By SCOTT MCKIE B.P.
One Feather Asst. Editor
CHEROKEE, N.C. – Regina Ledford Rosario, a member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, has been recognized as a leader in child advocacy in Indian Country. During a session of Annual Council on the morning of Monday, Oct. 14, Dinilawigi (Tribal Council) passed Res. No. 303 (2024) unanimously which recognizes Rosario as “the founder of the first Child Advocacy Center in Indian County, Heart to Heart”.
Res. No. 303 states that a sign will be placed at the Center which reads, “Heart to Heart, the first CAC in Indian Country, founded in 1995 by Regina Ledford Rosario for the rights of abused children.”
During a session of Annual Council on the morning of Monday, Oct. 14, Dinilawigi (Tribal Council) passed Res. No. 303 (2024) unanimously which recognizes Regina Ledford Rosario, shown at podium, as “the founder of the first Child Advocacy Center in Indian County, Heart to Heart”. (SCOTT MCKIE B.P./One Feather photo)
Ugvwiyuhi (Principal Chief) Michell Hicks submitted Res. No. 303 along with Aniwodihi (Painttown) Reps. Michael Stamper and Dike Sneed.
Ugvwiyuhi Hicks said during discussion on the legislation, “I think the recognition is definitely due. She has spent a lot of time working on a lot of tough issues with our children and children’s safety. It makes me proud to bring this resolution to the table to recognize Regina for her hard work and dedication to our Tribe.”
Rosario spoke on Monday and said that the Heart to Heart Child Advocacy Center, the first of its kind in Indian Country, was a model program for other federally recognized tribes. “We had people from all over come see and support our Child Advocacy Center. I want to thank again my staff because they had a lot of input. I want to thank our Chief at the time who was Jonathan Ed Taylor. He saved me a few times by speaking up for the importance and need for our Center. There wasn’t a lot of money back then, and he helped find us a stand-alone building, funding which wasn’t really easy to come by back then, and I’m just thankful for him and appreciate him to this day.”
She added, “Back then, I investigated it all – child abuse, crimes against women…”
Rosario said she will remain an advocate all of her life. “I will stand up here and help them, whoever needs my help, to speak for them.”
Res. No. 303 recognizes the rest of the first staff of Heart to Heart. “Regina Ledford Rosario would also like to thank and recognize her staff at that time who had a lot of input: Lois Dunston, Krystopher Storm, and Jennifer Hornbuckle Standingdeer.”
Dunston was present on Monday and commented, “Our mission was sacred. The children were our business. The families were our business. And, we took that especially to heart. We supported the investigations and the treatments of child abuse cases. There was child sexual abuse, physical abuse, emotional abuse, psychological abuse, there’s all kinds of abuse. But, we took them all.”
She went on to say, “Oftentimes, our program stood in the gap. We stood in the gap for our families. We stood in the gap for our children against perpetrators.”
