Valinda Miracle is a direct descendant of the first family of Cherokee Nation. Her ancestors were forced to leave their homes and likely hid out in the local mountains and caves to escape having to leave their beautiful home land and their families on the Trail of Tears. These Cherokee Indians survived one of the most cruel operations in our country’s history.
Despite this however, Cherokee people have been living in the southeastern portion of The United States have had a working relationship with the earth for more than 3000 years. They took clay deposits from the Appalachians and surrounding areas and taught themselves how to shape, decorate, mold and fire this material to be used for utilitarian, ceremonial and decorative uses. The Cherokees continue to hold this relationship today. The local clays of the Southern Appalachians has been transformed into cooking pots, bowls, pipes, water jugs and more. The designs and styles have changed and evolved while always using the old as their foundation. The passion and tradition of Cherokee people taking a natural resource and creating beauty with their hands continues.
She is happy to have the cache on her property and would love you to come say hi.
As part of the GeoTour, please make sure to record your points and fill in your passport. Passports can be obtained at Go to northal.org/things to do /Sports and Recreation/geocaching