Founded in 1948 in Cherokee, North Carolina, the Museum of the Cherokee People developed from a small log cabin institution established by the Eastern Band of Cherokee into an important nonprofit museum, educational center, and archive. It has preserved and presented Cherokee history, prehistory, and living culture through exhibitions, collections, workshops, and public programs, while also supporting tourism, employment, and more accurate portrayals of Cherokee life. For a time operated by the Cherokee Historical Association, it later became independent. In 2023, after major renovation, it adopted its current name to emphasize that the three federally recognized Cherokee tribes are one people.