CHEROKEE, NC, September
10, 2007 – Cherokee Friends,
a new group formed by Qualla Arts & Crafts,
the Cherokee Historical Association
and Cherokee Travel and Promotions
with a grant from Cherokee Preservation
Foundation, helped visitors have a
high quality experience in Cherokee
this summer. The group welcomes tourists,
educates them about the Eastern Band’s
culture and history, and gives the
travelers information about directions,
local attractions, and food and lodging
options. Soon it will wind up for the
season.
The group has included
ten members of the Eastern Band of
Cherokee Indians
(EBCI) in its inaugural year, many
of them high school and college students.
Wearing clothing similar to what Tribal
members wore in the 1700s – using
washable fabrics instead of wool – the
Cherokee Friends first hit the streets
of Cherokee, NC, in June.
“
A lot of visitors are really interested
in our culture, and we point them toward
Oconaluftee Indian Village and the
Museum,” said Kim Bottchenbaugh,
a crafter who is a Cherokee Friend. “Many
people want to know where they can
get authentic Cherokee art and we tell
them about Qualla Arts & Crafts
and the privately owned stores that
sell the work of Cherokee artists and
crafters.”
Bottchenbaugh has been
amused at how many people tell her
their grandmothers
are Cherokee. “We never hear
about a single Cherokee grandfather,” she
laughed. Recently she so enjoyed an
encounter with a couple visiting from
the Ukraine that she took off the jewelry
she had made and was wearing and presented
the earrings to the woman and her pin
to the man.
Members of the group
have been out and about Tuesdays through
Saturdays,
from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. On rainy days
they have visited Tsali Manor and Cherokee
Hospital, entertaining residents and
patients with Cherokee animal dances.
Now that school is back in session,
Cherokee Friends has shrunk in numbers
but remaining Friends will work through
at least September.
“
Most in our group were teenagers, and
I was really proud of how they truly
showed up and did a great job,” Kim
said. Kim’s son, Rich, is also
in Cherokee Friends, and other friends
this summer were Kelsey Standingdeer,
Michael Long, Terrence Taylor, Jakeli
Swimmer, Kelly Lossiah, Lea Ann Littlejohn,
Felicia Johnson and Trent Wolfe.
“
We heard a lot of positive comments
from tourists and locals about how
the Cherokee Friends helped visitors
understand the Cherokee and our ways,” said
Yona Wade, outreach coordinator for
Qualla Arts & Crafts, who managed
the program this summer. “They
like the great service the Cherokee
Friends have performed and say the
group looks really good, too.”
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 375 grants totaling
nearly $31 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 $73 million.
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