October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. The EBCI Domestic Violence/Sexual Assault program held a candlelight vigil at the Cherokee Indian Fairgrounds on Thursday, Oct. 13 to honor the victims of domestic violence.

There are three federally recognized Cherokee tribes in the United States including the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (NC), the Cherokee Nation (OK) and the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians (OK). According to a list compiled in March by the Cherokee Nation, there are 212 fabricated groups claiming to be Cherokee tribes.

If the budget remains the same, BalsamWest FiberNet will get just shy of $450,000 from the FY2012 budget of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. But, according to Donald Rose, BalsamWest FiberNet board of directors, the company needed the money now and couldn’t wait for the budgets to be approved.