Cherokee Heritage Trails

Jackie Bradley, manager of Qualla Arts and Crafts Mutual, is one of Cherokee's most knowledgeable consultants on contemporary Cherokee artists. She can provide information about Cherokee arts and crafts, their makers, and how to obtain these works.

Born on the Qualla Boundary in the Painttown community, Jackie Bradley has lived in Cherokee all her life. She graduated from Sylva High School in Sylva, North Carolina. Her interest in crafts began more than twenty years ago when she began working at Qualla Arts and Crafts Mutual in Cherokee, North Carolina.

At Qualla Arts and Crafts Jackie Bradley now markets the work of more than three hundred Cherokee artists and crafts people, who are all members of the organization. Originally chartered in 1946, Qualla continues to be one of the most successful Native-American owned and operated cooperatives in the nation. All items sold there must be hand made by members of the Qualla Arts and Crafts Mutual and must meet high standards. Members must be enrolled in the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians; their work is then judged by a standards committee and must be approved by the entire membership of the co-operative. Begun as a community development project, Qualla Arts and Crafts Mutual provides income for crafts people during the "off-season" months through its policy of purchasing arts and crafts outright rather than on consignment. In addition, members receive dividends on total sales of the co-operative and an annual equity check.

Contact Jackie Bradley directly to discuss terms and travel arrangements.