Chapter 39 Quiz: The Eastern Band and Indigenous Persistence — Native Appalachia Then and Now
Multiple Choice
1. The Qualla Boundary differs from most western reservations in that it was:
a) Created by presidential executive order b) Established through a peace treaty after a military conflict c) Purchased land, bought piece by piece by a white intermediary and later placed into federal trust — not land "reserved" from a treaty cession d) Granted to the Cherokee by the state of North Carolina as a gift
2. William Holland Thomas's primary contribution to the founding of the Qualla Boundary was:
a) Leading a military defense of Cherokee territory against federal troops b) Using his legal standing as a white citizen to purchase land on behalf of the Cherokee community, since North Carolina law prohibited Cherokee from owning land c) Negotiating a treaty with the federal government that guaranteed Cherokee sovereignty d) Founding the first Cherokee school on the Qualla Boundary
3. The Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA) of 1988:
a) Prohibited all forms of gambling on tribal lands b) Required tribes to share gaming revenue with state governments c) Affirmed the right of federally recognized tribes to operate gaming establishments on tribal land, subject to a regulatory framework d) Applied only to tribes in the western United States
4. The Kituwah Academy is significant because it:
a) Teaches Cherokee history in English to non-Indigenous students b) Is a Cherokee language immersion school where children are educated entirely in Cherokee, working to reverse the language's endangered status c) Trains casino employees in customer service skills d) Is the oldest continuously operating school in North Carolina
5. The practice of "chiefing" in mid-twentieth-century Cherokee tourism refers to:
a) The election of a tribal chief through democratic processes b) Cherokee men dressing in Plains Indian-style regalia and posing for tourist photographs — performing a generic "Indian" identity rather than authentically Cherokee culture c) The chief's annual address to the tribal council d) A Cherokee ceremonial dance performed at the Kituwah Mound
6. The Monacan Indian Nation of Virginia was denied federal recognition for centuries primarily because:
a) The Monacan had voluntarily dissolved their tribal government b) Virginia's Racial Integrity Act of 1924 classified all Indigenous Virginians as "colored," erasing their Indigenous identity from official records c) The Monacan had relocated to another state d) Federal law did not permit recognition of tribes east of the Mississippi River
7. The chapter describes the tension between casino revenue and Cherokee cultural values primarily as:
a) A problem that has been completely resolved through tribal council legislation b) An ongoing negotiation within the community about whether the economic benefits of gaming justify the social and cultural costs c) A conflict between the EBCI and the state of North Carolina d) A minor issue that affects only a small number of EBCI citizens
8. The EBCI's purchase of the Kituwah Mound in 1996 was significant because:
a) The mound contained valuable mineral deposits b) It was the first land the EBCI had ever purchased c) Kituwah is considered by many Cherokee to be the mother town — the place where Cherokee civilization began — and its reclamation was an act of cultural healing d) Federal law required the EBCI to purchase the site
9. The per capita distribution system involves:
a) Federal payments to individual tribal members from the Bureau of Indian Affairs b) The distribution of a share of gaming profits directly to every enrolled member of the Eastern Band c) Payments made by the EBCI to surrounding county governments d) Scholarships awarded to EBCI students based on academic merit
10. The chapter argues that the Eastern Band's story connects to broader themes of Appalachian history because:
a) The EBCI has experienced the same pattern of outside control and exploitation that has defined the region's economic history, but has used sovereignty to assert community control over its own economic future b) The EBCI has no connection to the broader Appalachian experience c) Casino gaming is the solution to all of Appalachia's economic problems d) The Cherokee were the only people who ever lived in Appalachia
Short Answer
11. Explain the difference between the Qualla Boundary and a typical western reservation. Why does this distinction matter to the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians — both legally and culturally?
12. Describe the crisis facing the Cherokee language and the EBCI's response through the Kituwah Academy. What deliberate policies contributed to language loss, and what challenges does the revitalization effort face?
13. The chapter discusses the "invisible Indigenous" communities of Appalachia — groups beyond the Eastern Band whose Indigenous identity has been hidden, denied, or forcibly reclassified. Describe one such community and explain the factors that contributed to its invisibility.
Essay
14. The Harrah's Cherokee Casino has been described as both the most powerful expression of Cherokee sovereignty and a potential threat to Cherokee cultural values. In a 600-word essay, evaluate both sides of this argument. What does the casino make possible? What does it put at risk? How has the EBCI navigated the tension between economic development and cultural preservation?
15. This chapter closes the Indigenous thread that began in Chapters 2–4. In a 500-word essay, trace the arc of Indigenous experience in Appalachia from pre-contact through the present day, using specific examples from the relevant chapters. What has been lost? What has persisted? What has been rebuilt? What does the story of the Eastern Band teach about the relationship between persistence and sovereignty?