COMMENTARY: 2022

by Dec 10, 2022OPINIONS0 comments

By ROBERT JUMPER

One Feather Editor

 

As we come to the end of a very busy year at the One Feather, I thought it would be interesting to look back at the top stories of the year and reflect on our time, both the newspaper staff and the readership. At the time of this writing, we have one print edition left before the holiday break and the conclusion of 2022. In those editions, you saw roughly 2,300 pages of content from news, commentaries, public service announcements, and advertising. Online, the unique website visits to theonefeather.com measured just over 1.2 million for the 48-week period. And Facebook engagement showed that both reach and engagement, you enjoyed the One Feather coverage well into the hundreds of thousands each month of 2022. Not a bad job of bringing the news to the community and beyond, especially with a staff of five. Not bad at all.

So, let’s look at the headlines. If you missed any of the following, all the content is available at our website (theonefeather.com) anytime you have a moment to browse our pages. Here’s what our issues brought:

January

  • Our calendar year of coverage began Jan. 12 with the Wolftown Airnasium opening.
  • 19 – Nikawsi Initiative expanded their plan for the Mound to include a Cultural District.
  • 26 – There was a report on the roles of the tribal prosecutors.

February

  • 2 – We reported on Cherokee women who started a podcast for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) awareness.
  • 16 – We shared how Colton Crowe saved his brother in a daring water rescue.
  • 23 – The Tribal ABC Store was prepared to open.

March

  • March 2 – The downtown pedestrian bridge, and sewer main were explained.
  • March 9 – We reported that Cherokee Central Schools (CCS) would receive the first electric school bus in North Carolina.
  • March 16 – The CCS School Board voted to donate to help with a student who needed transport to cancer treatments.
  • March 23 – Federal and state dignitaries came to Cherokee to celebrate the first electric school bus.
  • March 30 – We told you water and mold damage had been found at CCS.

April

  • April 6 – The Burgess-Ooccuma Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Wolftown was dedicated.
  • April 13 – We discuss the Motorola mobile devices that were beginning to implement Cherokee language into their software.
  • April 20 – There was a focus on healthy habits from the Cherokee Cooperative Extension and EBCI Holdings got the “green light” from Tribal Council for a casino bid.
  • April 27 – Fire Mountain Disc Golf was ready for action in May.

May

  • May 4 cover – The “Say Their Names” walk highlighted the crisis of missing and murdered indigenous women.
  • May 11 – Tribal Council approved $75 million for the 407 Gateway to Adventure and Puy du Fou partnership in Tennessee.
  • May 18 – The Commerce Division announced that the Cherokee Indian Fair would be held at the old elementary school site (that location was later changed to the Casino).
  • May 25 – We reported on the celebration at Kituwah and the three Cherokee tribes attending.

June

  • June 1 – Cherokee High School (CHS) held Commencement for the Class of 2022 and the Jacob Cornsilk Complex opened to serve the Snowbird community.
  • June 8 – Cherokee honored fallen heroes on Memorial Day and tribal elder Lew Harding was honored for 25 years of service as commander of the Steve Youngdeer American Legion Post 143.
  • June 15 – CCS School Board talked over safety and coaching contracts and a Christian veterinary group held clinics on the Qualla Boundary.
  • June 22 – The Remember the Removal riders arrived in Tahlequah.
  • June 29 – With approximately a year on the job, the Cherokee police chief resigns.

July

  • July 6 – We reported that newly appointed (interim at the time) Cherokee Police Chief Carla Neadeau stepped up for her community.
  • July 13 – A major expansion to the Fire Mountain Trail system was announced which would include 12 to 15 miles of additional trails.
  • July 20 – Tribal Council voted to support Clingman’s Dome renaming, and the Cherokee Youth Center held a ribbon cutting.
  • July 27 – CCS School Board analyzes teacher salaries and Tribal Council approved $3 million to start the Fairgrounds renovation project.

August

  • 3 – The Cherokee Police Commission met with the new Police Chief.
  • 10 – Tribal Council approved a $39 million budget for the Sequoyah National Golf Club Hotel, the Children’s Trout Fishing Derby is held, and a Whittier property was transferred to the Cherokee Housing Division.
  • 17 – EBCI and Caesars partnered for a casino in Virginia.
  • 24 – Groundbreaking Ceremony was held for the new Speakers Building.
  • 31 – Western Carolina University launches a Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women art exhibition.

September

  • 7 – Tribal Council approved a $1 million budget for the Wolftown veteran’s cemetery. Tribal Council overrode a veto of golf course hotel funding.
  • 14 – “Disruption” exhibit addition shook up the Museum of the Cherokee Indian. Many of the long-time museum pieces were removed and replaced with modern Cherokee artwork.
  • 21 – Commerce Division announced that Boyz II Men would headline at the Cherokee Indian Fair.
  • 28 – The National Park Service director visited the Great Smoky Mountains National Park on National Public Lands Day, and the CCS School Board considered a $15 minimum wage.

October

  • 5 – The Valley River Casino announced a $275 million expansion, coverage of the four Miss Cherokee pageants and the crowning of new royalty, and Harris Regional Hospital introduced forensic nurse services for the area, including the Qualla Boundary.
  • 12 – Veterans were honored in a ceremony by the Steve Youngdeer American Legion Post 143 at the Cherokee Indian Fair.
  • 19 – Long-time Painttown Tribal Council Representative Tommye Saunooke passed away.
  • 26 – A groundbreaking ceremony was held for the new Tsali Care Center.

November

  • 2 – Caesars Southern Indiana Casino was reviewed for its first year of operation and reported a $4.1 million profit in year one.
  • 9 – A Cherokee couple received an North Carolina Arts Council Heritage Award, the Kananesgi Art and Fashion Show happened, and the Police Commission discussed elk shootings and radio communications.
  • 16 – The Steve Youngdeer American Legion Post 143 honored veterans at the Veterans’ Day celebration, and the Tribe’s medical cannabis business geared up.
  • 23 – EBCI launched a horse racing partnership in Kentucky.
  • 30 – Missy Crowe and Lavita Hill received Dogwood awards for their work toward changing the name of Clingman’s Dome.

December

  • 7 – This edition focused on the opening of the new housing complex on Acquoni Road and Chief Sneed advocating for representation in the U.S. Congress for the three Cherokee tribes.

In addition to these top stories, we ran several investigative reports, school board meetings, Tribal Council meetings, arrest reports, summary court reports, and reports to Council by several different programs, and boards. We shared community fundraisers, success stories, and youth sporting events. We also witnessed the passing of 156 community members. We provided you with updates on those who were banished from tribal lands. And we ran your commentary, from thank you letters to comments on social media posts to opinion pieces on the relevant topics of the year.

We, the staff and readership, have worked together to inform and be informed as the year 2022 unfolded. Many of you have written and expressed your approval of the content you found in the One Feather. Some have not been as pleased. As the old saying goes, you can please some of the people all the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can never please all of the people all of the time. And while we enjoy the positive feedback, we learn just as much or more from the negative. We always strive to improve our service to you, the Cherokee community. We get excited when we see the readership numbers go up, because we understand that the product we create is being seen by more sets of eyes. Our job is to disseminate information; to make sure you have the tools to make informed decisions from where to eat to who and what to vote for.

From the staff and editorial board of the Cherokee One Feather, we offer our sincere thanks to the Tribal Council, Executive Committee, the Finance Division, the advertisers, and all the tribal programs and entities who provided content this year. Most of all, we thank the tribal community and readership of the Cherokee One Feather. We sincerely hope that you have peaceful and happy holidays.