Cherokee Bottled Water is one of just a few EBCI enterprises that are not fully associated with tourism; its continued growth and success will help westernmost North Carolina create new jobs and diversify its economy.  Today the company’s water, which comes from the Oconoluftee River that flows through the Qualla Boundary, is sold throughout North Carolina and parts of Georgia, East Tennesee and Missouri.  New markets in western Tennessee, Indiana and Oklahoma are anticipated in the near future. 

When customers suggested to Cherokee Bottled Water that a new image would help the company enlarge its market, the Cherokee Preservation Foundation agreed to help the company fund a design contest for a new label, provided that contest entrants were artists, students and other members of the EBCI community. 

Cherokee Bottled Water recently unveiled the winning entry.  Sharri Pheasant of Cherokee designed a waterfall scene that includes symbols of the Cherokee clans and other cultural icons, all held within a pair of hands. 

“The hands represent the Creator, protecting all things good and beautiful, while sharing life-giving water,” Pheasant wrote on her entry form.  A graphic artist has rendered Pheasant’s drawing so that it can be used on water bottle labels, delivery trucks and materials to promote the brand. 

Within two years, Cherokee Bottled Water hopes to build its own bottling plant within the Qualla Boundary.  Currently the water is shipped to South Carolina for bottling, and then shipped back to Cherokee for distribution.  Enhanced demand as a result of the new Cherokee Bottle Water image produced within the community can help make a local bottling plant a reality.