Bigfoot, cats and dogs, Indian news, foraging, Look Rock camp

Cherokee Indian Hospital Celebrates Excellence and Announces 2024 Award Recipients

The Cherokee Indian Hospital Authority has announced this year’s recipients of its prestigious annual awards. Dr. Winona Houser was named Employee of the Year and Lisa Hoyle won the esteemed Hayes Award for Quality and Safety.

Each year, these awards recognize individuals within our organization who exemplify our core values ​​– integrity, responsiveness, teamwork and innovation – and who have made significant contributions to the safety and quality of the healthcare services we provide.

CIHA officials commented: “Dr. Winona Houser has consistently demonstrated exceptional dedication to patient care, embodying the highest standards of integrity and compassion in her role. His proactive involvement in patient care and his ongoing efforts to improve healthcare delivery have earned him the admiration and respect of his colleagues. Dr. Houser’s notable contributions span diverse facets of hospital operations, from patient care to guidance and education. Her commitment to excellence not only improves patient outcomes, but also strengthens our community.”

COMMENTARY: Introducing Cherokee

Family tourism became of primary interest to the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians as a source of income in the 1950s. As the timber harvest declined on the Qualla frontier, it seemed to be the best and most viable resource to exploit. As early as 1914, tribal leaders invested in family tourism.

“During the first part of the century, logging and agriculture provided income and sustenance, but the tribe also turned to tourism as a source of income. The first Cherokee Indian Fall Fair in 1914 was subsidized by the tribal council specifically to encourage tourism. The opening of Great Smoky Mountain National Park in 1934, adjacent to the Qualla border, although controversial with the tribal government, was ultimately well received as a way to attract visitors, who brought a new source of income.” – from “Cherokee Heritage Trails Guidebook,” Barbara Duncan and Brett H. Riggs, 2003, Museum of the Cherokee People (formerly Museum of the Cherokee Indian) and University of North Carolina Press

As Duncan and Riggs point out in their book, marketing culture can be a mixed blessing. The customers that the Cherokee people of that era sought gained a romanticized image of what it meant to be Native from watching western programs and western films. The image of the noble savage permeated American views and when they heard the term “Indian” they had in mind a very distinct, albeit misleading, appearance. And back in the day, we knew who we were, and if we had to play a role in keeping the interest of visitors, who had the recipe we wanted, so be it. It wasn’t just a show for tourists. Even visits to heads of state at that time could include a tribal official wearing a “war cap,” which was not a ceremonial item of clothing for the Cherokee people, but had and has ceremonial importance for the Plains peoples. Until the early 2000s, it was common to see roadside “chiefs” wearing war bonnets in front of tipis (a facade without accommodation) in the style of a movie set, selling opportunities to take a photo with an “authentic Indian”. .

No Taste Like Home: Foraging tours show people the diversity of foods found in WNC

A local Asheville business is encouraging people to get out into nature and discover the abundance of edible food available here.

There’s no taste of home runs foraging tours showing people the diversity of foods that can be found year-round, in the mountains and sometimes in our own backyard.

Alan Muskat, founding CEO of No Taste Like Home, wants people to go out and discover it, although he understands their hesitation to do so.

“I realized that people were afraid of nature and still are, and you know motivating them with something to eat is a good way to break down that wall.”

He understands that people may be afraid to randomly pick leaves off the ground, but he has this warning.

“There are dangers in not foraging, and you could eat the wrong thing,” Muskat said. “There are dangers in not looking for food, that’s what people don’t realize. What we eat now is not healthy for you. If you don’t eat wild foods, I guarantee you will get sick.”

Word from the Smokies: Look Rock offers great views of a modernizing national park

After several years of closure due to lack of funding, Great Smoky Mountains National Park recently opened new and improved versions of the Look Rock campground and picnic area. And right at the right time. Located on Foothills Parkway West, this little-known area of ​​the national park offers a welcome respite from busier places like Cades Cove and Clingmans Dome. Improvements to the campground and picnic area include power and water hookups, new tables and fire rings, and improved accessibility for people with disabilities.

The facilities at Look Rock and Foothills Parkway were designed about 70 years ago, when people were beginning to complain that our national parks were overcrowded and underfunded. The National Park Service now refers to this period as “The Poverty Years,” and the reasons for the funding drought were obvious: During World War II, the United States government diverted most of its spending to the war effort.

When World War II ended in 1945, Americans celebrated by hitting the road like never before. Gasoline was cheap, and industrialization and a booming economy allowed more and more families to own one of the big, bulbous automobiles of the day. People wanted to see the snow-capped mountain peaks and red rock canyons that attracted magazines.

Thanks for visiting, wwishing everyone a great weekend.