Graham Countys Ghost Chant

Long before the white settlers began to migrate into the mountains of North Carolina, the land was inhabited by various tribes of Indians, including the Cherokee and Iroquois Tribes. According to this Tar Heel legend, some of the Indians that died in these hills are still reluctant to leave.

During the 1700's, numerous burial monuments, or “cairns” were erected in what is now Graham County. During a particularly gruesome attack, many Cherokee women and children were said to be slaughtered by an opposing Iroquois tribe. The bodies of the dead were buried in traditional Cherokee style; laid to rest beneath carefully placed cairns (large piles of stones, stacked to heights of five feet or more above ground).

At the time, Chief Taledanigiski was the chief over the Cherokee of the Cheoah Mountains. When the news reached him of the attack on the members of his tribe, the chief swore revenge on the Iroquois Indians.

The chief and his warriors tracked the Iroquois through the mountains of North Carolina. When they finally caught up to the other tribe, the sight that welcomed them also infuriated them. As they watched from their hiding place, the Iroquois women danced atop the scalps of the Cherokee victims, shouting and celebrating and dancing.

As the dancers excused themselves to the river to cool themselves in the water, the hiding Cherokee warriors ambushed them and were able to exact their sought after revenge. After, Chief Taledanigiski and his men were able to retreat to the safety of the Cheoah Mountains with no casualties.
According to legend, a beautiful yet unexplained chanting was heard coming from the cairns upon the return of the Chief and his warriors. It is widely accepted that chanting is the only way the fallen victims could pay thanks to the men who avenged their deaths.

If you happen to visit Graham County, it's worth a drive to Tulula Creek, where the graves of the fallen women and children once lined the trails. The cairns have long since been leveled, but the haunted history of the land remains. And if you were to travel along NC129, with the windows rolled down, you just might be fortunate enough to hear the ghostly chant of the Cherokee spirits floated on a breeze through the trees.