NEWS ᎧᏃᎮᏓ
Rising from the darkness: EBCI hosts Purple Lotus Day event
The strong voices of Cherokee women were at the forefront of a Purple Lotus Day event which brought awareness about domestic violence as well as provided a space for healing and support.
Sequoyah Birthplace Museum awarded a grant from the Tennessee State Museum
Sequoyah Birthplace Museum is a recipient of a 34,545 grant for Capital Maintenance and Improvements from the State of Tennessee as administered through the Tennessee State Museum
October Editorial Board meeting held
The Cherokee One Feather Editorial Board held their monthly meeting on the morning of Oct. 15 in the Ginger Lynn Welch Large Conference Room.
ONE FEATHER PHOTOS
COMMUNITY ᏍᎦᏚᎩ
Tribe hosts Cherokee Archaeological Symposium
The 12th Annual Cherokee Archaeological Symposium was held on Nvgine iga (Thursday) Duliisdi (Sept.) 17 at the Harrahs’ Cherokee Casino Resort in the Event Center in Cherokee, N.C.
Pam Straughan joins SCC’s Board of Trustees
Continuing a rich tradition of representation from the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI), Pam Straughan, an EBCI tribal member of Cherokee, was sworn in as the newest member of Southwestern Community College’s Board of Trustees.
Connecting to a sacred place: Kuwohi Connection Days held
A misty fog hung over Kuwohi (Mulberry Place) in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park on the morning of Taline Iga (Tuesday), Duliisdi (Sept.) 15 as area students attended Kuwohi Connection Day.
OPINIONS ᏃᎵᏍᎬᎢ
COMMENTARY: Clowns to the left of me. Jokers to the right in 2026.
In 1972, a band called Stealers Wheel released a song written by Gerry Rafferty and Joe Egan titled “Stuck in the Middle with You”. It was a parody song, but not nonsensical, and it meant more to many of us than Rafferty and Egan intended.
COMMENTARY: Watch out for insurance fraud’s red flags
Receiving a payout from an insurance company based on a lie is insurance fraud.
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.
SPORTS ᏍᎦᏚᎩ
Three in a row: Lady Braves make history with third consecutive state basketball championship
The Tsalagi Anata Anitsvyasdi (Cherokee Lady Braves) are the 2025-2026 NCHSAA 2A State Champions. The Lady Braves dominated the state game, earning their third state title in a row with the largest winning margin in NCHSAA history for women’s basketball on the evening of Thursday, March 12 in Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum.
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.
OBITUARIES ᏧᏂᏲᎰᏒ
OBITUARY: Jarrett Cody Youngdeer
Jarrett Cody Youngdeer, 41, passed away unexpectedly on Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026, at 11:10 a.m. at his residence in Cherokee, N.C.
OBITUARY: Thomas Franklin Goolsby
Thomas Franklin Goolsby, 69, of Cherokee, N.C., passed away unexpectedly on Friday, Sept. 25, 2026, at Harris Regional Hospital in Sylva, NC.
OBITUARY: Doris Hill
Doris Hill, 81, of Cherokee, N.C., passed away peacefully in her sleep at her home in the early morning hours of Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2026. Born on May 20, 1945, in Hickory, N.C., she was retired from Harrah’s Cherokee Casino.
HAPPENINGS
Upcoming Pow Wows for Nov. 28 – Dec. 1
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.
Upcoming Pow Wows for Nov. 22-24
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.
Upcoming Pow Wows for Nov. 15-17
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
Alea Martens will make modeling debut at Kananesgi
The Kananesgi Fashion Show will be held at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort on Saturday, Nov. 8, and Alea Martens, a member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI), will make her modeling debut. She will model clothes by Mrs. Freida Saylor, an EBCI tribal member and designer.
Behind the designs: Alex Lane returns to the Kananesgi Fashion Show
Alexandria Lane is a member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) and the manager of visitor services for the Museum of the Cherokee People. Lane made her debut as a designer in the 2024 Kananesgi Fashion Show, and she will be returning this year with a new collection.
A Butterfly’s Heart: Melah Perkins’ fashion show debut
Kimmemelah Chontay Perkins, or Melah, Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and Sioux, is a beadwork and quillwork artist making her debut as a designer in the Kananesgi Fashion Show coming up Nov. 8.
Call
(828) 359-6262
Address
801 Acquoni Road • Cherokee, NC 28719
Hours
Mon – Fri • 7:45am – 4:30pm