Museum of the Cherokee Indian

Jerry Wolfe was named “Beloved Man” by unanimous vote of Tribal Council on April 11, 2013. He is the first Cherokee man to carry this title since 1801. 

The resolution was brought to council by Bo Taylor, former Archivist at the Museum of the Cherokee Indian who said, “Jerry embodies everything a beloved man should embody. He’s a veteran, a warrior. Being a veteran carries a lot of weight in our culture. He’s a man who gets out and does – and he does for others. He’s selfless.” Taylor also mentioned his work on mission trips in foreign countries, and his helpfulness to all.

In the 1700s, Cherokee Beloved Men and Beloved Women were part of the councils and ceremonies in almost every Cherokee town.  They were warriors in their younger days, who as elders were recognized for their honesty, integrity, good advice, and service to the people. They traveled to every treaty meeting and trade agreement throughout the Southeast, to the colonial capitols and England.

Jerry Wolfe received the North Carolina Folk Heritage Award in 2003, for his work in preserving Cherokee traditions of language, stickball, storytelling, and more.  He contributed to the Cherokee Heritage Trails Guidebook, which received the Preserve America Presidential Award in 2004.  Presently he works at the Museum of the Cherokee Indian as Outreach staff, at the front desk Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.

See photos and get updates on our Facebook page

https://www.facebook.com/MuseumoftheCherokeeIndian

See WLOS TV Person of the Week story about Jerry:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXJROK6u0Qo