Unto These Hills
Encyclopedia
Unto These Hills is an outdoor historical drama staged annually at the 2800-seat Mountainside Theatre in Cherokee, North Carolina
. It is the second oldest outdoor historical drama in the United States
, after The Lost Colony
in Manteo, North Carolina
. The first version of the play was written by Kermit Hunter
(who is also credited with writing the scripts for many other outdoor dramas, including Horn in the West, the third oldest outdoor drama in Boone, North Carolina). It opened at the Mountainside Theatre on July 1, 1950 to wide acclaim. Famous alumni include Michael Rosenbaum
, best known for his portrayal of Lex Luthor
on Smallville
; Morgan Freeman
; and actor and former US Representative Ben Jones of "the Dukes of Hazzard" fame.
The play follows the story of the Cherokee of the Eastern region up to their removal, via the Trail of Tears
, in 1838. The drama includes many famous Cherokee figures including Sequoyah
, Junaluska
, Chief Yonaguska
or Drowning Bear, and William Holland Thomas
(adopted son of Drowning Bear and the first and only white chief of the Cherokee), Selu the Corn Mother, and Kanati the Great Hunter.
The drama is operated by the Cherokee Historical Association which also operates the Museum of the Cherokee Indian, the Oconaluftee Indian Village
--a re-creation of an authentic Cherokee village circa 1750, and Qualla Arts & Crafts, the oldest Native American Arts cooperative in the United States. All these operations are located within the Qualla Boundary
(Cherokee Indian Reservation).
When it opened in 1950, the mountains did not have television, and Cherokee's casinos were still years away. Unto These Hills ran for decades at Mountainside Theatre.
In 2006, the EBCI Tribal Government hired playwright Hanay Geiogamah to give the drama a new lease on life. Under the direction of this renowned playwright, “Unto These Hills” experienced the first complete rewrite in the play’s history. Geiogamah is a Kiowa Indian and accomplished writer/director/producer of Native American dramas, as well as the founder of the American Indian Dance Theatre
and Professor in the Department of Theater at UCLA. He was selected to address a number of issues with the previous script, historical inaccuracies and a lack of Cherokee tribal participation in the cast. Geiogamah accepted this challenge, wrote a new script and produced a show. However, many tribal members are reportedly not fond of the new play version, as it removes a lot of the story telling and history of the Cherokee, and leaves it to more interpretive dance. In addition, one of the key elements many tribal members feel is missing is the story of Tsali
, whose life was given so that the rest of the Cherokees may remain in their homes in North Carolina
.
The 2007 script was written by Pat Allee and Ben Hurst, with the 2008 script written by Linda West.
Fewer than 50,000 people saw the performance in summer 2009, about half the number from years ago. John Tissue, director of the Cherokee Historical association, blames the economy. The 2010 production is credited to Linda Squirrel, and Eddie Swimmer, a Cherokee, serves as director.
Cherokee, North Carolina
Cherokee is a town in Swain County, North Carolina, USA, within the Qualla Boundary land trust. It is located in the Oconaluftee River Valley, near the intersection of U.S. Route 19 and U.S...
. It is the second oldest outdoor historical drama in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, after The Lost Colony
Lost Colony (play)
The Lost Colony is a historical play by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Paul Green about Roanoke, the first English colony in North America. The play is based on the historical accounts of Sir Walter Raleigh's failed attempts to establish a permanent settlement in the 1580s in part of what was...
in Manteo, North Carolina
Manteo, North Carolina
Manteo is a town in Dare County, North Carolina, United States, located on Roanoke Island. The population was 1,052 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Dare County.-Geography:...
. The first version of the play was written by Kermit Hunter
Kermit Hunter
Kermit Houston Hunter American playwright known primarily for writing outdoor historical dramas.Born in McDowell County, West Virginia in 1910, Hunter went on to Ohio State University where he graduated in 1931. After graduation, he held a number of jobs and joined the U.S. Army in 1940...
(who is also credited with writing the scripts for many other outdoor dramas, including Horn in the West, the third oldest outdoor drama in Boone, North Carolina). It opened at the Mountainside Theatre on July 1, 1950 to wide acclaim. Famous alumni include Michael Rosenbaum
Michael Rosenbaum
Michael Owen Rosenbaum is an American actor and director. He is best known for portraying Lex Luthor on the Superman-inspired television series Smallville and Dutch on FOX's Breaking In, and for providing the voice for the Flash in the DC animated universe...
