NEWS ᎧᏃᎮᏓ
EBCI receives $3.7 million grant to expand Burgess-Oocumma Veterans Memorial Cemetery
The Burgess-Oocumma Veterans Memorial Cemetery was dedicated in 2022, and now a sizable grant from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ National Cemetery Administration (NCA) will help the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) honor its veterans for generations to come.
Every Child Matters: EBCI commemorates National Day for Truth & Reconciliation
Several hundred people turned out, wearing orange shirts, to commemorate the National Day for Truth & Reconciliation event hosted by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) in Cherokee, N.C. on the morning of Tuesday, Sept. 30.
September Planning Board meeting held; several ribbon cuttings and groundbreakings upcoming
The monthly meeting of the Planning Board for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) was held on the afternoon of Monday, Sept. 21.
ONE FEATHER PHOTOS
COMMUNITY ᏍᎦᏚᎩ
From Shelter to Service: Boots joins Harris Regional Hospital and Swain Community Hospital as Certified Therapy Dog
Harris Regional Hospital and Swain Community Hospital are welcoming a new four-legged member to their hospital communities. Boots, a certified therapy dog, will begin visiting patients at both hospitals, offering companionship, affection and a comforting presence during their hospital stay.
Co-author of ‘Riding the Trail’ to sign books at Sequoyah Birthplace Museum
The annual Remember the Removal bike ride is one the most significant journeys young Cherokees can take as they retrace the Trail of Tears through seven states and learn the history of how Cherokees were removed to Indian Territory in 1838.
Kuwohi Sunset Celebration to honor name restoration, connection to site
This year’s Kuwohi Sunset Celebration is scheduled for Friday, Sept. 18 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Kuwohi in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
OPINIONS ᏃᎵᏍᎬᎢ
SPEAKING OF FAITH: A close call: Part 1 of 8
Before and since I met my wife, I was a motorcycle enthusiast for fifty-some years. Back then, that is what you would have called me unless you saw me riding on the street with my colors, and then you would probably call me a biker.
COMMENTARY: Fight cyber crime; be alert and consider buying cyber insurance
It seems like cyber criminals are after us all the time.
SPEAKING OF FAITH: What motivates you? Part 3 of 3
How do we unload all this programming? We have all received it, but has Satan reinforced it into self-destructive pride? Note that God hates pride and those who become haughty in serving Him.
SPORTS ᏍᎦᏚᎩ
EBCI wrestlers compete at State; Cherokee High School tallies two State placers
Pippa Welch (women’s 152, third place) and Levi Tramper (HWT, fourth place) from Cherokee High School, both members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI), competed in the 2026 NCHSAA State Championship Tournament held Feb. 19 to Feb. 22 in Greensboro Coliseum.
ON THE SIDELINES: A wrestler’s code for life
Wrestling is special. It’s ancient, it’s biblical, it’s unlike any other sport in the world, but it can help you be better in every other sport.
Shirley Reagan receives USA Judo National Referee certification
Shirley Reagan, an elder of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, has been doing Judo for years, and she recently hit a milestone in the sport she loves. She has received certification as a USA Judo National Referee and can officiate any national tournament in the United States.
OBITUARIES ᏧᏂᏲᎰᏒ
OBITUARY: Phillip Charles Pheasant
Phillip Charles Pheasant, 58, unexpectedly joined the love of his life, Valencia, in Heaven on Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2026.
OBITUARY: Jeffrey Allen Best
Jeffrey Allen Best, age 37, of Cherokee, passed away unexpectedly on Saturday, Aug. 29, 2026.
OBITUARY: Kenneth “Kenny” Lee Baum Jr.
Kenneth “Kenny” Lee Baum Jr. went home to be with our Creator on Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2026, in Chesapeake, Va. He was born on Feb. 28, 1989, to his loving parents, Wendy Stamper-Baum and Kenneth Lee Baum Sr.
HAPPENINGS
Upcoming Pow Wows for Dec. 13-15
Note: This list of pow wows was compiled by One Feather staff. The One Feather does not endorse any of these dances. It is simply a listing of ones occurring throughout the continent. Please call before traveling.
Cherokee artist to show at Rotunda Gallery in Sylva
A showing of new works and a series of prints by Jenean Hornbuckle, a landscape painter, will open at the Rotunda Gallery in the Sylva Library on Saturday, Dec. 7 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. with a reception sponsored by the Jackson County Arts Council and Sequoyah Fund.
Upcoming Pow Wows for Dec. 6-8
Note: This list of pow wows was compiled by One Feather staff. The One Feather does not endorse any of these dances. It is simply a listing of ones occurring throughout the continent. Please call before traveling.
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Lindley Wyatt brings her culture to the runway
Lindley Wyatt, a member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI), is a junior at Western Carolina University (WCU) double majoring in Marketing and Management. Wyatt is also a fashion model signed with a Sante Fe Indigenous modeling agency.
Two Cherokee women receive NC Folklife Apprenticeship Award
Two Cherokee women have received the In These Mountains NC Folklife Apprenticeship Award to better delve into the ancient art of making honeysuckle baskets
“In Light and Shadow”: New book highlights Indigenous photography
Three years in the making, a new book highlights the history of Indigenous photography. Co-authored by Brian Adams and Sarah Stacke, “In Light and Shadow: A Photographic History from Indigenous America” takes the reader on a journey through the ever-evolving landscape of photography by Native Americans.
Call
(828) 359-6262
Address
801 Acquoni Road • Cherokee, NC 28719
Hours
Mon – Fri • 7:45am – 4:30pm






















