Latest news with #EasternBandofCherokeeIndians
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Gov. Stein says May 5 is Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women Awareness Day
RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCT) — North Carolina Governor Josh Stein announced that May 5 is a day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women on Monday. The intention for the day is to raise awareness of those affected by the disproportionate rate of American Indian and Alaskan Native women who have gone missing or have been murdered. American Indians are a group of people who face some of the highest rates of violent crime in the country. In 60 years North Carolina has had approximately 106 missing and murdered cases of American Indians, 57% of those cases involve women and girls. 'Today we honor the lives of the Native American women and girls who have been taken from us too soon and pray that those who are missing return safely soon,' said Governor Josh Stein. 'It is tragic that this group experiences a disproportionate level of violence, and I am committed to a North Carolina where all are safe.' North Carolina has the highest population of American Indians east of the Mississippi. There are eight recognized tribes here including the Coharie, Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, Haliwa-Saponi, Lumbee, Meherrin, Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation, Sappony and the Waccamaw-Siouan. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
26-04-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Governor Stein extends state of emergency for western NC wildfires
RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — As wildfires continue to wreak havoc in western North Carolina, relief is being extended by the state and federal government. Governor Josh Stein announced Saturday that the state of emergency is extended for the next 30 days for 34 counties in NC. Wildfires have ravaged an already damaged part of the state, making it even harder for citizens to recover. 'I appreciate all of the first responders, emergency managers, state forest rangers, and state and local officials working hard to protect North Carolinians from wildfires,' said Governor Stein. 'I am extending this State of Emergency to ensure the State Emergency Response Team has every resource available to continue to respond to wildfires to protect people and property.' Here are the counties included among the state of emergency: Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Cabarrus, Caldwell, Catawba, Cherokee, Clay, Cleveland, Gaston, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Iredell, Jackson, Lincoln, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mecklenburg, Mitchell, Polk, Rowan, Rutherford, Stanly, Swain, Transylvania, Union, Watauga, Wilkes, Yancey, as well as the tribal lands of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. PREVIOUSLY: Evacuation order issued as crews battle wildfire in western NC In the press release, the state's Department of Agriculture cited 2,348 wildfire incidents between March and April. A statewide burn ban was issued by the NC Forestry Service between March 21 and April 2. 'The spring wildfire season is off to a very busy start, which has kept the N.C. Forest Service, first responders and emergency management staff on their toes,' said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. The extension will continue to provide resources to assist counties by deploying firefighters and sending more logistical supplies and equipment. Also, the State Emergency Operations Center's 24-hour Watch Center will continue assisting counties with issuing evacuation orders through the Wireless Emergency Alert Network and through the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System. 'I appreciate the Governor extending the State of Emergency and making resources available, especially with the elevated risk of wildfires in Western NC,' said Troxler. 'I also urge people to use extreme caution when doing any burning.' FEMA previously announced on Monday that federal funds were authorized to help battle the Sam Davis Road wildfires in Swain County. They said the fire threatened approximately 70 homes in the Lower Alarka and Big Rockies Road area. Before that, FEMA provided federal funding for wildfires in Alarka — which is also in Swain County — the Table Rock Fire that started in South Carolina and spread to NC, and Black Cove in Polk and Henderson counties all back in March. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Yahoo
Two local women to travel historic 'Trail of Tears' journey
TAHLEQUAH, Okla. — Two women from Grove and Vinita are part of a 12-cyclist group to ride in Cherokee Nation's Remember the Removal Bike Ride this June. By bicycle, the cyclists retrace the famed and historic 950-mile northern route of the Trail of Tears. Baylee Gregg, 21, Grove, Lexi Melton, 24, Vinita, and the other 10 riders will travel through Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas, and Oklahoma for nearly three weeks. One rider, Kalina Campos, 25, is from Concord, California. 'Each year we are honored to remember our ancestors' sacrifices on the Trail of Tears through the Remember the Removal Bike Ride. The 12 cyclists will complete a nearly 950-mile journey. Along the way, they will stop at historically significant sites that our ancestors marched through at the end of a bayonet. The physical and mental fortitude of the riders will be tested, but I have full confidence that the riders are ready for the challenge at hand.' Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. Other local riders include: Adriauna Garcia, 19, Tahlequah Aaron 'AP' Anderson, 17, Bentonville, Arkansas Baleigh James-Levy, 22, Fort Gibson Jenny Kliest, 24, Stilwell Jeremy Hamilton, 47, Tulsa Kacey Fishinghawk, 22, Tahlequah Kiyah Holmes, 25, Tahlequah Mackenzie Teehee, 23, Stilwell 'I'm excited to see the landscape from my bike in a few weeks and connect to the same land my ancestors lived on,' said Aaron Anderson, of Bentonville. A team from the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians in North Carolina will join the Cherokee Nation cyclists. They will start the ride in New Echota, Georgia, the former capital of the Cherokee Nation. The cyclists will complete an estimated 60 miles daily along the routes used by their Cherokee ancestors, who made the same enduring trek by foot over 180 years ago. During the bike ride, cyclists will visit several Cherokee gravesites and historic landmarks. Among the sites is Blythe Ferry in Tennessee, on the westernmost edge of the old Cherokee Nation, and Mantle Rock in Kentucky, where Cherokees spent several weeks during the harsh winter of 1838 to 1839 waiting for the Ohio River to thaw and become passable. Participants were selected based on an essay, in-person interviews, and a physical to ensure they were up for the grueling challenge. As part of their training, the group spent weekends undergoing rigorous physical training and cycling on various routes throughout the Cherokee Nation Reservation. The cyclists participated in Cherokee language lessons during their weekend trainings and had their family trees mapped out by a professional genealogist. This provided them insight into their ancestral past and connected any family links they might share with one another. Of the estimated 16,000 Cherokees who were forced to make the journey to Indian Territory in 1838 and 1839, before the state of Oklahoma was imposed, about 4,000 died due to starvation, disease, and exposure to the elements. 