By BROOKLYN BROWN
One Feather Reporter
CHEROKEE, N.C. – The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) Natural Resources Department (NRD) and the Junaluska Museum are collaborating to conduct interviews with EBCI members to aid co-stewardship between the EBCI and the United States Forest Service (USFS). They are asking for the community’s help in providing input.
Avery Guy, EBCI NRD conservation outreach coordinator, and Angelina Jumper, cultural resource supervisor for the Junaluska Museum, are leading the Wadulisi Crew, a group of EBCI members conducting interviews to center Cherokee voices in co-stewardship. The Wadulisi Crew includes Guy and Jumper, as well as Malia Crowe-Skulski, environmental educator; Alayna Morgan; and Payton Bradley, EBCI NRD forestry technician.
An elk is shown grazing in the field adjacent to the Oconaluftee Visitors Center in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. (SCOTT MCKIE B.P./One Feather photo)
A co-stewardship plan began in 2022 between EBCI NRD and the USFS to emphasize traditional ecological knowledge and Cherokee land rights. Specific initiatives for the plan began in 2023 and 2024, including the founding of the Elohi Dinigatiyi (Earth Keppers), an advisory group of elder Cherokee speakers and environmental experts who identified Kituwah principles for the co-stewardship relationship.
Currently, the Wadulisi Crew is part of the co-stewardship initiative. “We are conducting community interviews to hear what tribal members wish to see in this new relationship with the USFS. We discuss topics like permitting, designation of sites (how the land is managed or protected), how to increase access to federal lands for tribal members, and what changes the tribe would like to see,” Guy shared.
“Topics can include increased accessibility to white oak, increased accessibility to gather culturally significant plants and food, protections for waterways and locations, interpretive signage to correctly convey the relationship between the tribe and our ancestral homelands, increased privacy for ceremony and traditions, and more.”
Skulski said the information gathered from the interviews will be protected information used by EBCI NRD, Elohi Dinigatiyi, and the Junaluska Museum to advocate for the Cherokee community. “This effort aims to bring Cherokee voices into discussions about land management, cultural site protection, and policy decisions…The information gathered will be used to advocate for policy changes that better reflect Cherokee stewardship values and cultural connections,” she said.
“This project is critical because it amplifies the voices of the Cherokee community in decisions that impact ancestral lands. Past policies have often excluded Indigenous knowledge; by gathering community input, we aim to ensure Cherokee land stewardship practices are recognized and respected in future policies and management strategies.”
Bradley highlighted the importance of these interviews for future generations. “It’s important that we share knowledge with our younger generations and the ones that are coming after them. Your great-great grandchildren can listen to your voice and learn what you had to say for yourself about our homelands and how to manage them.”
Morgan said this project is a call to action for the entire Cherokee community to share their voice, “Please share this information with any other EBCI community members you think might be interested in participating. This is a community effort that can help preserve and strengthen our cultural knowledge. Together, we can ensure that our voices are heard and that our traditional ecological knowledge is integrated into conservation efforts for the benefit of future generations.”
If you have questions or are interested in participating in an interview, contact Avery Guy at averyguy@ebci-nsn.gov or (828) 507-4504.
