rainfall forecast develops.
Impacts across the valley include:
The Tennessee River at Savannah, Tenn., is expected to reach flood stage by Friday tomorrow and continue rising several feet through late next week.
Continued TVA coordination with the US Army Corps of Engineers to manage flows at Kentucky Dam and Barkley Dam on the Cumberland River to avert flood damage on the Mississippi River and Ohio River, which already is 10 feet above flood stage.
Possible closures of locks at Watts Bar and Chickamauga dams and commercial navigation through the Nickajack Gorge.
TVA also will be reaching out to the National Weather Service, farmers, marinas, local EMA’s and other groups across the Valley to provide advanced warning about rising river levels.
This weather event is a continuation of above average rainfall patterns which resulted in 2018 being the wettest year on record across the Tennessee Valley with a basin average of 67.0 inches of rain, about 16 inches above normal.
In an average year, TVA prevents about $250 million in flood damage in the TVA region and an additional $17 million averted along the Ohio and Mississippi rivers through the operation of its dams.