By BROOKLYN BROWN
One Feather Reporter
CHEROKEE, N.C. – On the afternoon of Thursday, March 5, Dinilawigi (Tribal Council) voted to pass a resolution granting Tsisqwohi (Birdtown) Community Club a one-time waiver to receive the $10,000 awarded to each community club annually. The Community Club Council had withheld Tsisqwohi’s funding due to Tsisqwohi officers having not met the attendance requirement of four Community Club Council meetings as established by Res. No. 557 (2023).
Read the resolution here that was submitted by Tsisqwohi Community Club Chairman Joey Owle, Vice Chairman Mason White, Secretary Heather Owle, and Treasurer Deb Slee.
Tsisqwohi Anetso (Birdtown Stickball) plays an exhibition game during Birdtown Day on the afternoon of July 26, 2025, in Tsisqwohi (Birdtown). (BROOKLYN BROWN/One Feather photo)
Owle and Owle addressed Dinilawigi. Chairman Owle stated, “We were supposed to have attended four meetings. I assumed that we had attended those meetings because we had gone to eight total, but they said that five of them didn’t count because they were a different type of meeting.”
Aniwodihi (Painttown) Rep. Shannon Swimmer explained that there are Community Club Council meetings held every other month that community club officers are supposed to attend, and then there are special meetings with Executive, Cherokee Indian Police Department, and other entities of the tribe. Those meetings do not count towards the attendance requirement.
Owle went on to say that Community Club Council meetings often coincide with Tsisqwohi’s monthly meetings. Secretary Owle said some of the Tsisqwohi officers also had serious health issues that prevented them from attending meetings.
The resolution passed with a motion by Tsisqwohi (Birdtown) Rep. Boyd Owle, seconded by Wayohi nole Widagalinidisgv (Wolftown and Big Y) Rep. Mike Parker. Four voted to oppose, including Elawodi (Yellowhill) Rep. Shennelle Feather, Kolanvyi (Big Cove) Rep. Lavita Hill, Kolanvyi (Big Cove) Rep. Venita Wolfe, and Aniwodihi (Painttown) Rep. Shannon Swimmer.
