Peaches (qua-na) and Cherokees

We’ve heard of the “Georgia peach”, but perhaps it should be the “Cherokee peach”.

Peaches came to the Cherokee homelands after being introduced to Florida in the 1500s by the Spanish, along with hogs, infectious disease, and colonialism. However, we quickly adopted peaches into our foodways, as the delectable fruit they are, with historical accounts noting we had large orchards in the early 1800s.

Using our traditional farming and ecological knowledge developed since time immemorial, we even improved the fruit by selecting the best to replant over time. We are well-known for our farming knowledge and significantly contributed to the tasty fruit we know and love today.

ᏣᎳᎩ Tsa-la-gi (Cherokee) language practice:

• ᎦᏙ ᎭᏗᏍᎪ ᎯᎠ Ga-do ha-di-s-go h-ia “peach” = How do you say “peach”?

• ᏆᎾ qua-na = peach

• ᏆᎾ ᎢᏡᎬᎢ qua-na i-tlu-gv-i = peach tree

• ᏆᎾ ᎨᎵᏍᎩ qua-na ge-li-s-gi = peach pie

My grandparents loved peaches, like many Cherokees. The Cherokee in Adair County even named a local creek “Peacheater Creek”. My grandma’s family chose an area around Peacheater Creek to raise their families and as a final resting place for loved ones, at Ketcher Cemetery. Growing up, my grandma would collect wild greens like watercress along Peacheater Creek and enjoyed wading in the water, which was always cold even in the summertime. As an elder, she enjoyed peaches frequently for breakfast or a snack, often feeding them to her grandchildren in the summer. My family visited Peacheater Creek last year to remember and reconnect with important family locations. It’s still a beautiful place.

This summer, we will all be enjoying a delicious peach crisp together for dessert at our annual campout as Cherokees should: in community!

— Sabrina McKinney