, best known for his portrayal of Lex Luthor
Lex Luthor
Lex Luthor is a fictional character, a supervillain who appears in comic books published by DC Comics, and the archenemy of Superman, although given his high status as a supervillain, he has also come into conflict with Batman and other superheroes in the DC Universe. Created by Jerry Siegel and...
on Smallville
Smallville (TV series)
Smallville is an American television series developed by writers/producers Alfred Gough and Miles Millar based on the DC Comics character Superman, originally created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. The television series was initially broadcast by The WB Television Network , premiering on October...
; Morgan Freeman
Morgan Freeman
Morgan Freeman is an American actor, film director, aviator and narrator. He is noted for his reserved demeanor and authoritative speaking voice. Freeman has received Academy Award nominations for his performances in Street Smart, Driving Miss Daisy, The Shawshank Redemption and Invictus and won...
; and actor and former US Representative Ben Jones of "the Dukes of Hazzard" fame.
The play follows the story of the Cherokee of the Eastern region up to their removal, via the Trail of Tears
Trail of Tears
The Trail of Tears is a name given to the forced relocation and movement of Native American nations from southeastern parts of the United States following the Indian Removal Act of 1830...
, in 1838. The drama includes many famous Cherokee figures including Sequoyah
Sequoyah
Sequoyah , named in English George Gist or George Guess, was a Cherokee silversmith. In 1821 he completed his independent creation of a Cherokee syllabary, making reading and writing in Cherokee possible...
, Junaluska
Junaluska
Junaluska, or Tsunu’lahun’ski in Cherokee , was a leader of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians who reside in and around western North Carolina....
, Chief Yonaguska
Yonaguska
Yonaguska, who was also known as Drowning Bear , was a figure of persistence and endurance in the story of the Cherokee. He was a reformer who banished alcoholic drinks from his land and his people after receiving a vision warning him to do so. Yonaguska challenged Rev...
or Drowning Bear, and William Holland Thomas
William Holland Thomas
William Holland Thomas was Principal Chief of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and an officer in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War....
(adopted son of Drowning Bear and the first and only white chief of the Cherokee), Selu the Corn Mother, and Kanati the Great Hunter.
The drama is operated by the Cherokee Historical Association which also operates the Museum of the Cherokee Indian, the Oconaluftee Indian Village
Oconaluftee Indian Village
The Oconaluftee Indian Village is a replica of an 18th century eastern Cherokee community located in Cherokee, North Carolina, USA.This "living museum" is operated by the Cherokee Historical Association...
--a re-creation of an authentic Cherokee village circa 1750, and Qualla Arts & Crafts, the oldest Native American Arts cooperative in the United States. All these operations are located within the Qualla Boundary
Qualla Boundary
The Qualla Boundary is the territory where the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians reside in western North Carolina.-Location:...
(Cherokee Indian Reservation).
History
As of 2010, over 6 million people have seen this production.When it opened in 1950, the mountains did not have television, and Cherokee's casinos were still years away. Unto These Hills ran for decades at Mountainside Theatre.
In 2006, the EBCI Tribal Government hired playwright Hanay Geiogamah to give the drama a new lease on life. Under the direction of this renowned playwright, “Unto These Hills” experienced the first complete rewrite in the play’s history. Geiogamah is a Kiowa Indian and accomplished writer/director/producer of Native American dramas, as well as the founder of the American Indian Dance Theatre
American Indian Dance Theatre
American Indian Dance Theatre is a professional performing arts company presenting the dances and songs of Native Americans in the United States and the First Nations of Canada...
and Professor in the Department of Theater at UCLA. He was selected to address a number of issues with the previous script, historical inaccuracies and a lack of Cherokee tribal participation in the cast. Geiogamah accepted this challenge, wrote a new script and produced a show. However, many tribal members are reportedly not fond of the new play version, as it removes a lot of the story telling and history of the Cherokee, and leaves it to more interpretive dance. In addition, one of the key elements many tribal members feel is missing is the story of Tsali
Tsali
Tsali, originally of Coosawattee Town , was a noted figure at two different periods of Cherokee history, both of them vital.From which of the main divisions of the Cherokee prior to the American Revolution he came is not known, but records do indicate that as a young man he followed Dragging Canoe...
, whose life was given so that the rest of the Cherokees may remain in their homes in North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
.
The 2007 script was written by Pat Allee and Ben Hurst, with the 2008 script written by Linda West.
Fewer than 50,000 people saw the performance in summer 2009, about half the number from years ago. John Tissue, director of the Cherokee Historical association, blames the economy. The 2010 production is credited to Linda Squirrel, and Eddie Swimmer, a Cherokee, serves as director.