By BROOKLYN BROWN BIGMEAT
One Feather Reporter
CHEROKEE, N.C.—The Planning Board of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) met on the afternoon of Monday, Oct. 19. EBCI Project Management Grants and Planning Coordinator Kim Deas led roll call.
Members present included Mike Parker, Wayohi (Wolftown) and Widagalinidisgv (Big Y) rep.; Adam Wachacha, Tutiyi (Snowbird) and Tsalagi Gadugi (Cherokee Co.) rep.; Shannon Swimmer, Aniwodihi (Painttown) rep.; Lavita Hill, Kolanvyi (Big Cove) rep.; Shennelle Feather, Elawodi (Yellowhill) rep.; Sean Ross, secretary of commerce; Brandi Claxton, secretary of treasury; Anthony Sequoyah, secretary of operations; Ugvwiyuhi (Principal Chief) Michell Hicks; Taline Ugvwiyu (Vice Chief) Alan B. Ensley; Pat Oocumma; Brian Saunooke; Annie Owens; and Natalie Bradley.
Tsisqwohi (Birdtown) Rep. Boyd Owle was absent on travel.
Claxton shared that the grant application submitted to the Economic Development Administration for the development of the multi-use sports and events building at the old High School site was rejected. Claxton said the grantors considered it to be more of a community project rather than economic development. Claxton said a separate application was submitted for several sites including the old Elementary School site as well as the development of a family fun center at Cherokee Cinemas, and they have not yet received word on the status of that application.
Ross said plans are still in place for the old High School site, but the multi-use building is now off the table. Ross said plans for the site include a permanent stage area, back-of-house area, multipurpose sports field, concession, pavilion area, bench seating for sports field area, elders parking, permanent bathrooms, exhibit hall/steel structure for simple events, green space, splash pad, and connecting bridge for alternate route across the river.
Ross said the plans create a permanent space for the Cherokee Indian Fair. Ross said the multipurpose sports field could host the anetso (stickball) games, but “they are not forcing anyone to move.” Ross also shared that they had record-breaking numbers this year at Children’s Day and Elder’s Day.
He said they are beginning the permanent bathroom phase of the project at the end of the calendar year.
Feather shared that she felt the 114th Annual Cherokee Indian Fair was awesome, but she has heard from her constituents that it is still the desire of the community to have the Fair back at the “Ceremonial Grounds,” what is now under construction as the Cultural Grounds.
Feather also said it is her opinion that the stickball teams should express where they would like to play. She shared her family history of anetso being played at Feather Fields, as well as the history of games played at the Kolanvyi field and other locations throughout the Qualla Boundary.
Feather also advocated for a meeting to be held involving all the communities, so that the public can comment on where they would like the Fair to be held in the future.
Feather noted that she believes there were record–breaking numbers on
Children’s Day partly because free wristbands were given to all children, not just EBCI enrolled children.
Owens said she believes the Fair should be held at the old Ceremonial Grounds, now the Cultural Grounds.
Ugvwiyuhi Hicks said that the Fair has grown substantially, and that the old High School site allows for more parking and has double the acreage of the Cultural Grounds. He said if the Fair were to be moved back to the Cultural Grounds, the Fair would need to be extended to the old Elementary School site, which would include three locations combined with the Cultural Grounds, Unity Field for anetso, and the old Elementary School site.
Feather said she would be in favor of extending the Fair to the old Elementary Site, because then everything would be within walking distance. Feather and Swimmer both said traffic was congested from anetso at Unity Field back to the Fair, and it was difficult to make it back in time for the pageants.
Saunooke added that consideration needed to be made in the future for purposeful designs of the Fair that maximized social interaction, because as it is now, the first thing you are met with as you enter the Fair is asphalt and rides. Saunooke said at the old fairs, you were met with green space and the exhibits. Feather agreed with Saunooke.
Ugvwiyuhi Hicks said the 4″ x 6″ space for community exhibits in the Exhibit Hall this year at the Fair was “completely inadequate,” and the need for an exhibit hall structure is high on his priority list for the Fair site. He said the exhibit hall was his “biggest remiss from prior fairs.”
Taline Ugvwiyu Ensley said a town hall would be scheduled so that the community could share their input about where the Fair should be held.
For the Johnson hotel property, Ross said he is asking the architects to come up with three concepts, including 1) refurbishing the space 2) a new hotel offering 3) using existing infrastructure to create a water feature and/or pool area. Taline Ugvwiyu Ensley said he thinks they should hold off on the Johnson property until the community can come to a resolve about the Fair, since the property is adjacent. Ross said his ask was purely conceptual.
Feather said Elawodi is requesting a community pool.
Ugvwiyuhi Hicks said he would also love to see a pool built, but he would like to think outside the box about what could be built that would be available past the summer months, such as a pool that could be converted into a skating rink. Ross said that was a concept his team was working on, perhaps for the old Elementary School site.
Parker said the EBCI has an opportunity to expand its outdoor economy with more low-cost, high-impact projects like Soco and Mingo Falls.
Parker added that he thinks the Elementary School site should be utilized as a mixed use, economic development space to allow enrolled members the opportunity to become entrepreneurs and start businesses there.
Parker also said there is maintenance and beautification needed around businesses in Cherokee. Ross said he is working with Associate Attorney General Ryan Clayton to draft language in the Cherokee Code to set those types of standards for businesses in Cherokee. Wachacha said those amendments would fit well in Chapter 106 Business Regulation.
The board voted to begin the proposal process for the Sneed property.
Ross provided an update on the new entry signage. Ross said the Sign Committee has worked on verbiage that includes “Welcome to the Qualla Boundary” and a subtitle they are still workshopping that could read as:
“The sovereign homeland of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians,”
“The ancestral and sovereign homeland of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians,” or
“The historic homeland of the sovereign Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.”
Ross said they are also looking to utilize a patina effect so that the sign looks better as it ages. He said there will also be a plaque explaining the significance of the term Qualla Boundary and why the distinction is important from “reservation,” since the EBCI purchased the land.
Ross also said the committee wants to create community signage for each of the Cherokee communities, and they plan to consult the community clubs.
Feather said she does not like the use of the term “Indians” on the sign because it is outdated. She mentioned that there is some old and tattered signage on some of light poles throughout Cherokee, and the committee could replace those and utilize the light poles for the community signage.
Swimmer asked Ross who was on the Sign Committee. Ross said the committee includes, Dallas Bennett, Sheyahshe Littledave, Sky Sampson, Sean Ross, and Dr. Beau Carroll. Swimmer said she thinks it is an oversight that there is not a Cherokee elder or fluent speaker on the committee. She also said community signage is something Cherokee elder and fluent speaker Marie Junaluska has been working on for years, and Marie should be included in the meetings.
Taline Ugvwiyu Ensley said he would make sure Bennett let Swimmer and Junaluska know when and where the meetings were being held. Ugvwiyuhi Hicks said inclusion of the Cherokee Speakers Council would also be ideal as the project progresses.
Feather said pull-offs should be included in the project so people can take photos and access the signage.
Sequoyah said progress is being made on the restrooms in Saunooke Village and should be finished by Spring.
