CHEROKEE PRESERVATION FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES $2.1 MILLION IN FIRST-EVER GRANTS

Cultural, Economic Development, Environmental and Employment-Oriented Projects
Across Seven WNC Counties Were Eligible for Consideration

 

CHEROKEE, NC, September 30, 2002 — The Cherokee Preservation Foundation (CPFdn) announced today $2,118,374.00 in grants to improve cultural preservation, economic development opportunities, environmental quality and employment opportunities for both the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) and its neighbors in seven WNC counties (Cherokee, Jackson, Haywood, Clay, Graham, Swain and Macon) who are partnering with the Cherokee to resolve regional problems. The 53 grants announced today are the first ever to be made by CPFdn, which was established in 2000 and is funded by EBCI gaming revenues.

 

“We are excited to be involved in projects that will have a positive impact on the region’s future,” said Susan Jenkins, executive director of CPFdn. “We are also motivated by the important role the Cherokee Preservation Foundation is playing to encourage our neighbors to work with the Cherokee people to resolve common problems. Many organizations have come to us with exciting ideas, and with the Foundation’s financial support, those ideas will now begin to come to life.”

 

What the $2.1 Million Will Fund

 

Cultural Preservation Grants

 

• $20,000 for American Legion Post No. 143 to develop a master business plan for a new Cherokee Veterans Memorial Center.

 

• $6,204 to the EBCI’s Big Cove Free Labor Group to revitalize the group by adding younger members and purchasing and upgrading equipment. Free Labor Groups preserve the “Ani ga du gi” tradition of community service, in which, for example, the Cherokee dig graves, rebuild burned-out homes and cut wood for those in need.

 

• $48,038 for the Cherokee Boys Club to develop and strengthen the unification process for at-risk youth and their families at the White Path Center.

 

• $19,555 for the Carson Community Organization for materials the organization will use to build a community walking track that highlights Cherokee culture and history.

 

• $19,971 to the Cherokee Central Schools for electronic equipment that will enable students to gather and store historical and cultural information for a virtual museum.

 

• $19,305 to the Cherokee Central Schools to explore different methods of teaching instruction and to train teachers to integrate Cherokee language and culture into classroom curricula.

 

• $300,000 to the Cherokee Historical Association for production lighting and other equipment that will enhance the Unto These Hills outdoor drama.

 

• $5,250 to the Parks and Recreation Department of the EBCI for start-up costs associated with forming a youth soccer league.

 

• $50,000 to the Cultural Resources Department of the EBCI to expand services to Graham (Snowbird Community) and Cherokee counties, and enhance the Junaluska Memorial Site and Museum.

 

• $12,665 to the Cultural Resources Department of the EBCI to support the development of a rehabilitation plan for the Kaufman “Kope” Elias House.

 

• $20,000 to the EBCI Cherokee Youth Center to plan the development of a radio broadcast communications project for Cherokee High School students.

 

• $19,994 to the EBCI Early Childhood Cherokee Language Program to help restore the Cherokee language through a pre-school Cherokee language immersion program.

 

• $20,000 to Graham County to preserve the county’s Cherokee cultural heritage by renovating its veterans memorial.

 

• $6,000 to Highlands Biological Foundation to develop a Native American school curriculum for WNC that highlights the EBCI, and to install an exhibit of Native American artifacts in the Highlands Nature Center.

 

• $8,500 for the Macon County Master Garden Volunteer Association for supplies in support of demonstration gardens that highlight Cherokee native plants.

 

• $20,000 to Mountain Mediation Services to expand the Rhythm Keepers conflict resolution project into the Cherokee Elementary School.

 

• $285,000 to the Museum of the Cherokee Indian to expand the museum’s education programs and its gift shop and exhibit area.

 

• $40,000 (combined) to the Museum of the Cherokee Indian and the Cherokee Historical Association for a joint marketing effort to increase visitors at both the museum and the Oconaluftee Indian Village.

 

• $10,000 to the North Carolina Cooperative Extension of the EBCI for the Snowbird Natural Learning Project, in which the learning opportunities of young children will be enhanced by providing workshops for childcare providers that integrate Cherokee culture with the environment.

 

• $20,000 to Qualla Arts and Crafts Mutual cooperative to revitalize interest in learning the techniques of creating high-quality arts and crafts.

 

• $10,883 to the EBCI’s Painttown Community Free Labor Group to preserve the “Ani ga du gi” tradition.

 

• $10,000 to the Scottish Tartans Museum and Heritage Center to upgrade and expand the museum’s Cherokee exhibits.

 

• $10,240 to the Sequoyah Birthplace Museum in Vonore, TN, to support its annual Nancy Ward Cherokee Heritage Day educational event (the museum is on EBCI tribal land).

 

• $17,015 to Smokey Mountain Elementary School in Whittier, NC, to create a month-long educational experience for all students around Cherokee history, culture and language.

