Cherokee Preservation Foundation
Encyclopedia
Cherokee Preservation Foundation is an independent nonprofit foundation established in 2000 as part of the Tribal-State Compact amendment between the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians
(EBCI) and the State of North Carolina
. The Foundation is funded by the EBCI from gaming revenues generated by the Tribe; it is not associated with any for-profit gaming entity and is a separately functioning organization independent of the Tribal government. It works to improve the quality of life of the EBCI and strengthen the western North Carolina region by balancing Cherokee ways with the pursuit of new opportunities. The Foundation focuses on cultural preservation, economic development, job creation, and environmental preservation and is an engine for rural community development
on the Qualla Boundary and the surrounding Haywood, Jackson, Clay, Macon, Graham, Swain and Cherokee counties.
Cherokee Arts and Crafts
The Foundation supports the efforts of organizations such as Qualla Arts & Crafts Cooperative, the Oconaluftee Institute of Cultural Arts, RTCAR (Revitilization of Traditional Cherokee Artisan Resources), Cherokee Central Schools and many others to share, preserve and perpetuate the rich art and crafts history and knowledge of the Cherokees.
Revitalization of the Cherokee Language
A survey of Cherokee speakers released in 2006 was the first step in a major effort to revitalize the language. It showed that there are only 275 Cherokee speakers on the Qualla Boundary today. Subsequent steps to revitalize knowledge and use of the language include the opening of the Kituwah Academy (a total language immersion program that children attend from infancy), conventional language classes available to tribal members of all ages, and a partnership with Western Carolina University to create instructional materials in Cherokee and offer a scholarship to train students to deliver content in the Cherokee language in Kituwah Academy classrooms.
Culturally Based Leadership
The Foundation supports several leadership programs that are based on the Cherokee culture. These include the following:
The Cherokee Youth Council, which empowers youth 13-17 by giving them a voice to speak out on issues important to them. The CYC is leading recycling awareness efforts on the Qualla Boundary and has produced a film about teenage pregnancy from a youth and a native perspective.
An annual cross-cultural Costa Rica Eco-Study Tour for high school students from western North Carolina.
The Jones-Bowman Adult Leadership Program, which enables tribal members who are college undergraduates to develop their leadership capabilities by participating in individual leadership learning programs.
The Right Path, a culture-based leadership development program for adult members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.
, the homeland of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, and significant funding from the Foundation has strengthened the Tribe's principal cultural attractions, including the Museum of the Cherokee Indian, Qualla Arts and Crafts Mutual, the Oconaluftee Indian Village
, and the Unto These Hills
outdoor drama.
Two grantees of the Foundation, the Cherokee Chamber of Commerce and the Sequoyah Fund, have been strong forces that are changing the course of local business development. The Sequoyah Fund, for example, has made low-cost loans available to merchants in the Cherokee business district for new roofs and building facades that complement the Tribe's new Riverbend development and enhance the visual appeal of Cherokee's downtown. Other Sequoyah Fund loans and support services are helping new and experienced entrepreneurs to start and expand businesses.
Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians
The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians , is a federally recognized Native American tribe in the United States of America, who are descended from Cherokee who remained in the Eastern United States while others moved, or were forced to relocate, to the west in the 19th century. The history of the...
(EBCI) and the State of North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
. The Foundation is funded by the EBCI from gaming revenues generated by the Tribe; it is not associated with any for-profit gaming entity and is a separately functioning organization independent of the Tribal government. It works to improve the quality of life of the EBCI and strengthen the western North Carolina region by balancing Cherokee ways with the pursuit of new opportunities. The Foundation focuses on cultural preservation, economic development, job creation, and environmental preservation and is an engine for rural community development
Rural community development
Rural community development encompasses a range of approaches and activities that aim to improve the welfare and livelihoods of people living in rural areas. As a branch of community development, these approaches pay attention to social issues particularly community organizing. This is in contrast...
on the Qualla Boundary and the surrounding Haywood, Jackson, Clay, Macon, Graham, Swain and Cherokee counties.
Cultural preservation of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians
Much of Cherokee Preservation Foundation's work in support of cultural preservation is concentrated on the perpetuation of Cherokee craft traditions, the revitalization of the Cherokee language,and the development of a culture-based leadership initiative.Cherokee Arts and Crafts
The Foundation supports the efforts of organizations such as Qualla Arts & Crafts Cooperative, the Oconaluftee Institute of Cultural Arts, RTCAR (Revitilization of Traditional Cherokee Artisan Resources), Cherokee Central Schools and many others to share, preserve and perpetuate the rich art and crafts history and knowledge of the Cherokees.
Revitalization of the Cherokee Language
A survey of Cherokee speakers released in 2006 was the first step in a major effort to revitalize the language. It showed that there are only 275 Cherokee speakers on the Qualla Boundary today. Subsequent steps to revitalize knowledge and use of the language include the opening of the Kituwah Academy (a total language immersion program that children attend from infancy), conventional language classes available to tribal members of all ages, and a partnership with Western Carolina University to create instructional materials in Cherokee and offer a scholarship to train students to deliver content in the Cherokee language in Kituwah Academy classrooms.
Culturally Based Leadership
The Foundation supports several leadership programs that are based on the Cherokee culture. These include the following:
The Cherokee Youth Council, which empowers youth 13-17 by giving them a voice to speak out on issues important to them. The CYC is leading recycling awareness efforts on the Qualla Boundary and has produced a film about teenage pregnancy from a youth and a native perspective.
An annual cross-cultural Costa Rica Eco-Study Tour for high school students from western North Carolina.
The Jones-Bowman Adult Leadership Program, which enables tribal members who are college undergraduates to develop their leadership capabilities by participating in individual leadership learning programs.
The Right Path, a culture-based leadership development program for adult members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.
Economic development and job creation
Tourism is a principal driver of economic development on the Qualla BoundaryQualla Boundary
The Qualla Boundary is the territory where the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians reside in western North Carolina.-Location:...
, the homeland of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, and significant funding from the Foundation has strengthened the Tribe's principal cultural attractions, including the Museum of the Cherokee Indian, Qualla Arts and Crafts Mutual, the Oconaluftee Indian Village
Oconaluftee Indian Village
The Oconaluftee Indian Village is a replica of an 18th century eastern Cherokee community located in Cherokee, North Carolina, USA.This "living museum" is operated by the Cherokee Historical Association...
, and the Unto These Hills
Unto These Hills
Unto These Hills is an outdoor historical drama staged annually at the 2800-seat Mountainside Theatre in Cherokee, North Carolina. It is the second oldest outdoor historical drama in the United States, after The Lost Colony in Manteo, North Carolina...
outdoor drama.
Two grantees of the Foundation, the Cherokee Chamber of Commerce and the Sequoyah Fund, have been strong forces that are changing the course of local business development. The Sequoyah Fund, for example, has made low-cost loans available to merchants in the Cherokee business district for new roofs and building facades that complement the Tribe's new Riverbend development and enhance the visual appeal of Cherokee's downtown. Other Sequoyah Fund loans and support services are helping new and experienced entrepreneurs to start and expand businesses.