Cherokee Preservation Foundation Announces 27 New Grants Totaling $2.3 Million

CHEROKEE, NC, October 1, 2009 – Cherokee Preservation Foundation (CPFdn) announced today that it has awarded 27 new grants totaling approximately $2.3 million.  Half of the grants are for environmental preservation programs and projects, and the rest of the grants support economic development, job creation and cultural preservation.  The new grants include:

• A $70,000 grant to reduce energy consumption in seven tribal facilities by at least 30 percent.  The Eastern Band of Indians is contributing a significant amount of in-kind and matching financial support, and the combined Foundation and tribal funds will serve as a match for a large U.S. Department of Energy grant that will support energy reduction efforts in several other tribal facilities and position the EBCI as a regional model for significant energy consumption reduction.  Twenty energy audits of tribal and other community buildings previously funded by the Foundation and conducted by Waste Reduction Partners helped identify the buildings that have the greatest opportunities for the reduction of energy consumption.  Two other grants will fund energy audits for additional buildings, provide energy efficiency training to tribal employees and community residents, and enable the Cherokee Museum to implement recommendations made as a result of its energy audit.
• A $20,000 grant that will enable Haywood Community College to develop a sustainable building practices curriculum for builders on the Qualla Boundary and the seven surrounding counties.  Builders will learn how to meet green building standards that will preserve the mountain region.
• A $300,000 grant to the EBCI Department of Transportation will enable the creation of streetscapes within the cultural district area that are culturally themed, environmentally sensitive and pedestrian friendly.  Features in the area that encompasses the principal cultural attractions will include culturally themed streetlights featuring LED technology, bicycle lanes, crosswalks, benches, trash cans and recycling bins, and culturally themed sidewalks.  The improvements will create a safer and more comfortable area for local people and visitors to Cherokee.
• A $1 million grant to support the marketing program of Cherokee’s principal cultural attractions, explore new ways of attracting tourists, and train Cherokee Historical Association guides to offer visitors a more authentic and historical experience when they come to the Oconaluftee Indian Village.
• A grant totaling approximately $20,000 that will enable the Cherokee Chamber of Commerce to create a five year strategic plan to map its growth and develop individual plans for initiatives such as enhancing eco-tourism and developing a public use plan for downtown Cherokee.  The public use plan will include elements such as regular events that integrate Cherokee culture into downtown activities and continuing successful events such as the Cherokee Native Christmas Celebration and the Cherokee Arts and Foods Festival.
• A $35,000 grant that will enable the North Carolina Symphony’s full orchestra to perform an educational concert at the Cherokee Central School’s auditorium on Friday, December 11. The concert will feature a performance by an enrolled Cherokee musician, and the Cherokee community will be invited to attend. The grant will also provide for educational workshops for Cherokee students at the new schools, and a sponsorship of the North Carolina Symphony’s Holiday Pops orchestra concert at Western Carolina University.
• A grant totaling approximately $27,000 that will continue to enable master basket weaver Lucille Lossiah to work with students in Cherokee High School’s basketry program and their teacher, as well as enable the school to procure materials for baskets and establish a summer program.  Lossiah’s involvement in the classroom in the past year helped students to reach new heights and create the first double woven basket to be produced at the school in decades.

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 540 grants totaling more than $45 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 $1.72 in secured grants or other funding and in-kind resources, making CPFdn’s total contribution to the region nearly $124 million.