The Cherokee Preservation Foundation has instituted a multi-year grantmaking initiative to help the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians strike a balance between the cultivation and use of natural resources that go into traditional Cherokee crafts.

The Revitalization of Traditional Cherokee Artisan Resources (RTCAR) initiative is being undertaken to teach, protect and promote Cherokee traditional art, resources and land care for present and future generations.

RTCAR’s director, Dr. David Cozzo, will serve as an extension of Cherokee Preservation Foundation’s staff. Operating through Western Carolina University’s Cherokee Studies program, his focus will be on identifying grant applicants and other partners with whom RTCAR can collaborate. The goal is to provide Cherokee artisans with access to rivercane and other natural resources essential to their craft.

Potential partners include artisans, university researchers, landowners, government agencies (EBCI, federal and state), and other funders (private foundation and government agencies) that would consider RTCAR’s endeavors to be good investments. Applicants may be located beyond the Qualla Boundary and the seven-county area in Western North Carolina that Cherokee Preservation Foundation generally serves (Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Jackson, Macon and Swain Counties), provided that the natural resources they develop will be available to Cherokee artisans.

The natural resources used by Cherokee artisans for centuries are becoming scarce and some are non-existent on the Qualla Boundary and in other local areas. Rivercane used for double-weave basketry is very difficult to find locally, and artists generally must go to Georgia to find it. White oak also used for baskets is becoming scarce and is difficult to grow, and dyes used in basket-making are equally hard to find and can be destroyed if harvested improperly. Potters and carvers have similar difficulties — Cherokee potters must obtain their clay and stone from Georgia and Florida, and wood used for carving is often in remote locations that are hard to reach.

“Initially RTCAR will focus on basket making materials,” said Cozzo. “The project will eventually expand to include dye plants, quality clay for potters, good materials for carvers, and culturally significant edible and medicinal plant resources. Teaching Cherokee youth about the Eastern Band’s artistic traditions is another aspect of RTCAR. Elders will teach young members of the tribe not only the artisan skills that are part of their heritage, but also the spiritual and cultural values that are unique to the Eastern Band.”

A team is now collaborating to set RTCAR’s strategic direction and policies. The group consists of Tom Hatley, the Sequoyah Distinguished Professor at Western Carolina University (WCU); Roseanna Belt, director of WCU’s Cherokee Center; Carmen McIntyre, Environmental Preservation Director for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI); Rob Hawk, a project director for the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service; Russ Townsend, the EBCI’s Tribal Historic Preservation Officer; and James Bradley, program director for Cherokee Preservation Foundation.

“The Cherokee community and surrounding region will receive significant long-term benefits from RTCAR’s initiatives,” said Roseanna Belt of WCU’s Cherokee Center. “The health and well being of the land are integral to the Cherokee way of life. We cannot afford to lose our traditional artisan resources. With RTCAR, we take important steps to preserve the past and insure our future.”

The first RTCAR grant cycle ends Jan. 28. The second grant cycle is from May 1 until June 9. Anyone seeking additional grant criteria or further information about RTCAR may contact David Cozzo at cozzod@wcu.edu or 828.488.8495.