The Blue Ridge Mountains are the ancestral home of

the Cherokee people. Today, the Eastern Band of the Cherokee primarily resides in and around the Qualla Boundary in the Smoky Mountains. A 2005 language

survey of these communities revealed fewer than 500 remaining fluent speakers. These findings helped spur the

creation of an immersion academy that now forms the core of Cherokee language revitalization efforts. See how the academy's dedicated work helps keep Cherokee cultural

legacy alive for future generations.