Cherokee Preservation Foundation Announces 25 New Grants Totaling Nearly $3.2 Million

CHEROKEE, NC, March 18, 2009 – Cherokee Preservation Foundation (CPFdn) announced today that it has awarded 25 new grants totaling nearly $3.2 million.  Approximately two-thirds of the grants are for cultural preservation programs and projects, and the other grants are for programs and projects supporting economic development, job creation and environmental sustainability.

“We are pleased we are able to help a number of grantees build on the excellent work they have done with previous grants from the Foundation, and that we are able to provide funding for some outstanding new programs and projects as well,” said Susan Jenkins, executive director of Cherokee Preservation Foundation.  “Cherokee Preservation Foundation directors also approved a $50,000 grant to be used for the Recession Response Fund recently created for nonprofits in the seven counties of westernmost North Carolina. The Fund will support nonprofits as they address emergency needs that have been made worse by the economic downturn, and Board members believe the grant is a good use of our resources so we can help our neighbors during this difficult time."

A sampling of the Foundation’s other grants follows:

• A $600,000 grant was awarded to Cherokee Historical Association (CHA) for the second phase of its renovation and restoration project.  CHA will use the funds to complete stair and handicapped access upgrades and install new seats at the Mountainside Theatre, and to improve the Onconaluftee Indian Village by constructing a children’s learning center, creating a new outdoor market for craft sales, and renovating village dwellings.  Previous grants Cherokee Preservation Foundation has made to CHA have made possible the multi-year marketing campaign of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians’ (EBCI) principal cultural attractions, enhancement of the historical accuracy and cultural authenticity of “Unto These Hills,” replacement of the theatre’s rain shelter, renovation of the stage, equipment and grounds, and changes that have made the Village more interactive and authentic.  Activities funded by the new grant are expected to attract more new and repeat visitors.  A separate $20,000 grant will enable CHA to develop a new Village Guide and Theatre Training program modeled after a program utilized by Colonial Williamsburg to train their guides to be certified historical interpreters.
• Two grants totaling $388,450 will enable the Tribe’s Kituwah Preservation and Education Program (KPEP) to develop Cherokee language immersion and community curricula and learning materials, and make it possible for Western Carolina University, KPEP’s partner, to develop coursework that will expand the student base of its Cherokee Studies program.  KPEP will also be able to continue long ranging planning for language revitalization.  Previously, CPFdn has supported the Cherokee language revitalization initiative with an additional $1.3 million of funding that has enabled immersion facilities and camps, speakers gatherings, expanded curricula and learning materials, and preparation of Cherokee language teachers.
• A $40,000 grant has been award to Wild South to locate and preserve ancient Cherokee trail systems and make the information accessible to the EBCI and visitors. 
• A $95,000 grant will support the continuation of the Festival of Native Peoples, a culture-based events featuring performers and artisans from tribes across the United States, Canada and Mexico.  The third rendition of the Festival in 2008 received recognition from the Southeastern Tourism Society as one of the premier events in the state.
• A $700,000 grant to Sequoyah Fund will enable it to meet demand for business start-up and expansion in and around Cherokee and expand façade renovation of retail establishments in downtown Cherokee to complement the downtown revitalization spurred by the new Riverbend area.  Sequoyah Fund’s activities include training programs for small to medium- sized home builders who wish to participate in the NC Healthy Build Homes Certification program and the launch of a new youth entrepreneurial initiative, YE$ Youth Entrepreneurs, that includes a business plan competition for high school students on the Qualla Boundary and the seven far-western counties of North Carolina.
• A nearly $15,000 Revitalization of Traditional Cherokee Artisan Resources (RTCAR) grant to North Carolina State University will be used to provide training to natural resource managers in a seven-state region about the historical, cultural and natural resource concerns of the EBCI.
• A $6,800 grant has been awarded to Cherokee High School so students can participate in a summer program to learn how to harvest, process and dye river cane basket materials.  RTCAR is helping to expand artisans’ access to scarce river cane, and through a grant last year, river cane materials were made available to Cherokee High School for the first time in many years. 

About Cherokee Preservation Foundation

Cherokee Preservation Foundation (www.cpfdn.org) was established in 2000 as part of the Second Amendment to the Tribal-State Compact between the EBCI and the State of North Carolina. It is an independent nonprofit foundation funded by the EBCI from gaming revenues generated by the Tribe. CPFdn is not part of or associated with any for-profit gaming entity. Since the Foundation’s inception, it has made 512 grants totaling nearly $43 million to EBCI and regional projects and programs that address cultural preservation, economic development and job creation, and environmental sustainability. Every dollar of CPFdn support has been matched by $1.83 in secured grants or other funding or in-kind resources, making CPFdn’s total contribution to the region more than $121 million.