 

• $19,000 to the Snowbird Health Clinic of the EBCI to help reduce the high incidence of diabetes currently experienced among the Cherokee people of the Snowbird community.

 

• $2,500 to the Stecoah Valley Arts, Crafts and Educational Center (SVC) to bring representatives of EBCI and SVC together to develop a shared vision for expanding cultural preservation programming.

 

• $12,000 to the Trail of Tears Association’s North Carolina Chapter for development of 18 outdoor interpretive exhibits in Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Macon and Swain counties.

 

• $14,000 to Valleytown Cultural Arts and Historical Society to provide a Cherokee cultural celebration in the Andrews Elementary School.

 

• $20,000 to Voices in the Laurel to send children from WNC to the Pacific Rim Children’s Choice Festival in July 2003 to perform original music written in the Cherokee language.

 

• $8,655 to Western Carolina University’s Cherokee Studies Program to investigate how other tribes and universities have coordinated efforts to study, teach and train instructors in Native American languages.

 

• $4,975 to Western Carolina University’s Hunter Library to study the feasibility of a future EBCI historical resources project.

 

• $2,589 to EBCI’s Wolfetown Free Labor Group for equipment and supplies that will assist it in its community service efforts.

 

• $16,700 to EBCI’s Yellow Hill Community Club to restore old community cemeteries that have become inaccessible and create an “Ani ga du gi” group in the Yellow Hill community.

 

Economic Development and Employment-Oriented Grants

 

• $19,900 for the Cherokee Boys Club to create a strategic plan for the next 3-5 years.

 

• $10,100 for the Cherokee Boys Club to develop a strategic plan for the Cherokee Center for Family Services.

 

• $17,000 to the Cherokee Boys Club to plan the design for a new training center.

 

• $15,000 to the Consumer Credit Counseling Service of WNC to expand its literacy education and financial counseling services to the Qualla Boundary and surrounding counties.

 

• $5,500 to Jackson County’s Economic Development Commission to create and convene a regional conference entitled “Creating and Enhancing a Workforce Advantage” for participants from Jackson, Macon and Swain counties and Qualla Boundary.

 

• $19,999 to the North Carolina Cooperative Extension of the EBCI to teach Cherokee youth the skills necessary for financial management and for developing ideas for small businesses.

 

• $68,000 to the Sequoyah Birthplace Museum to enhance and expand the museum.

 

• $80,000 to Southwestern Community College Foundation to upgrade the Community Link system at Cherokee High School.

 

• $474,000 to the Tribal Planning Office of the EBCI to initiate part of the Cherokee Central Business District plan.

 

• $20,000 to Vocational Opportunities of Cherokee to purchase equipment that will enable the expansion of its lawn care business.

 

• $55,233 to Western Carolina University’s Cherokee Center for the creation of a consumer and financial education program that provides information and assistance to the Cherokee community.

 

Environmental Preservation Grants

 

• $20,000 to the EBCI’s Big Cove Community Club to fund a beautification project in the Big Cove community.

 

• $20,000 for the EBCI’s Birdtown Community Club to enhance the Birdtown Community with a walking trail.

 

• $7,140 to the EBCI to help the Rose Garden Club and Qualla 4-H Club develop a Junior Master Gardener Club that will help landscape the Oconaluftee Island Park.

 

• $19,500 for the Land Trust for the Little Tennessee to restore several large river-cane breaks along the Little Tennessee River. Cane is vital to Cherokee basket weavers and is not currently available in the area.

 

• $25,000 to the Mountain Institute to develop wayside exhibits in English and Cherokee along the Oconaluftee River Trail and on Clingman’s Dome.

 

• $20,000 to Robbinsville High School to implement the Southern Appalachian Secondary Education Native Plan Initiative at the high school.

 

• $9,863 to Smokey Mountain Elementary School for renovating a nature trail to educate students about environmental issues and the cultural heritage of the Cherokee.

 

• $112,700 to Western Carolina University’s College of Education and Allied Professions to implement the GLOBE environmental project in the Cherokee Middle School. The students the program serves do not have access to a laboratory setting, and the project will give them access to a hands-on approach that a lab provides.

 

About the Cherokee Preservation Foundation

 

The Cherokee Preservation Foundation was established on November 14, 2000, as part of the Second Amendment to the Tribal-State Compact between the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and the State of North Carolina. The Foundation, whose mission is to enhance the well-being of the EBCI and strengthen neighboring counties, provides planning, capacity and project-specific grants. The foundation received 106 applications for the first round of grants just completed and has made 53 grants to date. The next deadline for new grant applications will be in January 2003.

The foundation’s Board of Directors includes Leon D. Jones (Principal Chief of the EBCI), Dr. Myron Coulter (Chairman of the Board), Bob Blankenship, Barbara Vicknair, Jim Bowman, Brenda Grady, Mary Jane Letts, Wayne McDevitt, David McCoy and Ken Blankenship.