"In last week’s PSL I mentioned my need for only one form of personal identification while I was a tourist in North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia recently.

Inhabitants of those three geographic areas have had changing nations of origin over the centuries. Before they were three of 50 states in the United States of America, before they were three of 11 states in the Confederate States of America, and before they were three of 13 English colonies in central North America, the land of North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia were part of Cherokee Nation .

My first reminder of this region’s earliest dwellers was from a commercial that I saw on local Asheville, North Carolina television for the Harrah’s Cherokee Casino & Hotel. From there, my online search for a Cherokee, North Carolina website led me to its history page, which told me that the Cherokees believe that they have lived in Western North Carolina for more than 11,000 years."

Get the Story:
Panic Street Lawyer: Cherokee past in present (The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 7/15)