CHEROKEE, NC, March 26, 2008 — Cherokee Preservation Foundation (CPFdn) announced today it has made 27 new grants totaling $3,349,043 to support programs that will improve the quality of life for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and strengthen the Western North Carolina region.
Major grants to Cherokee Historical Association, Qualla Arts and Crafts Mutual, the Museum of the Cherokee Indian and the Stecoah Valley Arts, Crafts and Education will enhance the experience of visitors coming to Cherokee, NC, and the surrounding area to learn about the heritage and culture of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI).
Grants Supporting Heritage Tourism
A $600,000 grant will enable Cherokee Historical Association (www.cherokee-nc.com) to make significant upgrades of the Mountainside Theatre, home of the popular, long-running Unto These Hills, a retelling of the Cherokee experience, as well as the Oconaluftee Living Indian Village. Theatre renovations will improve seating, handicap accessibility, stairs, concession stands, public restrooms and other public areas. Upgrades of the village include construction of a new Council House, as well as a typical Cherokee winter home, where crafters will be able work comfortably in cooler weather. The addition of the winter home will enable the village’s season to be extended.
A $100,000 grant will support the continuation and expansion of the Festival of Native Peoples. The 2008 festival, which will be held in Cherokee July 17-19, will showcase performances and artisans from tribes across the United States, Canada, and Central and South America. It will include traditional dances, stories and performances, as well as an expanded art show that includes a day-long art market and a juried arts competition.
An $81,500 grant will enable the Museum of the Cherokee Indian (www.cherokeemuseum.org) to implement the third annual Southeastern Tribes Cultural Celebration, which offers authentic Native American cultural experiences involving the Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Creek and Seminole tribes. The 2008 event will take place September 19-20.
A $45,285 grant will enable Qualla Arts and Crafts Mutual (www.cherokee-nc.com) to continue sponsoring Cherokee Friends. This group of traditionally dressed Tribal members greets visitors at Cherokee’s cultural attractions and in downtown Cherokee, and provides general information about Cherokee and the region, as well as historically accurate information about the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. This year, some of the Cherokee Friends will partner with Cherokee Transit as ride-along tour guides through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
A $20,000 grant will enable the Stecoah Valley Arts, Crafts and Education Center (www.stecoahvalleycenter.com) in Graham County to implement Cherokee programming that supplements its work to support the preservation and promotion of Southern Appalachian and mountain culture. The grant will support Cherokee Days at Stecoah, a program that will include an authentic Cherokee dinner, entertainment from storytellers, dancers and other performers, craft demonstrations, guided tours of historic trails, and tours of nearby Junaluska Museum.
Other Cultural Preservation Grants
Cultural preservation grants from CPFdn that have been made for the direct benefit of Tribal members include:
• A $239,018 grant to enable the Kituwah Preservation and Education Program to develop language immersion and community curriculum and learning materials, and continue planning for language revitalization that addresses the wide-ranging needs of EBCI members.
• A $75,160 grant to implement a second-level language course and to support a Cherokee Language Immersion Camp in the Snowbird Community. The community historically has had a strong language revitalization effort, and students have been showing great improvement. The new class will enable the Snowbird program to take on more beginner level students, and will allow higher-level speakers to more quickly advance their skills.
• A $20,000 grant to plan how best to preserve the Nikwasi Mound located in Franklin, NC. One of more than a dozen such villages strung along the banks of the Little Tennessee, Nikwasi was home to generations of Cherokee people. Once the center of the thriving village, the Nikwasi Mound held an ever-burning sacred fire.
About Cherokee Preservation Foundation
Cherokee Preservation Foundation (www.cpfdn.org) was established on November 14, 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 CPFdn’s inception in 2000, it has made 447 grants totaling more than $37 million to EBCI and regional projects and programs that address cultural preservation, economic development and job creation, and environmental renewal and protection. Every dollar of CPFdn support has been matched by $1.38 in secured grants or other funding or in-kind resources, making CPFdn’s total contribution to the region more than $89 million.
