The Western North Carolina mountains have been shaped by their many inhabitants, giving the area an unique character. The Cherokee and the Scotch-Irish laid the groundwork for what became Appalachia, who were in turn routed in the Civil War and resurrected as mountaineers. Local residents hence are known for their hearty, resilient ways that have become as much a part of their culture as any of their customs.

There’s no shortage of ways to learn about WNC’s heritage, beginning with the native Cherokee. The Cherokee Nation, the second largest tribe in the United States, was once a vast, 140,000-square-mile territory that covered almost all of what is now Kentucky and Tennessee, much of Western North Carolina, and portions of Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia.

Shining Rock, located in southern Haywood County, is known as the Eden of Cherokee culture, the place where the first Cherokee man and woman (Kanati and Selu) lived. The Cherokee recognize Kituhwa (pronounced Gi-DOO-wah), located near Bryson City, as the first Cherokee village. The Cherokee take their original name — Ani-Kituhwa-gi — from this village. The Warriors of Ani Kituhwa, have researched and brought original dress and dance back to help educate the community. If you’re lucky enough to be in a place where the Warriors are dancing, make it a point to go. The Festival of Native Peoples held in Cherokee July 19-21 is one such opportunity.

Also in Cherokee is the Museum of the Cherokee Indian, which features exhibits about the Paleo, Archaic and Mississippian periods of native history and the Trail of Tears. The Museum is an official interpretive site for the National Park Service’s Trail of Tears National Historic Trail, authorized by Congress in 1987.

The Oconaluftee Indian Village recreates Cherokee life of the 1750s. The village features demonstrations such as pottery making and canoe making, a seven-sided council house with benches to seat the seven clans, and additional lessons about Cherokee dress, crafts and history.

And the outdoor drama “Unto These Hills” is a theatrical retelling of the Cherokee story performed every night except Sunday throughout the summer.

Outside the Qualla Boundary, there are also many areas to explore. Nantahala Gorge, where the Nantahala River flows, was also a stomping ground for Spearfinger, a dreaded, old woman with a long, sharp, stony forefinger that she would use to rip out a person’s liver. Whiteside Mountain, near Highlands in Macon County, is the place where Spearfinger is said to have lived. According to Cherokee legend, Judaculla Rock in Jackson County is the place where a giant named Judaculla landed after he jumped off a nearby mountain. In downtown Franklin, there is a sacred Nikwasi Mound where spirit people known as the Nunnehi once rose out of the ground to defeat an army of Creek Indians.

The Scotch-Irish settlers who first came from overseas also have left their mark on Western North Carolina. It is evident in the region’s music, as traditional ballads have been carried over, manipulated and made our own. Many Western North Carolina families can trace their lineage back, finding family tartans and crests.

An excellent place to trace your own family’s heritage is at the Scottish Tartans Museum in Franklin. The museum features everything from weaponry to haggis, and has served as a general Scottish Heritage Center for the region since 1988. The museum’s piper-in-residence bring the music of the Highland bagpipe to downtown Franklin every Friday at noon throughout the summer. And downtown Franklin will host the 11th Annual Taste of Scotland Festival June 15-17 — a full day of food, fashion, music, and dance with border collies, Scottish crafters and children’s Highland games.

The Mountain Heritage Center at Western Carolina University ties together Scotch-Irish and Appalachian history with an indoor log cabin, working loom and displays featuring everything from old tools to quilts.

The Mountain Heritage Center is located on the bottom floor of the H. F. Robinson Building at the main entrance to the WCU campus in Cullowhee. It is open to the public free of charge. Visiting hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Center also is open on Sundays, 2 to 5 p.m., from June through October.

The celebration of all things Appalachian at WCU comes to a head on Mountain Heritage Day, which is sponsored by the Mountain Heritage Center. Held in late September each year, the day is a combination old-fashioned mountain fair and showcase for authentic Southern Appalachian folk arts that regularly attracts more than 25,000 visitors.

The Mountain Farm Museum is a piece of living Smoky Mountain history located next to the Oconaluftee Visitor Center just inside the eastern entrance to the Great Smoky Mountain Mountains National Park on U.S. 441.

The museum is based on a typical Southern Appalachian farm in the 1880s. The National Park re-assembled buildings from throughout the Great Smoky Mountains to create this farmstead, including a house, barn, apple house, springhouse, and blacksmith shop. Animals and crops keep the farm active.

Throughout the season, Park staff and volunteers give demonstrations at the farm and the neighboring Mingus Mill. A working mill, this piece of living history processes corn into meal using restored 19th century equipment. Hours vary, but generally the mill is open daily in the summer and on spring and fall weekends. The Mountain Farm Museum is open year-round.

For more information about the Farm or the Mill contact the Oconaluftee Visitor Center at 828.497.1904.

Civil War buffs will enjoy newly dedicated markers erected as part as part of the state’s Civil War Trails Program. They say that compared to some of the big battles elsewhere, the events in Western North Carolina may seem small but — “some of the meanest, most interesting and most personal stories of the war” are coming to light via the Trails program.

Local sites include markers for the Thomas Legion — where Confederate Col. William H. Thomas organized a legion of Cherokee Indians and mountaineers in 1862 — and Dixie Hall — where one of the last formal surrenders of Confederate forces happened in 1865 — both in Franklin. The Zachary-Tolbert House in Cashiers was home to Mordecai Zachary, who served in Thomas’ Legion, though his brother and neighbor, Alexander, helped escaping Union prisoners. For more information, visit www.civilwartraveler.com.