Oconaluftee Indian Village offers time-travel experience

CHEROKEE, N.C. - Making a canoe doesn't seem like such a big deal. All it takes is a few power tools and a little know-how; or, even better, a trip to the local sporting goods store. Boating enthusiasts hit the water all the time and many never stop to wonder how boats were made centuries ago. One trip to the Oconaluftee Indian Village in Cherokee - where the Cherokees recreate the painstaking six-month task of hulling a canoe - will change the way guests look at these floating vessels forever.

The same can be said for baking bread, taking medicine, making a bed and turning up the thermostat. In this Cherokee village, an authentic replica dated to the mid-1700s, many simple tasks take on new significance for the people who visit. Cherokee has created a time travel experience that gives guests a fun and interesting way to think about life at home. And to realize the impact technology has had - for better or worse.

''Wandering through the village, you can't help but relate these activities to our own daily tasks,'' said James Bradley, executive director of Cherokee Historical Association. ''We are all so focused on multi-tasking and technological advances help us do that. Coming here you can slow down to recognize the beauty of doing one thing at a time and doing it well. Our culture celebrates that idea.''

Residents of this replica village are involved in numerous activities - many still practiced today - that visitors see while on tour. Canoe hulling is one example. This lengthy process catches many by surprise - it looks like nothing more than a huge downed tree with a smoldering fire in the center. This process, as the crafter explains, is a traditional burning method that creates an opening in the center of the log. The tree is packed with clay, which causes the fire to burn towards the center, and the burned sections are chipped away using stone tools. After six to eight months, the resulting canoe will be 20 to 30 feet long and hold 12 passengers.

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