“The tribal government would have to shut down for two or three months because we didn’t have money to make payroll,” Sneed said.įast forward to now and income is still tourism-driven. When he got into government, he also noticed the struggle with money. As a young boy, he used to work at the tribal bingo hall. “That was the key revenue generator back then.īut even with all this, poverty was prevalent. Cherokee became a ghost town during the off-season with only three storefronts open then. “They did Old West gunfight shows with indians and cowboys,” Sneed said. Additionally, amusement parks like Frontier Land did also. The selling of crafts, basketry, trinkets and other products drew money in too. He said it was them just catering to the plains Indians and what people expected from watching old Westerns. “In today's culture in this country that would not be accepted, it would be frowned upon because it wasn't even who we were, I mean Cherokees never wore head dresses,” Sneed said. Principal Chief of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Richard Sneed grew up in Cherokee. He said back then, money was tourism-driven, made by pictures taken with the world’s most photographed Indian Chief Henry. With casino dollars really changing the landscape for the tribe – and even the region – the tribe works hard to keep alive the old ways, while also navigating the new world.
