Cherokee Heritage Trails

Tom Hill tells traditional Cherokee stories. He can adapt his storytelling presentations to any age group, from children to senior citizens. In addition to his storytelling performances, he also integrates Cherokee storytelling into his adventure-based youth programs.

Although he grew up in a family that traveled to accommodate his father's career in the U.S. Navy, Tom Hill spent every summer in Cherokee with his grandmother, Elizabeth Hornbuckle. After he married, he and his wife moved to Cherokee, where they have lived for more than sixteen years (except for a two-year stint in the Peace Corps in Dominica). His storytelling career began while leading an Outward Bound program in Pisgah Forest, when he discovered how strongly young people responded to stories and how useful stories were to them. Tom Hill continues to integrate American Indian legends and personal experience stories into his work with adventure-based programs for Cherokee youth at the Cherokee Center for Family Services.

Others have discovered Tom Hill's talent. He has done storytelling performances at Cherokee Elementary School, in the Graham County Schools, in schools in Florida, at the Highlander Center in Tennessee, and for Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops. He has found that children enjoy Cherokee stories whether they are sitting on the floor of their school library or negotiating a high ropes course. Recently, he began telling interactive stories, letting some of the children become part of the story.

Tom Hill has some flexibility with his work schedule and is willing to travel within a six-hour drive of Cherokee. His fee is negotiable and should include travel expenses.