Betty Smith
Cherokee National Treasure
Betty Smith is a distinguished National Treasure for her expertise in traditional Cherokee foods. She has taught many Cherokees how to gather and prepare traditional foods throughout her lifetime.
Betty Smith is renowned for her knowledge of gathering wild foods and preparing traditional dishes that please the palate and soothe the soul, she has often cooked a "mess" of crawdads to the delight of those forunate enough to sit at her table.
"Our young people just don't know how to go out and gather our traditional foods much anymore. We need to teach how to gather and how to cook traditional Cherokee foods because they are much healthier than the fast foods we eat today. I'm working on a Cherokee Cookbook that would teach about gathering and cooking our traditional foods so we can preserve the knowldge for teaching."
