Welcome to the next installment of
The Backcountry Brides settings, and welcome to Jennifer!
~*~*~
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| Annis Shunk, b. 1832 |
Deep
in the mountains of western North Carolina is an area where the sun’s
rays only reach the ground when it is directly overhead during the middle of
the day. The Cherokee Indians called this land Nantahala, which means “land of the noonday sun.” This is where I
set my Backcountry Brides novella,
Heart of Nantahala, in
1757. The Cherokee built a town in Nantahala and called it Aquone, or “by the river.” It consisted of a church, a school, a post office, and a
couple of cemeteries. Very little is known of the people in Aquone, as it now
lies beneath Nantahala Lake, a man-made lake built in 1942 for electrical
power.
In
1835, President Andrew Jackson decided to forcibly remove about 15,000 Cherokee
from the eastern states of NC, SC, GA, FL, AL, TN, and marched them by military
escort to a reservation in Oklahoma. This removal was gruesome, on foot, and
hard on the Cherokee. Over 3,500 died on the 1,200 mile journey, which became
known as The Trail of Tears. They
suffered whooping cough, typhus, dysentery, cholera and starvation.
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| A Cherokee house |
After
forced removal of the Cherokee, their homes and property were confiscated and
opened as homesteads to white settlers. In spite of these cruel injustices, a
small band of 800 Cherokee refused to leave and hid in the Appalachian
Mountains. Their descendants became known as the Eastern Band of Cherokee
Indians.
They
now live in the Qualla Boundary, a chunk of land that has been transformed into
an Indian reservation where they have their own nation, government and laws.
Most of their income is from tourism and their casinos are outlawed everywhere
else in the state. If you visit the Cherokee today, they have a teepee where
you can get your photo taken with a Cherokee Indian. This is purely a tourist attraction,
but the truth is, the Cherokee never lived in teepees. Instead, they lived in
small houses.
To
protect the natural habitat of the area, the Nantahala National Forest was
established in 1920, covering multiple counties with elevations ranging from
1,200 to 5,800 feet. Part of this forest merges with the Appalachian Trail
where hikers flood the area in autumn during peak season and visit the many
waterfalls.
 |
| Bennie Thomas Hudson, left |
The
Cherokee have always fascinated me, as I can only imagine what it must have
been like to be forcibly removed from their homes. What must they have endured
while hiding out in the mountains to stay here in North Carolina? I believe
they were strong-willed, determined, and loyal to each other. If it is true
what my great-grandfather told us, that his mother was full-blooded Cherokee, I
hope I have inherited that inner strength from my ancestors.
My
husband's family is from the Nantahala area and I have always enjoyed visiting
the beautiful mountains where my father-in-law was born and raised. In fact, I
have included a photo of his ggg-grandmother. She is also from Nantahala, and
to me, she looks very Cherokee.
The
hills and Blue Ridge parkway call to a writer's muse. I am always inspired to
write when I visit, and for a long time I’ve wanted to write a story set here.
I hope you get the opportunity to read Heart
of Nantahala in the Backcountry
Brides novella collection.
Sources:
Jennifer notes:
The
historical image of the woman is my husband's ggg-grandmother who lived
in the Nantahala area near the Cherokee Reservation. Her name was Annis
Shunk (b. 1832). I believe she is most likely Cherokee.
The photo of the two men is of my great-grandfather, Bennie Thomas Hudson, on the left. He is half-Cherokee.
The
image of the log cabin is of a North Carolina Cherokee home. Contrary
to popular belief, the Cherokee did not live in teepees. They built more
permanent structures.
Jennifer Hudson Taylor is an award winning author of inspirational
fiction set in historical Europe & the Carolinas. She provides
keynotes and presentations on the publishing industry, the craft of
writing, building an author platform & digital marketing.
Her debut novel, Highland Blessings, won the Holt Medallion Award for
Best First Book and she has had reviews in USA Today, Publisher's
Weekly & the Library Journal. Jennifer's work has appeared in
national publications, such as Guideposts, Heritage Quest Magazine, RT
Book Reviews, The Military Trader and USAir Magazine. Jennifer graduated
from Elon University with a B.A. in Communications/Journalism. When she
isn't writing, Jennifer enjoys spending time with her family,
traveling, visiting historical sites, horseback riding, cycling, long
walks, genealogy and reading.
Jennifer's website:
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