CULTURAL PRESERVATION HONORING OUR CORE VALUES INTRODUCTION EMBRACING CHEROKEE VALUES “We were taught to love and to take care of each other.” Walker Calhoun, EBCI tribal elder Cherokee Preservation Foundation’s (CPF) strategies were shaped by the cultural values endorsed by members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians in the Vision Qualla initiative of 2004. These values are being utilized within CPF’s strategic plan and program efforts. By practicing the core values, the Cherokee people can surmount many crises, while continuing to prosper as a community. The Cherokee values are: Spirituality; is a Cherokee lifeway, creates a bond among Cherokee people in good times and bad, and is a source of hope. Group Harmony in community and kin relationships; freely giving time, talent and treasures. Strong Individual Character; to act selflessly with integrity, honesty, perseverance, courage, respect, trust, honor and humility. Sense of Place; acting as good stewards of the land, making a connection between the land & tribal identity. Honoring the Past by honoring Cherokee ancestors and elders, learning from past tribal decisions, and embracing tribal identity. Educating the Children by providing values-oriented education and recreation, and by being strong role models. Sense of Humor lightens pressure in serious situations, which helps people make good decisions when addressing adversity. Each story in this annual report reflects one or more of these Cherokee values. CHEROKEE PRESERVATION FOUNDATION 71 John Crowe Hill Road, Cherokee, NC 28719 828/497-5550 2 www.cherokeepreservation.org INTRODUCTION CULTURAL PRESERVATION DAY OF CARING EMBODIES GA-DU-GI SPIRIT The Cherokee term sino. The Day of Caring lies had different needs. Ga-Du-Gi or “Free has helped scores of tribal We might tend a field or Labor” refers to tradi- members improve their garden or rebuild some- T tional groups which help homes, yards, gardens, thing that needed it. The community members in and out buildings. More point is we all helped each need without being asked. importantly, it brings other. Day of Caring helps This tradition is intrinsic people together, neigh- us continue that tradition to Cherokee culture and bors helping neighbors, today.” continues to reflect all for a fun day of hard Day of Caring plan- positive aspects of tribal work and comradery that ning takes place year identity. builds community. It is around and involves By emulating this the living, breathing em- many organizations. A powerful cultural model bodiment of Ga-Du-Gi. committee plans the an- in our programming, the Marie Junaluska, tribal nual event which includes Foundation strives to council member and elder, the EBCI, the Cherokee support this community notes that Ga-Du-Gi has Boy’s Club (CBC), the based time-honored tradi- been around for as long as CPF, Harrah’s, and Qualla tion. The Cherokee Day she can remember. “Part Housing (QH). Families Robert Mathews of the of Caring was established of Ga-Du-Gi is a volun- in need of assistance are Tow Spring community in 2005 as a partnership teer group that does free nominated by the each of between the Cherokee labor—when I was young, the ten Cherokee Com- received help in this Preservation Foundation people came together and munity Clubs. Once the year’s event. More than (the Foundation) and helped whoever had a nominations are received 30 volunteers swarmed Harrah’s Cherokee Ca- need, and different fami- committee members around his home, replacing porch posts, pressure washing the home, cleaning flower beds, cutting down a tree, pulling up poison oak, and doing overall clean up. “I’m a native; my people go back to the 1800s on this land, and we’ve always helped each other. That’s how we were raised,” said Robert. “To see all these folks, from a judge to a pre-teen, working to- gether with such a great attitude is wonderful. This brings us more together, because we all have a stake in all our communities.” www.cherokeepreservation.org 3 CULTURAL PRESERVATION select projects that can be provided for each project years accomplishments Community support is completed within a six- by the Tribe, CBC, and range from building broader now, and the vol- hour window and meet QH. Harrah’s provides porches and handicap unteer base has expanded, guidelines specifications. lunch for 250-300 volun- ramps to repairing kitch- with volunteers coming “The firstear y we did teers, and CPF purchases ens, building wood sheds, from outside the bound- this was tough, we didn’t all materials needed for and other minor repairs. ary, some as far away as have any home improve- each project. Part of the Day of Car- Florida. Communication ment skills, but we lived Deb Owle, Program ing includes celebrating with the home owners is and learned,” said Janna Operations Manager for “Quiet Heroes”; these are more streamlined, and Hyatt, Regional Com- the CPF and co-founder