The Gadu:gi Spirit: Community Development Strategies Among the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, 1934 to 1984

This dissertation argues that the continuation of traditional indigenous institutions is the most effective means for successful economic and community development strategies on American Indian reservations in the United States. It is a study of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians in North Carolina and their tradition of gadu:gi which represents a concept of mutual aid and translates to mean "working together for the good of the community," and "everyone's heart is in the same place." A critical examination of the history of gadu:gi from 1934 to 1984 demonstrates the institution evolved from a physical work group to a cultural ideology and a major focus of modern Cherokee identity. Utilizing oral histories, ethnohistorical, and interdisciplinary sources, this study concludes that the Eastern Cherokee economy and local communities are inextricably linked.