A specially-designed can of Cherokee Water ᏣᎳᎩ ᎠᎹ will be sold at Western Carolina University’s (WCU) EBCI (Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians) Appreciation Day on Saturday, Nov. 7. (SCOTT MCKIE B.P./One Feather photo)
By SCOTT MCKIE B.P.
One Feather Asst. Editor
CULLOWHEE, N.C. – A specially-designed can of Cherokee Water ᏣᎳᎩ ᎠᎹ will be sold at Western Carolina University’s (WCU) EBCI (Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians) Appreciation Day on Saturday, Nov. 7. The can, featuring WCU logos as well as the EBCI tribal seal, will be sold during the football game between WCU and Wofford at E.J. Whitmire Stadium in Cullowhee, N.C.
The can makes reference to Tali Tsisqwayahi (Two Sparrows Place) where the WCU campus is located. An educational piece on the can states, “Western Carolina University is located on the ancestral homelands of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, known as Tali Tsisqwayahi or Two Sparrows Place. This land has been an important part of the Cherokee homeland for generations. Today, this land remains a place where people come together to learn, work, and build community.
We recognize the history and continued presence of the Cherokee people here and honor the connection to the land and water that has shaped this place over time.”
Pamela Sneed, EBCI director of enterprise development, said they produced over 3,400 cans with the special WCU design for the event. This marks the third specialty can with the first being one in 2025 commemorating Tsalagi Anata Anitsvyasdi (Cherokee Lady Braves) winning their second consecutive 1A State Basketball Championship and another for the 2026 Red Clay State Historic Park’s Cherokee Cultural Celebration in Tennessee.
“The Tribe has a sponsorship agreement with Western,” said Sneed. “When they were negotiating the sponsorship, one of the things they negotiated was to sell our water based on the fact that it is recyclable.”
She said the EBCI Commerce Division, EBCI Destination Marketing, and EBCI Communications met with Cherokee Water to work on a plan, and Casey Davis with EBCI Communications executed the design.
Sneed noted, “It’s known as the Two Sparrows Place to us so we put that information in there. And, of course, the background is Judaculla Rock…so it’s culturally-relevant.”
She added, “I’m very proud of all the stuff that we do with this. It doesn’t just inform our visitors or people outside of here. It also informs our own people because how many people don’t know that we call it the Two Sparrows Place?”
The canned Cherokee Water was launched in summer 2024 and was first distributed to participants in the Remember the Removal Ride. The can itself describes the water as “Community sourced water. Reverse Osmosis and UV Filtered Water. Remineralized for taste.”
Sneed said the canned water is currently doing very well. Sneed related that Tap Hopper, LLC in Greensboro, N.C. cans the water, and Pepsi Co. distributes it around western North Carolina.
“We are currently in Murphy to Hendersonville now with the canned water,” said Sneed. “The average cost is about $1.50 a can, but I love it when people, locals, find it out in Asheville, or Hendersonville, or Murphy and they post it on social media like ‘look what I found’ because they’re just so proud of it. That’s what we want.”
When the canned water was launched, EBCI Division of Commerce officials noted at that time, “This exciting initiative underscores our commitment to environmental stewardship and highlights the significance of sustainable practices within our community. As proud stewards of the environment, the EBCI has long recognized the importance of protecting our natural resources. The eventual shift from plastic bottles to recyclable aluminum cans is a significant step in reducing our environmental footprint and promoting sustainability. Aluminum cans are not only more recyclable, but also reduce waste and energy consumption, aligning perfectly with our values of environmental preservation and respect for nature.”
