Cherokee Preservation Foundation

With the emergence in the past decade of a casino owned by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI), the tribe has prospered financially and leadership opportunities for Tribal members have multiplied. With the casino, Tribal government and other organizations all seeking to employ Tribal members with strong leadership skills, the leadership pool has been stretched thin. To help the Tribe develop new leaders to join the ranks of those already serving, Cherokee Preservation Foundation studied other leadership programs extensively.

Click here for links to Leadership Programs in Indian Country and across the United States.

Based on its study of other programs and its evaluation of the Eastern Band’s needs, the Foundation has developed a progression of leadership programming, starting with opportunities for youth. The goal of the Foundation’s culturally based leadership initiative is to help produce a selfless, giving generation that is grounded in traditional Cherokee values. In the Cherokee culture, leaders are people who simply do what needs to be done without seeking recognition for their efforts. This world view is rooted in the Cherokee culture and defines the concept of selfless leadership. Furthermore, to be successful as employees and human beings, the emerging leaders must also possess the skills of modern leadership while practicing Cherokee cultural values.