The star-shaped flowerbed created by EBCI Communications and the THIP team at the roundabout on Acquoni Rd. (Photo contributed by Sky Sampson)
By BROOKLYN BROWN BIGMEAT
One Feather Reporter
CHEROKEE, N.C. – Public Health and Human Services (PHHS) has instituted a flowerbed project as part of the Tribal Health Improvement Plan (THIP). There are nine tribal programs and groups participating in the project. Throughout the month of November, the One Feather will feature each of those groups and their flowerbeds, including:
- The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) Domestic Violence/Sexual Assault Program (at Ernestine Walkingstick Shelter)
- The Wiggins Family (at the Post Office and Subway)
- The VOC Client Activities Program (at the Wolftown Fire Substation)
- Welch Witches (at Whitewater Landing)
- EBCI Communications/THIP Team (at the Roundabout)
- Office of the Principal Chief (at Cherokee Fitness Complex)
- EBCI Water Quality/Fisheries and Wildlife (at Peaches Squirrell Sports & Recreation Complex entrance)
- PHHS (at EMS Playground)
- Maney’s Clean-up (at Whitewater Landing)
Anita Lossiah, director of human services, said “safe and healthy built environments” was one of the targeted areas of improvement for this year’s THIP. “Among other projects that we’re initiating, one of them is the flowerbed project where people can choose to adopt an area to do a garden plot…We try to make sure that [the flowerbeds] are kept up because we knew they’d have to be weeded, so we thought one way to do that was to try to make it a seasonal thing. So, we encouraged everybody to do a fall garden.”
Lossiah added, “We also want to thank the donors. Those that provided donations of services and/or supplies are the NC Arboretum, Darnell Farms, Damian Solis, mulch from the tribe, the HELP Program, EBCI interns, and EBCI member Drew Johnson designed the star-shaped raised bed at the roundabout.”
Sky Sampson, EBCI secretary of community, recreation, and education, who is one of the leads on the project, said they will begin sign-ups again in the Spring for anyone interested in adopting a garden plot. The project requires one-year maintenance of a flowerbed. She said they are also pursuing grant funding to assist volunteers with their plots. Sampson also added that another built environment initiative will be updates to the light pole banners and lighting around Cherokee, and she is the contact for any comments or suggestions (skysamp@ebci-nsn.gov).
