My name is Last Grade, and I’m a historical archaeologist who has been working with the Eastern Band for several years, focusing on Cherokee history and archaeology. Today, I will discuss the Cherokees who chose to stay in North Carolina during the forced removals of 1838, their challenges, and their resilience in the decades following.

In the fall of 1838, about 400 Cherokees in North Carolina fled from the U.S. Army. They hid in the mountains to avoid removal, risking disease, military attack, and the harsh realities of displacement. These were desperate acts by people determined to remain in their homeland despite the immense pressures they faced. One of the leaders of this resistance movement, as discussed by TJ Holland yesterday, was Nicky Gish, who played a pivotal role during this turbulent period.

The focus of my talk is on the decade following the removal—how these Cherokees rebuilt their lives and communities under incredibly difficult circumstances. They faced hostility from incoming settlers who were not keen on a continued Cherokee presence. Despite this, the Cherokees sought to maintain their traditions and governance structures, rooted in a strong sense of local autonomy and community ethos.

In North Carolina, the Cherokees who evaded removal clung fiercely to their cultural practices, including subsistence farming and traditional governance through town councils. They believed deeply in the Cherokee idea of local governance, which emphasized town autonomy rather than a centralized national government. This belief played a crucial role in their decision to stay, resisting the idea of being part of a larger nation-state imposed either by the U.S. or the Cherokee Nation itself.

Throughout the 1840s, several Cherokee communities flourished in southwestern North Carolina. The largest of these was located in what is now called Running Waters, with other significant populations in areas like Box House. Many lived on land owned by William Holland Thomas, and smaller towns like Sandtown, Peachtree, and Hanging Dog Creek were home to vibrant communities that slowly rebuilt their lives.

Leaders like John Ax and Lalo were critical during this period. They had grown up during the formation of the Cherokee national government and were deeply rooted in the traditional Cherokee governance system that predated these national structures. Their leadership helped sustain the communities through some of their darkest times, including widespread starvation and disease that tragically reduced their numbers.

As the 1840s progressed, these communities continued to practice traditional Cherokee cultural activities. They rebuilt townhouses, which were central to their governance, held councils, and maintained dance grounds and stickball fields. These activities were not just cultural; they were acts of resistance, maintaining a Cherokee identity despite external pressures and the proximity of white settlers.

By the 1850s, the social environment began to shift. The Cherokees started to secure land ownership, a significant step towards establishing permanent roots