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Last week, the Noquisiyi Mound in neighboring Franklin returned to the care of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians after more than 200 years.

The Qualla Boundary is Lisa Lefler’s second home. Over the course of her decades-long career, the Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓƵ teaching professor has made countless trips to Cherokee, helping the tribe in any way she can through her expertise in health and anthropology.

Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓƵ’s Cherokee Center will celebrate five decades of outreach and partnership with the Cherokee community on Tuesday, Nov. 4 with an open house beginning at 5:00 p.m. followed by a reception and panel discussion at the Cherokee Youth Activity Center from 6 to 8 p.m.

Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓƵ’s Bardo Arts Center will host a public reception on Tuesday, Oct. 21, from 4 to 6 p.m. in its Star Atrium, recognizing the collaborators and contributors of the Cherokee Language and Culture Exhibition, a project supported in part by the Cherokee Preservation Foundation.

The history of Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓƵ is held by its people. Though archives and images can provide a framework for the past, there is no richer or truer contribution to the story than the lived experiences of alumni, staff, faculty and students.

Tom Belt doesn’t view the world the same as everyone else. Yes, it’s a big blue marble floating in space and a melting pot of billions with different experiences, backgrounds and beliefs. However, Belt, a Cherokee Nation citizen, also sees it through a Cherokee lens — but that lens is fading.

In the midst of ongoing staffing challenges across the healthcare industry, the innovative partnership between Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓƵ (WCU) and the Cherokee Indian Hospital Authority (CIHA) is doing exactly what a great pipeline should do -- it matches local talent with meaningful careers close to home, expands continuing education opportunities, and opens career-ladder pathways for enrolled members of the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians (EBCI).

Brett Riggs is heavily involved with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, so when the tribal librarian asked him to come to council to support a resolution for the library, no questions were asked.

Unearthing history is nothing new to Cherokee Language Program director and associate professor Sara Snyder Hopkins. Thanks to a federal grant, she and a group of colleagues will continue to do so.