The Drama

In 1950, the outdoor drama Unto These Hills debuted in Cherokee, North Carolina. The play, which became one of the most popular tourism attractions in southern Appalachia, depicted Cherokee history from the time of European contact through the mid-nineteenth century, paying particular attention to the Cherokee struggle against removal. This chapter examines Unto These Hills as an example of Cold War American culture, while placing the drama in the context of the termination policy, the federal government's campaign to remove the trust status of Indian lands and withdraw special federal services to Native American communities. While the memory of removal broadcast in Unto These Hills echoed some of the language of the termination campaign, it ultimately helped the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians avoid termination.