<< Back 7/3/02 Cherokee tradition continues with 53rd year of outdoor drama SMN For the 53rd year, the apartments, small huts, living area, dining room, rehearsal area and costume department behind the scenes of “Unto These Hills,” one of the nation’s oldest outdoor dramas, is coming back to life. All the equipment, piece by piece, is coming out of storage. Just as eagles return to their nests, year after year the players and support crew come back, spending their summers re-telling the story of the Cherokee people and the Trail of Tears. It is a story of sacrifice, bravery, sadness, survival; a story of white against Cherokee, retold once again with white and Cherokee people standing alongside people of every race and heritage, shoulder to shoulder. Half of the 130 cast members are tribal half are non-tribal. Many people involved have grown up with the show. In 1996, Barry Hipps, general manager, decided to follow the advice of William Hardy, who was then production manager, and reward those who had been with the Cherokee Historical Association 10 years or more. “The reward was to honor and recognize their dedication and longevity,” said Hipps. “We called the award ‘The Order of the Eagle,’ and each recipient would receive a silver eagle medallion. That first year 25 eagles were awarded.” Among the 25, some of the 15 long-time local cast members who received the eagle were Shirley Bird, Mabelle McDonald, Brenda Cruz, Lizzie Hull, Driver Pheasant, Jr., Martha Sampson, and Philenia Walkingstick. Lizzie Hull and Mabelle McDonald are daughters of the late veteran Ollie Wahyahneta — five generations of this family have been on stage at one time. In the past six years there have been 49 Eagle inductees into the order, 28 local cast and 21 resident cast. The 53rd season is shown at 8:30 p.m. nightly, except Sundays, through Aug. 24. Pre-show entertainment begins at 7:45 p.m. For more information and ticket information, call toll free 866.554.4557, or visit the web site at www.untothesehills.com.