The Bears Project began in 2005 with the intention of showcasing the variety of talented artists within the Qualla Boundary. A committee researched several concepts prior to selecting a bear theme, as they intended to produce something that would be culturally significant. Bears are a large part of the Cherokee culture and appear in many of the stories and legends that the Cherokee people hold sacred. The culture currently recognizes contributions from the clans of Bird, Blue, Deer, Long Hair, Paint, Wild Potato, and Wolf. Downtown Cherokee is “alive” with colorfully painted fiberglass bears that are part of a public art program featuring the talents of local Tribal artists. Each one of the bears represents an aspect of Cherokee culture. As you drive around Cherokee, you will have to find five (5) uniquely painted bears. And when you find them each one will have a unique feature that will be the answer to a question about each bear. You can also do "A Tour of Bearly Cherokee" Adventure Lab.
Use your phone's native QR code scanner to open this Adventure in the Adventure Lab® mobile app. Learn more.
