Cherokee Preservation Foundation facts for kids
| Formation | 2000 |
|---|---|
| Type | Nonprofit foundation |
| Headquarters | Cherokee, North Carolina, United States |
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Executive Director
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Bobby Raines |
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Key people
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Revenue (2021)
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$9,326,190 |
| Expenses (2021) | $4,105,873 |
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 was started in 2000. This foundation is a nonprofit, which means it doesn't work to make money for itself. Instead, it uses its funds to help people and the community.
The EBCI provides money for the Foundation from their gaming (casino) earnings. However, the Foundation works completely on its own. It's not part of the gaming business or the Tribal government. Its main goal is to make life better for the EBCI. It also aims to make the western North Carolina region stronger. It does this by respecting old Cherokee traditions while also looking for new chances to grow.
The Foundation focuses on several key areas. These include keeping Cherokee culture alive, helping the economy grow, creating jobs, and protecting the environment. It's a big help for communities in the Qualla Boundary and nearby counties. These counties include Haywood, Jackson, Clay, Macon, Graham, Swain, and Cherokee.
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What Does the Foundation Do?
The Cherokee Preservation Foundation works on many projects. These projects help the Cherokee people and their neighbors. They focus on culture, jobs, and nature.
Keeping Cherokee Culture Alive
A big part of the Foundation's work is to protect and share Cherokee culture. This includes supporting traditional crafts, helping the Cherokee language stay strong, and teaching leadership based on Cherokee values.
Cherokee Arts and Crafts
The Foundation helps groups that teach and preserve Cherokee arts and crafts. For example, they support the Qualla Arts and Crafts Cooperative. This group helps Cherokee artists share their beautiful work. They also support the Oconaluftee Institute of Cultural Arts and RTCAR. These groups help keep the rich history of Cherokee art and crafts alive for new generations.
Saving the Cherokee Language
The Cherokee language is very important to the EBCI. In 2006, there were only 275 people on the Qualla Boundary who spoke Cherokee. By 2018, this number had dropped to 217. The Foundation works hard to save the language.
- New Kituwah Academy: This school has a special program where children learn in both English and Cherokee. It helps young children become fluent speakers.
- Language Classes: The Foundation supports classes for tribal members of all ages. This way, more people can learn or improve their Cherokee.
- University Partnership: They work with Western Carolina University. Together, they create learning materials in Cherokee. They also offer scholarships to train teachers. These teachers then help teach in Cherokee at the New Kituwah Academy.
Leadership Based on Culture
The Foundation also supports programs that teach leadership skills. These programs are special because they are based on Cherokee culture and values.
- Cherokee Youth Council: This group helps young people aged 13-17. It gives them a chance to speak up about issues that matter to them. The Youth Council has worked on recycling awareness. They also made a film about important issues for young people.
- Costa Rica Eco-Study Tour: High school students from western North Carolina can go on an annual trip to Costa Rica. This trip helps them learn about other cultures and the environment.
- Jones-Bowman Adult Leadership Program: This program helps tribal members who are in college. It helps them develop their leadership abilities through special learning programs.
- The Right Path: This program is for adult members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. It helps them develop leadership skills using their cultural background.
Growing the Economy and Creating Jobs
Tourism is a major way the economy grows on the Qualla Boundary. This is the homeland of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. The Foundation has given a lot of money to improve important cultural places. These include the Museum of the Cherokee Indian and the Oconaluftee Indian Village. They also support Unto These Hills, an outdoor play about Cherokee history.
Two groups that the Foundation helps are the Cherokee Chamber of Commerce and the Sequoyah Fund. These groups have made a big difference in local business. For example, the Sequoyah Fund offers low-cost loans to businesses in Cherokee. These loans help store owners fix up their buildings. This makes downtown Cherokee 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. Through this plan, many new "green" projects are happening.
These projects include making tribal buildings use less energy. They are also creating standards for green building. Recycling has greatly increased in the area. The process for approving new construction on the Qualla Boundary is now simpler. Also, Cherokee communities are getting involved in projects to improve the environment.