'Not only is the ride a solemn tribute to all of those we lost, it's a reminder of our future,' said Deputy Principal Chief Bryan Warner. 'These 12 riders have proved their strength and commitment to each other since their training began last year. We will continue to pray for their strength while they undertake the ride.' Highlights and daily outings of the journey, Remember the Removal Bike Ride, will be captured online. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- Yahoo
Cherokee man sentenced to 30 years in prison for deadly shooting
ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WSPA) — A man was sentenced to 30 years in prison for a deadly shooting that took place in a Native American community. The United States Department of Justice said 33-year-old Brandon Tyler Buchanan shot and killed Kobe Toineeta in November said Buchanan is an enrolled member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. Court records and proceedings said officers with the Cherokee Indian Police Department (CIPD) responded to a 911 call reporting a shooting on Nov. 11, 2022. Man sentenced to life in prison for cold case murder in Indian Country Upon arrival, officers said Buchanan admitted to shooting someone. Officers then found Toineeta's body, who had been shot five times. Court documents said that a handgun was found in Buchanan's apartment; lab testing confirmed the gun was used to kill Toineeta. Buchanan pleaded guilty to second degree murder on May 31, 2024. He remains in federal custody, awaiting transfer to the Federal Bureau of Prisons after being assigned to a federal prison. In addition to his 30-year sentence, Buchanan was ordered to serve five years of supervised release upon completing his prison term and to pay $888,500 in restitution to the victim's estate. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
06-04-2025
- Yahoo
Man who torched car with dead wife inside in the NC mountains sentenced to prison
A man who lit a car ablaze with his dead wife inside in the N.C. mountains was sentenced to life in prison Thursday, federal prosecutors in Charlotte said. Marie Walkingstick Pheasant was found in the burned-out car on Dec. 29, 2013, according to a news release by U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson's office. The car was parked near Big Cove Road in the Qualla Boundary of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. Investigators determined that the fire was intentionally set by Pheasant's estranged husband, Ernest Pheasant Sr., an enrolled EBCI member. An autopsy revealed that Marie Pheasant died of stab wounds to her neck and stomach, prosecutors said. Investigators linked DNA from a baseball cap near the car to Ernest Pheasant, according to the U.S. Attorney's office. On April 7, 2022, after reviewing unsolved homicides in the region, the Bureau of Indian Affairs Missing and Murdered Unit opened a full interagency investigation into the case, Ferguson's office said. Police determined that Pheasant killed his wife at their home and moved her body to the car. On Aug. 16, 2024, Pheasant pleaded guilty to first-degree murder for killing his wife 'willfully, deliberately, maliciously and with premeditation,' according to court documents. 'For over a decade, Marie's family has endured the pain of losing their loved one without justice,' Ferguson said in a statement. 'Today, that changed.' Pheasant, he said, 'will pay for his heinous crime by spending the rest of his life behind bars. While nothing can undo the family's loss, I hope this sentence brings them a measure of justice.' Ferguson said his office will pursue cases involving missing or murdered indigenous persons 'no matter how much time has passed.' Marcelino Toersbijns, chief of the Bureau of Indian Affairs Missing and Murdered Unit, said he hopes the sentence 'helps to provide closure to the family and friends of Marie Walkingstick Pheasant.' The unit began as the Cold Case Task Force, part of Operation Lady Justice, a multi-agency effort established by the Trump administration in 2019. The unit addresses 'the staggering number of missing and murdered American Indian and Alaska Natives in tribal communities,' according to the U.S. Attorney's office statement. Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Justice announced 'a surge in FBI resources' nationwide to unsolved violent crimes on Indian lands. As part of Operation Not Forgotten, 60 FBI personnel will be sent to field offices to support investigations of Indian Country violent crimes. The FBI will use 'the latest forensic evidence processing tools to solve cases,' according to the announcement. The Missing and Murdered Unit will help the FBI. 'Violent crime continues to disproportionately impact communities in Indian Country,' Ferguson said. Also Thursday, the EBCI tribal council unanimously approved a resolution calling for the creation of a single database of missing and murdered indigenous people, according to a recording of the meeting. The resolution says indigenous communities, including the EBCI, 'have been disproportionately affected by the crisis' of missing and murdered people. Many EBCI cases have been 'unreported, uninvestigated or unresolved due to jurisdictional barriers and gaps in data collection,' according to the resolution. On March 6, the Cherokee asked people to submit the names of missing and murdered EBCI members to Brooklyn Brown, reporter for the One Feather tribal newspaper, by calling 828-359-6264 or emailing at broobrow@ At the beginning of this fiscal year, the FBI's Indian Country program had about 4,300 open investigations, including over 900 death investigations, 1,000 child abuse investigations and at least 500 domestic violence and adult sexual abuse investigations, according to Ferguson's office. Since 2019, the operation has recovered 10 child victims and netted 52 arrests and 25 indictments and judicial complaints.
