farms fell. Most food was and is obtained from grocery stores. The construction of dams

for river flood control and recreation areas increased. New restrictions on land are

enforced because of this, such as hunting and fishing regulations, hog-fence laws and

restricted stream and forest use (Wahrhaftig, 1966).

 Many Cherokees in eastern Oklahoma live in what are now growing towns. Yet,

there are still others who live in rural, isolated and fairly inaccessible areas. They tend to

be relatively poor. In 1966 there were 50 Cherokee communities that have between 30 to

60 households organized around churches and stomp grounds, a location of traditional

religious gatherings and ceremonies, with a total population of 9,500 in Oklahoma

(Wahrhaftig, 1966). In the 1970s economic based reports in eastern Oklahoma show that

supporting agricultural development would not be profitable. Under the Indian Financing

Act established in 1974, grants and credit became available to finance Indian enterprises

(Duffy & Stubben, 1998). In the 1970s and 1980s the Cherokee Gardens in Tahlequah

provided employment to members of the Nation. However, the economy has shifted to

draw tourists to Cherokee Nation as an attraction. The Cherokee Heritage Center and

National Museum and Drama in Tahlequah draw many tourists today. The Cherokee

National Museum has replicated two Cherokee settlements from the pre-contact and

colonial period where gardens and farms are recreated and tours available of the villages.

 Some Cherokees own large-scale farms today. Home gardens are more prevalent

then large farms, but maintaining a garden is also becoming less common (Employee of

Cherokee Nation's Natural Resources Department, personal communications, August,

2005). In 2002 the Five County Agriculture Project proposal was submitted to the

Nation's government to start teaching youth in rural Cherokee communities how to

maintain and harvest fruit trees. The Nation denied the proposal (Employee of Cherokee