The Cherokee Indian Reservation, also called Qualla Reservation, is home to the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. The reservation is located in the Great Smoky Mountains and covers parts of Swain, Jackson and Haywood Counties.
Established by the United States after the Cherokee Removal of 1838, the reservation covers 63,000 acres and is the largest Indian reservation east of the Mississippi.
The reservation is divided into Big Cove Town, Wolf Town, Yellow Hill Town, Paint Town and Bird Town townships. In addition, some Cherokee live in Cheoah Township in Graham County, off the reservation, but under tribal jurisdiction. Land on the reservation is held in common and assigned on a tenant system.