Cherokee Preservation Foundation facts for kids

Kids learning the Cherokee language at New Kituwah Academy.

The Cherokee Preservation Foundation is a special group that helps the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) and the area around them in North Carolina. It started in 2000. This foundation is a nonprofit, which means it doesn't work to make money for owners. Instead, it uses its funds to help the community.

The Foundation gets its money from the EBCI's gaming (casino) earnings. It's a separate organization, not part of the Tribe's government or any casino company. Its main goal is to make life better for the Cherokee people and the western North Carolina region. It does this by keeping Cherokee traditions alive while also looking for new chances and improvements.

The Foundation works on several important things: keeping Cherokee culture safe, helping the economy grow, creating jobs, and protecting the environment. It's like a helper for rural community development in the Qualla Boundary (the Cherokee homeland) and nearby counties like Haywood, Jackson, Clay, Macon, Graham, Swain and Cherokee.

What the Foundation Does

The Cherokee Preservation Foundation works on many projects to help the community. These projects focus on culture, jobs, and the environment.

Keeping Cherokee Culture Alive

A big part of the Foundation's work is making sure Cherokee culture continues to thrive. This includes supporting traditional crafts, helping the Cherokee language grow, and teaching leadership skills based on Cherokee values.

Cherokee Arts and Crafts

The Foundation helps groups that teach and share Cherokee art and craft traditions. These groups include the Qualla Arts and Crafts Cooperative and the Oconaluftee Institute of Cultural Arts. They also support RTCAR (Revitalization of Traditional Cherokee Artisan Resources) and Cherokee Central Schools. Their goal is to make sure the rich history and knowledge of Cherokee arts are passed down.

Bringing Back the Cherokee Language

The Cherokee language is very important to the Tribe's culture. In 2006, only 275 people on the Qualla Boundary spoke Cherokee. By 2018, that number had dropped to 217. The Foundation supports efforts to save the language.

• The New Kituwah Academy is a special school where children learn in both English and Cherokee.
• Regular language classes are offered to tribal members of all ages.
• The Foundation works with Western Carolina University. They create learning materials in Cherokee. They also offer scholarships to train students to teach in Cherokee at the New Kituwah Academy.

Leadership Based on Culture

The Foundation supports several programs that help people become leaders. These programs are built on Cherokee cultural values.

• The Cherokee Youth Council helps young people aged 13-17. It gives them a chance to speak up about things that matter to them. For example, the Youth Council is working to improve recycling in the Qualla Boundary.
• An annual Costa Rica Eco-Study Tour lets high school students from western North Carolina learn about other cultures and the environment.
• The Jones-Bowman Adult Leadership Program helps tribal members who are in college. It teaches them leadership skills through special learning programs.
• The Right Path is another leadership program for adult members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. It helps them develop leadership skills based on their culture.

Growing the Economy and Creating Jobs

Tourism is a very important way for the Qualla Boundary to make money. The Foundation has given a lot of support to the Tribe's main cultural attractions. These include the Museum of the Cherokee Indian, Qualla Arts and Crafts Mutual, Inc., the Oconaluftee Indian Village, and the outdoor play Unto These Hills. These places attract visitors and create jobs.

Two groups that the Foundation supports, the Cherokee Chamber of Commerce and the Sequoyah Fund, are helping local businesses grow. For example, the Sequoyah Fund offers low-cost loans to businesses in downtown Cherokee. These loans help them fix up their buildings, making the area look nicer. The Sequoyah Fund also helps new and experienced business owners start and expand their companies.

Protecting the Environment

For hundreds of years, the Cherokee people have believed in taking good care of the land. The Cherokee Preservation Foundation started a community plan called "Generation Qualla." This plan has led to many new green projects.

These projects include:

• Making tribal buildings use less energy.
• Creating standards for building new green buildings.
• Greatly increasing local recycling efforts.
• Making it easier to get approval for new construction on the Qualla Boundary.
• Getting Cherokee communities involved in projects to improve the environment.