using Sequoyah High School facilities. Fifty to sixty Cherokees were trained for the village cast and as guides. Cherokee artist Cecil Dick provided advice for planting trees and herbs important to Cherokee culture. The grounds feature a wide variety of plant species, used for medicine, food, construction, and tools. The abundant native plant life in turn has attracted animal life and the Cherokee Heritage Center grounds has evolved in an excellent spot for birdwatching and hiking. Open to the public The village at Tsa-La-Gi was dedicated and opened to the public on June 27, 1967, by Society President Keeler before an audience of over 5,000 people. He was assisted by a number of state dignitaries including Oklahoma Governor Dewey F. Bartlett, United States Senator A. S. "Mike" Monroney, Congressmen Ed Edmondson and Page Belcher, and many other prominent officials. Every spring since 1971, the Cherokee Heritage Center has hosted an annual juried art show, the Trail of Tears Art Show, open to all tribes. Each fall the Center hosts Cherokee Homecoming, an art show open to any artist enrolled in one of the three federally recognized Cherokee tribes. From 1969 to 2005 an outdoor play commissioned by the Cherokee Nation, the Trail of Tears, was performed at a large outdoor amphitheater specially constructed for the production. A sequel to Unto These Hills, the play told the story of the forced removal and subsequent life in Oklahoma. The theater, which occasionally hosted other performers and productions, fell into disrepair in the 2000s. See also History of Oklahoma List of museums in Oklahoma External links Official Site of the Cherokee Heritage Center Cherokee Heritage Center info, photos and video on TravelOK.com Official travel and tourism website for the State of Oklahoma. References 1962 establishments in Oklahoma Cherokee Nation buildings and structures Museums established in 1962 Cherokee culture Oklahoma culture History of Oklahoma Native American museums in Oklahoma Museums in Cherokee County, Oklahoma Historical societies in Oklahoma United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians