KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — A new book is being featured on the Great Smoky Mountains National Park‘s Storybook Trail. “We Are Grateful Otsaliheliga” will be featured from Saturday, October 8 through Friday, November 4 on the one-mile Oconaluftee River Trail near Cherokee, NC.

According to the National Park Service, the book is the first storybook trail to be translated into both Cherokee and English languages. The book allows readers to follow the seasons with a Cherokee family. Each panel on the trail includes the phonetic pronunciation of Cherokee words and the full Cherokee Syllabary translation.

“I encourage you to enrich your fall Smokies visit by taking this walk through ancestral Tribal lands and immersing yourself in the Cherokee language, culture, and the thoughtful ways we can all celebrate the gifts of the seasons,” said Superintendent Cassius Cash.

  • (Photo via NPS)
  • Children reading panel on Storybook Trail (Photo via NPS)
  • Example of a We Are Grateful Storybook Panel (Photo via NPS)
  • Young boy on Storybook Trail (Photo via NPS)

Translations for the book were made possible by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Speakers Council, Traci Sorrell, Bo Lossiah, and Laura Pinnix with support from New Kituwah Academy, Cherokee Central Schools, Kituwah Preservation and Education Program, and Museum of the Cherokee Indians.

The trail is free and open to the public seven days a week. Parking can be found near the park entrance on the west side of Highway 441 in Cherokee. On Saturday, October 8, the first 10 families to hike the storybook trail will get a free copy of the book.

On the 8th, visitors will also be able to attend additional events occurring in the area. From 8:00 a.m. to midnight, archery, blowgun, dancing, and stickball demonstrations will take place as part of the 110th Cherokee Indian Fair at various locations in Cherokee. From 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., people can learn how to make lye soap, brooms, and wooden crafts as part of the Smokies Harvest Celebration at the Mountain Farm Museum near the Oconaluftee Visitor Center.

“We Are Grateful Otsaliheliga” is the sixth book to appear on the Storybook Trail of the Smokies. The trail is funded by a grant secured by the UT Extension Cocke County Office through the Juanita H. Fasola Foundation Inc.

Later this fall, the “We Are Grateful Otsaliheliga” Storybook Trail will move to a trail on the Tennessee side of the park. More information about Storybook Trail of the Smokies can be found on their Facebook page.

The “We Are Grateful Otsaliheliga” book can be bought at any park visitor center or online store operated by Great Smoky Mountains Association.