The Center for Native Health 501(c)3 (CNH) has announced that it has received a subaward for $105,000.00 from the Rights and Resources Group (RRG) to conduct activities with the EBCI (Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources (DANR) entitled, “Strengthening Tribal Nation-led Conservation and Engagement with National Parks and Forests”.
This project is intended to advance community wellness by strengthening EBCI DANR’s vision, plan and implementation of culturally based conservation and involvement in land use and management.
Tommy Cabe, Tribal Forest Resource specialist for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, emphasizes that, “Funding opportunities like this are critical for preserving knowledge of the original Cherokee landscape, the various place names and the intimate utilitarian cultural knowledge of forest resources for sustainability and human health.”
The funding will directly support the development of strategies related to the recognition of Cherokee place names, enhance Tribal access and management of “public” lands; address the threats of climate change; engage EBCI youth in culturally relevant ecological practices; and build a foundation for stronger land stewardship across the ancestral Cherokee territory.
The DANR and CNH have established an Advisory Group of EBCI elders and leaders to guide the initiative and its key products. These activities are within the education and outreach program of the Culturally Significant Plant Species Initiative (CSPSI) Charter, approved by the EBCI Tribal Council in 2018.
To learn more, please visit centerfornativehealth.org
- Center for Native Health release
