A People | A Purpose | A Plan
IN THE HEART of the Smoky Mountains, several thousand years ago, God revealed Himself to a people. The Creator gave the people a mother town and a new name - both were named "Keetoowah." The town was located near present day Bryson City, North Carolina. It was from Keetoowah that the Creator revealed His true name to the people. He said His name was "Yowah" and the people would be "kit-Yowah" or "sheltered in God." Today they are known as the Cherokee.
At the advent of European contact the Cherokee had become the most powerful tribal group in the American southeast, claiming parts of eight states. Early on the Cherokee were learning how to live in a complex bi-cultural existence with the newcomers and they chose to adapt to many of the new ways. One of those ways was the belief in Jesus Christ. Similar to other Native Americans the Cherokee already believed in the Great Spirit - the one true God and their lifestyle reflected a devotion to Him. This existence was cut short.
Upon their forced removal through an illegal U.S. Government scheme, the Cherokees lost all their old homelands. Later, a small amount of land was restored through the benevolence of a man named William Thomas. Today that small group is located in Cherokee, North Carolina and is known as "The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians." Their western cousins are predominately located in eastern Oklahoma, but a wide remnant of people with Cherokee ancestry can be found today in every state, particularly in the American south.
What was God's plan for this unique people group before their tragic loss? As with all peoples on the earth, He had called them to be His people, to become "a light to the nations." There is an ancient Cherokee prophecy that states, "The Cherokees will lead all the other tribes back to the Great Spirit." To date, this prophecy has not come to pass...
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