people recommended by home project assess- munity Relations Special- of Day of Caring, spends each community for their ments now take less than ist at Harrah’s and event countless hours through- selfless leadership. A din- an hour. And the home co-founder. “Now we out the year to assure its ner that night recognizes improvements are sustain- have volunteer members success. “It’s an awesome, these ten people to thank able, which means that that match our needs, feel-good day and the them for their service. people can stay in their and these skilled people whole process is great. I During this evening, a homes longer. do the assessments and love it because it lets me “Good Neighbor” is also “It’s such a rewarding tell us what we can and give back to my com- selected based on recom- day, talking to the home cannot do.” munity, my people. This mendations from the owners, discovering we The committee must is what Ga-Du-Gi is all communities. This is one can make a difference and create project needs as- about, helping fellow person who is not a tribal help one another; that’s sessments that include neighbors,” said Deb. member, but someone the spirit of the day,” said materials, volunteers, This ear’sy projects in- who lives on the bound- Janna. “But really, the timeline, travel & meals, cluded painting, replacing ary and gives back to the work is the bonus because and orchestrate comple- porch supports, general community. the whole day is about tion for all ten projects. cleanup, and providing Each year Day of Car- good fellowship and Skilled project leaders are landscaping. Previous ing grows a little more. neighbors.” “As a people, we’ve always helped each other. That’s how we were raised.” 4 www.cherokeepreservation.org CULTURAL PRESERVATION ENVIRONMENTAL PRESERVATION ENVIRONMENTAL PRESERVATION ENHANCES CHEROKEE’S SENSE OF PLACE Sense of Place is one of the Cherokee cultural core values, which is intrinsic to preserv- ing and protecting the environment. Also, environmental preservation is a funding area that CPF addresses on several fronts. Using best environmental management S practices, CPF supports land and resource utilization in ways to assure environmental sustainability including energy efficiency, emphasizing alternative energy sources, and recycling efforts. Furthermore, CPF encourages energy efficiency projects that could lead to the creation of jobs and revenues on the Qualla Boundary, while also working with partners to improve water and air quality. Additionally, the Foundation seeks to fund projects that preserve and propagate usable artisan materials in a sustainable manner, which is part of CPF’s environmental mission. Cherokee artisans utilize raw materials such as rivercane for basket making, but the required natural resources to support this tradition are becoming rare. There- fore, the CPF supports projects like the Greenway next to Robbinsville High School, which is a good example of a grant that preserves and propagates rivercane culms needed to support the basket-making tradition. Implementing a project such as this on a school campus ensures that the youth and region understand the im- portance of environmental preservation and how it relates to the Cherokee sense of place core value and lifeways. BIRD MONITORING STUDY HELPS SUSTAIN HABITAT, INVITES PUBLIC PARTICIPATION AND APPRECIATION of us would adore. Mark ing study is about a whole Avian Productivity and Hopey, director of South- lot more than just spend- Survivorship) to create a ern Appalachian Raptor ing time in nature. detailed view of migratory W Research (SARR), gets to Mark is conducting birds, their habitats, and Working spring and summer outdoors in the do that as part of his job, research in collaboration challenges to survival dur- mountains with flowers and he loves it. However, with a national study ing their breeding season. and birds is a job many conducting a bird band- called MAPS (Monitoring Bird monitoring not only tells us about the health of bird populations, it also tells us about the health of the overall ecosystem. Mainspring Conservation Trust contracts with SARR to get the work done; CPF funds this important work through a grant to Mainspring. Volunteers work with Mark to trap birds in mist nets, measure, weigh, note condi- tion, band them, and collect other data. It’s a race against the clock; the birds must be handled oh so gently 5 ENVIRONMENTAL PRESERVATION and released quickly. It’s out and volunteer, they the Cherokee language a rare opportunity for see things they didn’t and the natural world. people to see and touch know existed, and they This is the seventh these beautiful, colorful understand and put more year of the collaboration birds and develop more value on our environ- among Mainspring Con- appreciation for them. ment,” said Dennis servation Trust, SARR, Mark welcomes Desmond, grant manager and EBCI Natural volunteers of all ages.