Land acknowledgement

I want to acknowledge that we are on the traditional territory of the Cherokee (Tsalagi, Ani’yunwi’ya, Principle People), the original stewards of this land.

This land, known as Shaconage (Sha-Kon-O-Hey, or “Land of Blue Smoke” in the Cherokee language), has been a place of deep relationships between people, plants, animals, water, and the Earth for countless generations. The rich cove forests, vibrant waterways, and sacred mountains that surround us carry the stories of the past and sustain the life we see today.

The Cherokee were forcibly removed from their homelands through broken treaties, culminating in the 1835 Treaty of Echota and the Trail of Tears. Some Cherokee resisted removal, remaining hidden in these mountains and eventually forming the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. Today, the Eastern Band continues to steward parts of their ancestral land in Western North Carolina.

Acknowledging this history and the continued presence of Native peoples, I strive to honor the resilience of the Cherokee and recognize the beauty, pain, and complexity of the relationships that form this land.