Japanese Program News

Western Carolina University will award an honorary Doctor of Education to Joyce Conseen Dugan in recognition of her leadership, lifelong commitment to education and contributions to the Cherokee people and Western North Carolina.

Western Carolina University has appointed Shalana Yates as director of the Cherokee Center, bringing to the role a strong background in nonprofit operations, tribal government, and leadership.

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 Western Carolina University teaching professor has made countless trips to Cherokee, helping the tribe in any way she can through her expertise in health and anthropology.

Western Carolina University’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.

Western Carolina University’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 Western Carolina University 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 Western Carolina University (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.