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TRIBAL CONCERNS/TRADITIONAL CULTURAL PROPERTIES
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Members of the Cherokee Nation first settled the study area prior to 1819. A band of Cherokee Indians hid out in the mountains of North Carolina to avoid the "Trail of Tears" that displaced many of the Indian settlers. Eventually, the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Nation was relocated to the Qualla Boundary, outlying tribally owned tracts, and elsewhere. Comments reflect citizen feelings that the project is considered a "second Trail of Tears" in that the residents of the park were forcibly removed from their land.
Members of the Cherokee Nation in the area would like to see their cultural and historical resources protected and honored. Comments received stress protecting the Native American trails, forts, sacred sites, artifacts, and graves. One way to honor the Cherokee heritage would be to build a tribal center. Another suggestion was to erect a historical marker for Cherokee contributions at Soco Gap. .
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The summary of public comments was derived from individual input related to the North Shore Road EIS Project. These comments were obtained through transcripts
and other written correspondence collected at the Public Scoping Meetings and written correspondence sent to the Project P.O. Box, the North Shore Road website, the National Park Service, and the Federal Highway Administration.
The tone and content of these comments represent the views of the individuals providing input and do not necessarily reflect actual events and/or factual information.
While a brief summary of unique comments is included, the original statement in its entirety has been retained for record purposes.
Action items requested by the public will be evaluated and addressed during the EIS process.
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