DUE WEST, S.C. – Cherokee Indian Sibbald Smith (right) spoke to Dr. Ben Farley's interim class on Native American Cultures Tuesday, and shared his views on spirituality, Cherokee history, and the tribe today.

Smith, the grandson of a Cherokee Chief, and his wife of 48 years spoke to the class about the history of the Cherokee in North America and the misuderstandings and broken trust with the Anglo-Saxons.

Smith told the class that he is a Christian and that the Cherokee felt the Great Spirit, or God, led them to settle their native homeland in Western North Carolina. The Anglo-Saxons who later moved into the area also felt a calling from God, he said, to "Christianize" the Indians.

These two different lines of thought led to many conflicts between Indians and the Anglo-Saxons, he said.

"We make a lot of snap decisions based on other people's appearance," Smith said. "But the eyes are the most deceiving organ of the body. That leads us to make a lot of snap decisions.

"For example, if your professor had not told you I was a Cherokee, you might not have known I was an Indian," he said. "In fact, I could probably pass for your professor and I'm not named after an animal. My last name is Smith.

Smith said there are about 11,000 Cherokees in America today. In Western North Carolina, he said the tribe's activities are as profitable as ever, with thriving tourist attractions and gambling facilities on Cherokee property.