Cherokee Preservation Foundation Announces
Fall 2004 Grants Totaling Approximately $4.5 Million

Four Initiatives to Increase Tourism on the Qualla Boundary Will Receive Nearly $3.4 Million

CHEROKEE, NC, September 24, 2004—Cherokee Preservation Foundation (CPFdn) announced today that it has awarded 20 new grants totaling approximately $4.5 million that community and other nonprofit groups associated with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) and the surrounding region will use in connection with economic development, job creation, cultural preservation and environmental preservation initiatives.

Four large grants will be utilized for actions intended to draw families and heritage-oriented tourists to the Qualla Boundary in greater numbers and enhance the experience of visitors:

• A $2.3 million grant will help fund revitalization of the downtown Cherokee, NC, business district, in part through placement of CPFdn monies in a low-interest, revolving Community Development Corporation loan fund available to business owners and operators so they can renovate the facades of their businesses in keeping with the EBCI’s Downtown Business Master Plan. CPFdn funds will also be used to develop features such as rock towers and green spaces that will enhance Cherokee’s downtown district.
• A $735,000 grant will support the second year of a major research, marketing and public relations campaign that is a collaborative effort involving EBCI Marketing and Public Relations, Qualla Arts & Crafts Mutual, Cherokee Historical Association and the Museum of the Cherokee Indian. The marketing effort is focused on increasing attendance of family and heritage tourists at the partners’ venues and at other tourism-related businesses in the Cherokee, NC, community.
• A $200,000 grant will enable continuation of the Qualla Arts & Crafts Mutual’s effort to enhance its capabilities through its new community outreach program and the development of craft demonstration sites outside Qualla A&C’s building to educate visitors about the processes involved in producing Cherokee crafts. The capacity grant will also fund business-related training for Qualla A&C’s board and staff, as well as improvement of Qualla A&C’s retail facility and its business processes.
• A grant totaling nearly $117,000 will fund the creation of a series of murals around the business district of Cherokee. The murals will showcase the EBCI’s history during the period following the Trail of Tears up through the present day to provide a more complete and contemporary picture of the tribe and give visitors something new to experience. The murals will be painted by local artists who are enrolled members of the Eastern Band.

“ Drawing more first-time and repeat visitors is vitally important to the Eastern Band and the entire region, so Cherokee Preservation Foundation is particularly interested in supporting cultural preservation initiatives that will have a major influence on economic development and job creation,” said Susan Jenkins, executive director of CPFdn. “By teaching visitors about Cherokee culture and the tribe’s rich heritage, tourism can become an even more powerful economic growth engine for the EBCI and surrounding communities.”

OTHER NEW GRANTS

Cultural Preservation

• Cherokee County Historical Museum, to enhance the museum’s Trail of Tears Interpretive Center by constructing a replica 1830s cabin.
• Western Carolina University’s Contemporary Art Galleries & Museum, to institute a contemporary Native American art series. The series will showcase established and emerging artists of the EBCI who are not only being inspired by traditional art forms, but are also experimenting with new art forms and processes.
• Cherokee Central Schools, to link the building plans for the new three-school campus with a new school curriculum that reflects academic needs and the Cherokee culture.
• Western Carolina University, to expand and diversify its Cherokee Studies Program.
• The Snowbird Community Club, to develop a plan for increasing community involvement, adult and youth leadership and interest in preserving Cherokee traditions.
• Folkmoot of the Americas, which will a plan a new annual festival showcasing indigenous tribes in North, Central and South America in collaboration with EBCI Marketing and Public Relations.

Economic Development/Employment Opportunity Grants

• Cherokee Tribal Emergency Management Services, to help the organization purchase two state-of-the-art Emergency Care Simulation systems and become the only training provider in the region that can teach Advanced Disaster Life Support.
• EBCI Tribal Environmental and Natural Resources Office, to investigate the feasibility of renewable energy resources and energy-saving solutions for the EBCI and tribal lands.
• The Cherokee One Feather, to develop a strategic plan that will enable the newspaper to become financially self-sufficient and better serve its readers.
• Vocational Opportunities of Cherokee, to expand its facility to include a garage and repair shop so it can increase the safety of employees and the efficiency of its operation, and provide a convenient location for customers to bring their lawn maintenance equipment for service.
• Cherokee Youth Center, to build staff capacity in the areas of customer service, management and child care.
• Cherokee Center for Family Services, to train the staff of the adventure-based Cherokee Challenge after-school program in the areas of wilderness first aid, drug prevention and crisis intervention.
• Museum of the Cherokee Indian, to develop a business plan for long-term self-sustainability and to obtain fundraising training.

Environmental Protection

• The Land Trust for the Little Tennessee, to assist in conserving an ancient landscape and expanding Cherokee artisan resources in the upper Little Tennessee River Basin. A revitalized arts and crafts tradition of the EBCI requires access to locally produced resources such as rivercane, black and white walnut, and other species that grow best in the bottomlands along the rivers.
• Southwestern North Carolina Resource Conservation and Development Council, to improve water quality in the Tuckaseegee basin and promote environmental stewardship.
• Whittier Sanitary District, to provide sewer service to homes and businesses located in and around the Whittier Sanitary District in Swain and Jackson counties. The project is a collaborative effort involving the Whittier Sanitary District, the EBCI, Jackson County, the Jackson County Economic Development Office and several funding sources.

About Cherokee Preservation Foundation

Cherokee Preservation Foundation 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. For more information, visit www.cherokeepreservationfdn.org on the Web.