Children played in the misting stations and water features as the Kanunohi Park opened officially in downtown Cherokee, N.C. on the afternoon of Friday, May 2. (SCOTT MCKIE B.P./One Feather photos)
By SCOTT MCKIE B.P.
One Feather Asst. Editor
CHEROKEE, N.C. – A little rain didn’t dampen any spirits as children played in the various water features as the Kanunohi (Bullfrog Place) Park opened officially in downtown Cherokee, N.C. on the afternoon of Friday, May 2. It is the latest project of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) and adds a new amenity to the downtown area.
EBCI Ugvwiyuhi (Principal Chief) Michell Hicks commented, “There’s been a lot of hard work that’s gone into this project…I do want to thank all the staff, our contractors. I know facilities, construction, they’ve worked some late hours, communications. We just appreciate all those guys…it takes a lot of effort.
We are in a revitalization stage of Cherokee. This is one project…I’m really excited about where we’re going. But, we have to keep the momentum.”
He went on to say, “Our team has spent a tremendous amount of time planning, and I appreciate the Planning Board…One of the things that we have going for us as executive leadership, and also Tribal Council, is we have a really seasoned crew here. The economy has been tough. The shutting down of I-40 and 441 has been really tough on us. But, these types of projects are going to help really revitalize us, so I’m excited about it.”
Four young ladies had a hand in cutting the ribbon to officially open the Kanunohi Park including Lily Hampton (black shirt), Aurora Garcia-Hernandez (white hoodie), Bella Frady (red shirt), and Analee Garcia-Hernandez (blue shirt).
EBCI Secretary of Commerce Sean Ross said, “I’d like to single out the tribal leadership for allowing us the opportunity to execute this vision for our community, our visitors, and our partners within this business district…I want to acknowledge the Project Management team…for their focus, coordination, and unwavering oversight and diligence in the process of managing this mist park initiative.”
He added, “I want to thank the business owners for their kindness and patience through all of the construction disruption and also for their individual commitments in assisting with the gradual revitalization of this downtown area.”
Rebecca Bowe, EBCI Project Management program manager, said, “This has been a lot of hard work, kind of a project of labor and love over the last year. The old fountain and splash pad that used to be here was really old and dilapidated and just became a really big maintenance headache. Time and money kept going into it and we could never really get it working right. So, we all brainstormed, trying to figure out what do we need to be here to make it more community-driven and compliment the businesses that were here.”
She is excited about the new amenity and what it will mean for local families as well as tourists. “We just think this is a great opportunity to let you all gather down here and have a picnic and just enjoy a nice, sunny afternoon.”
Pat Oocumma, who serves on the Tribal Planning Board, commented, “We appreciate all the work that everyone on the planning board has done for the past 5 years. Michell and I, and my husband, Wilson, have been on some of these boards and this is just one of the fruitions of that.”
Dinilawigi (Tribal Council) was represented by Kolanvyi (Big Cove) Rep. Richard French and Wayohi (Wolftown) Rep. Bo Crowe.
Rep. French said, “I just want to thank the Chief’s team and Commerce and everyone that was behind all this. I look forward to better days so the kids can enjoy this more.”
Rep. Crowe noted, “I believe it’s a perfect day to be here. It’s raining and that’s what we’re here for is to be wet. So, I think it’s a good day to be here. I just want to thank everyone that had a part in this and thank everyone for showing up this evening.”
Little Miss Cherokee Faith Panther, Junior Miss Cherokee Misha Slee, and Teen Miss Cherokee Dvdaya Swimmer were all on hand and greeted the crowd gathered for the event. The Threshhold Party Band, from Fort Mill, S.C., played the event as well.
