Native Led. Native Controlled.
Forming an Indigenous structure for understanding health and well-being as a form of both individual and collective healing:
To disrupt the lasting effects of historical trauma we look for projects and activities to revitalize and strengthen traditional Cherokee culture, working to reduce the health disparities for Native communities through engagement in the preservation and respectful application of community held knowledge. This statement encompasses all actions that center someone and their relationships in a positive way, including the arts. We are guided by Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS), specifically, the following Cherokee principles:
ᎦᏚᎩ Gadugi — “mutual aid” — people coming together as one and working to help one another
ᏚᏴᎾᎧᏔ Duyvktv — “the right way” — to have balance in good and evil, the roles of male and female, life and death, war and peace, and other aspects of life
ᏙᎯ Tohi — “for health” — physically or mentally well, an unstressed or unhurried pace like the rivers or the creeks run, indicating peace or serenity, balance, reciprocity
Our Program Areas
Art, Language & Healing
To reduce health disparities in Native communities through the preservation and application of Native knowledge, integrating language with artisan resources and methodologies, as a pathway towards community healing.
To strengthen community resilience by bringing together the wisdom of elders, the knowledge of adults, and the creativity of youth. Through programs that weave Indigenous ways of knowing with Western science, WIP nurtures cultural identity, environmental stewardship, and holistic wellbeing for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and other southeastern Native communities.
Weaving Intergenerational Pathways (WIP)
To work with community members and tribal governments to develop tribally initiated programs and projects designed to safeguard and co-steward land, ecology, and conservation as prioritized by native community members.
Land & Wellness
CNH advocates to address health disparities in prenatal care, birthing, mothering, and early childhood education in Native communities. In addition, we support and promote those working on behalf of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women across Turtle Island.
Relational Health
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