Chad iz Pizzen on the Old one Graves

For four nights in October the Cherokee Nation Cultural Tourism department held History After Dark, a series of candlelit guided tours of Ross Cemetery using actors to portray historic Cherokee individuals who are buried in the cemetery.

This is an alternative to the traditional activities of this time of year, said Travis Owens, senior project manager for CN Cultural Tourism. It is a very family friendly event thats focused around allowing people different access to Cherokee history.

The tours occurred on Oct. 16-17 and 23-24 and drew more than 400 visitors.

Characters portrayed were John Ross, who served as chief of the Cherokee Nation for 38 years in the 1800s; John McDonald Ross, the nephew of Chief Ross; Lewis Ross, the brother, business partner and closest friend of Chief Ross; Minerva Ross Murrell, the oldest daughter of Lewis and Fannie Ross; and Robert Meigs, one of Chief Ross grandsons.

Owens said the tours allowed visitors to learn Cherokee history in an untraditional and unconventional way.

This isnt a museum, and its not written on just some interpretive sign, he said. They are getting a chance to experience history from a different perspective.

Owens added that visitors experienced the tribes history and culture from first-hand encounters with the actors portraying the people who lived the history.

By us offering these tours, visitors are able to experience history in what might have been the perspective of the person that actually lived it, he said. Our program was really established to promote and preserve the history and culture of the Cherokee Nationso having reenactment type activities like this allows us to present that history to visitors in many different forms and fashions.

Individuals purchased tickets at the Cherokee Heritage Center. While waiting for a tour bus to take them to Ross Cemetery, other activities were available for them to participate in including storytelling, marshmallow roasts and a walkthrough of the Cherokee Ancient Village.

Owens said the tourism department had approval from all stakeholders involved with Ross Cemetery prior to using the property for the tours. The cemetery is owned by Cherokee County, but is run by the Ross Cemetery Association, which oversees and manages the cemetery and its activities.

Owen said CNCT worked with the RCA and Cherokee elders to ensure the history was told in a way respectful to the people interred at the cemetery.

RCA member Jack Girdner said the tribe using the property was a good thing and he appreciated all the restoration the CN had done at the cemetery and have planned for it.

As far as I know it (the tours) went well, Girdner said. I thought it was fine or I wouldnt have approved it. We appreciate what their doing and hope they continue their plans.

Money generated from the tours will be used later for similar activities, Owens said.

We are still working some interpretative trails and signage that will better tell the history of the Cherokee Nation for visitors out there (at Ross Cemetery), he said. That has kind of been our financial contribution to help preserve and maintain that site for not only the Ross Cemetery Association, but for Cherokee Nation and for visitors as a whole.

He said the tours were a family friendly event around people learning the tribes history and that he hopes it becomes an annual event.

Its about history and having something for all different age groups and all different perspectives for people to see, Owens said. We hope to have quarterly events throughout the year. Next spring we are going to do some court reenactments to help people better understand the way the CN court system operated in the 1800s and other things like that.