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The Cherokee Preservation Foundation began exploring the field of leadership with the goal of assisting the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians in preparing for a better future for its members and the larger community. The challenges that face the Eastern Cherokee people today and in the future will require strong and capable leaders in many fields of endeavor.

Cherokee leaders must be nurtured and developed from within the tribal community. These leaders must not only possess the requisite skills of modern leadership, but they must also be steeped in the culture, values and traditions of the Cherokee people.

CPFdn is working on a Cherokee cultural Leadership Initiative that focuses on developing programs that will help Cherokee people develop leadership skills. This cultural Leadership Initiative will produce a selfless, giving generation that is grounded in traditional Cherokee cultural values. The formation of the Cherokee Youth Council (CYC) was the first step toward engaging young people in the development of cultural and traditional values.

Modeled after the traditional Cherokee Grand Council government in which every tribal member, from the youngest to the oldest, had a voice in tribal matters, the CYC allows Cherokee youth to once again be involved in addressing issues that directly affect them. The CYC provides an atmosphere for youth to voice their opinions on issues that matter to them and creates the opportunity for them to develop leadership skills. Through facilitating and leading their own meetings, the CYC has taken over a recycling program and made it their own, participated in a national UNITY conference for Native American youth, and successfully created organizational structure.

The Cherokee Leadership Initiative is also creating leadership opportunities through CPFdn programs such as the Cherokee Youth Leadership Advisory Group, a cultural exchange program in which Cherokee Youth engage in an eco-study tour in Costa Rica involving EARTH University, and the Cherokee Day of Caring. The Cherokee Leadership Initiative will continue to support life-long, culture-based learning that gives tribal members opportunities to develop strong leadership abilities and serve successfully in leadership roles.

CPFdn has studied a number of leadership program approaches and programs that currently exist in Indian Country, North Carolina and across the nation. However, none of these programs focused on the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians’ core cultural values. Short descriptions of the researched leadership programs may be useful to others and are available at the links below:

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