Hello,

Last month, staffers from the Campaign for Southern Equality traveled to the Qualla Boundary of Cherokee, North Carolina to meet with members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. Throughout a full day of programming, CSE staff members listened to powerful presentations from Indigenous people in Western North Carolina about what matters most to them. 

As a Black and Indigenous person myself, it was a very special day where folks built community and where CSE staffers opened their minds to new information about Indigenous people in Western NC. As we draw to the end of Indigenous Heritage Month, I’m glad to be able to share some snapshots of the day with you. 

Click here to watch videos from CSE’s visit to Cherokee, NC, part of our “Indigenous Wisdom from the Mountains” series. Over the next few days, several additional videos will be shared to the page. 

You’ll listen to Mary “Missy” Crowe, Elvia Walkingstick, Lisa Montelongo, Tyson Sampson, and Amy Walker. They are all members of the EBCI and leaders in their own respective paths as climate justice organizers, land and sovereignty protectors, food and plant medicine makers, and traditional artists. 

EBCI members shared information with us about the creation and history of the EBCI, tribal government and sovereignty, the arts and artists in Cherokee, and Kituah – the mother farm.  We were privileged to do some work on the farm and eat a traditional meal made with ingredients from recent harvests. 

Through these videos, we hope to amplify the voices of EBCI members, share their stories far and wide, and uplift that every day is Indigenous People’s Day. We are humbled and grateful to our hosts. Click here to read more and watch the videos.

Thank you,
Holiday Simmons
Director of Healing and Resilience
Campaign for Southern Equality