Site preparation has begun at the future location of the Barbara McRae Cherokee Heritage Apple Trail, the next major project from the Nikwasi Initiative.
Apples aren’t native to the Franklin area, but the Cherokee who lived here were clever in cultivating them once they were brought from overseas. Unfortunately, most of the apple trees were lost when the Cherokee were forced westward.
The Nikwasi Initiative is working to recognize this oft-forgotten aspect of Cherokee heritage by planting a series of small apple orchards along the north end of the Little Tennessee River Greenway that feature fruit species originally grown by natives like Junaluska, Beecher, Nickajack and Alarka.
“When the Cherokee were moved, their apples were among the things that they had to leave behind,” Nikwasi Initiative Executive Director Elaine Eisenbraun said. “The kinds of apples they developed are the ones we’ll be showing off here.”
David Anderson of the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indian is growing the 20 trees that will populate the trail. Anderson said this is an exciting project for the community because it’s an opportunity to learn more about a part of the Cherokee way of life that even historians don’t know as much about as they would like to. Research is still being done to recover information that was lost during the displacement.
“The Cherokee were really the only ones planting orchards like this at the time, but we’ve only scratched the surface of it,” Anderson said. “There’s a lot of research left to do.”
Site work began last week when Carolina Underbrushing brought in specialized forestry mulching equipment to clear out excessive vegetation, including several invasive species like privet. The initiative is organizing several volunteer cleanup days this fall and the trees should be ready for planting in February. The project has received financial support from the Macon County Board of Commissioners, the Friends of the Greenway and Duke Energy, and they’re looking forward to adding another key piece to Cherokee cultural education in Franklin.
“We want people to be able to come here and walk and know what they’re looking at,” project coordinator Jacqueline Rhew said. “Maybe they’ll even pick an apple or two.”
The trail is being named as a memorial for Franklin historian and Vice Mayor Barbara McRae, who passed away in March. McRae was a strong supporter of the Initiative’s mission to expand Cherokee cultural awareness. The orchard trail was one of her last project ideas, so members of the initiative hope it will be everything she could have wanted.
“Barbara had a dream,” Eisenbraun said. “We’ll do our best to make that dream come true.”
For more information on the Barbara McRae Cherokee Heritage Apple Trail and other projects in the works at the Nikwasi Initiative, call Elaine Eisenbraun at 828-226-7523 or visit www.nikwasi-initiative.org.