Speaker 1: Good morning, good morning, good morning, and welcome, welcome, welcome.
Speaker 1: It is time now for community connection right here on
Speaker 1: K one, the one you trust, and we're talking to
Speaker 1: Cherokee Nation Net Counselor Dora Smith Paskowski and Bye Gully.
Speaker 1: Things are changing, things are popping, things are happening, and
Speaker 1: it's almost spring and we're talking gardens and everything else.
Speaker 1: How are you doing today?
Speaker 2: I am well, thank you. How about yourself? Tom?
Speaker 1: Well, I could stand calm down a little, but I'm okay.
Speaker 2: Good.
Speaker 1: I understand that we have spring just coming from knocking
Speaker 1: on our nor it's been feeling like that off and on.
Speaker 1: But we have a thing called the Heirloom Seed Bank.
Speaker 1: Tell us a little bit about this and about the applications.
Speaker 3: Dude, sure, I'd love to. First, I would like to
Speaker 3: take the opportunity just to say that Chief Hoskin couldn't
Speaker 3: be here today as he is speaking at a National
Speaker 3: Housing com difference in Washington, d C. And he does
Speaker 3: send his greetings to everyone. So the Heirloom Seed program,
Speaker 3: which has been going on for a long time, that
Speaker 3: is going to open on February the eighteenth at ten am.
Speaker 3: You access those applications through the Goadoogie portal.
Speaker 1: Everybody's starting to get more and more familiar with that.
Speaker 1: I'm glad you.
Speaker 2: Gus me too.
Speaker 3: And the application time period will run through March the fourth.
Speaker 3: Now in the past, like last year, within four hours
Speaker 3: of the very first day we ran out. So this
Speaker 3: year we're taking a little different approach and it's going
Speaker 3: to be a draw system versus the first come, first serve,
Speaker 3: So I think it'll be a little more fair there,
Speaker 3: and I hope it goes well.
Speaker 2: I have no reason to think that it won't.
Speaker 1: So yeah, now, these heirloom seeds, what are we looking
Speaker 1: at here?
Speaker 3: We are looking at primarily Cherokee corn varieties that are
Speaker 3: Cherokee white eagle and Cherokee yellow flower. There are also beans, squash, pumpkin,
Speaker 3: and gourds, and then there are some native plants as well,
Speaker 3: like the sun choke and the American basket flower.
Speaker 2: These seeds.
Speaker 3: Are they're representative of centuries of Cherokee agriculture and cultural heritage,
Speaker 3: and they are heirloom seeds which they were brought here
Speaker 3: by or through the trail of tears, and those heirloom
Speaker 3: seeds are kept at the Cherokee Nation. Then they are
Speaker 3: cultivated and grown there, and so they are definitely not replica, replicated,
Speaker 3: or you can't buy them in stores, and you have
Speaker 3: to get them through the Cherokee Nation.
Speaker 1: And that's what keeps them unique and very special. That's
Speaker 1: right now. The Cherokees move, of course westward with the
Speaker 1: trail of teers, but primarily from the Carolina's correct correct
Speaker 1: came to Florida after their island tank and kind of
Speaker 1: moved northward and then forced to move westward in the
Speaker 1: trail of tears. But to keep these seeds around for centuries,
Speaker 1: that's something that's that's some thinking there.
Speaker 2: Yes, sir, it is, thank you, it is.
Speaker 1: Speaking of geography, we're talking off area just a little
Speaker 1: bit ago. There's going to be an election coming up
Speaker 1: for a little bit and that's because the district changed
Speaker 1: on us a little.
Speaker 3: Yes, that goes into effect August this year, the redistricting.
Speaker 3: So currently District twelve does include about the southern.
Speaker 2: Half of No what A County.
Speaker 3: And once that redistricting goes into effect No What A
Speaker 3: County will not be in District twelve any longer. It
Speaker 3: will go to District eleven. So, yes, we have a
Speaker 3: general election in June and Victoria Basquez, the preceding counselor
Speaker 3: for District eleven, she retired, Kendra mcgety was appointed, and
Speaker 3: so Kinder is now going to be running for that.
Speaker 2: Position, just like all the rest of us did.
Speaker 1: And yeah, you have kind of staggered elections because you
Speaker 1: just wrapped up yours not long ago.
Speaker 2: Yes, twenty three, yeah, yeah, twenty three.
Speaker 1: Time flies. It just seems like the other day you
Speaker 1: were at the community center with Chip Hoskin.
Speaker 2: I'm here until August of twenty seven.
Speaker 1: You've got to be here with us for a while.
Speaker 2: I'll be here around the little bet you.
Speaker 1: Let's get back to food here. We've got the food
Speaker 1: distribution program coming out, but can you tell us about
Speaker 1: that please.
Speaker 3: Yes, that is the Hawaiia Community and Cultural Outreach Food
Speaker 3: Distribution and that kicked off last week and that provides sausage,
Speaker 3: beef and pork from our eighteen thirty nine Cherokee Meat Company.
Speaker 1: Which is relatively new.
Speaker 3: Yes it is, and it's doing very well, really thriving.
Speaker 2: I'm very proud of that.
Speaker 3: But that was something that they collaborated with the CEO organization,
Speaker 3: and so that distribution comes to these community organizations and
Speaker 3: they are the ones that then put it out to
Speaker 3: the members in their communities.
Speaker 1: Very good.
Speaker 3: It just helps, sir, you know, address the food insecurity
Speaker 3: and some nutritious food.
Speaker 1: So you might have something that resembles a grocery store
Speaker 1: in your neighborhood, but sometimes that grocery store just has
Speaker 1: canned food, box food, frozen food, not necessarily fresh stuff.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 1: Yeah, so that's kind of where we get that term
Speaker 1: sh food desert. So and I get that that's that's
Speaker 1: not just a problem in spots of Washington County. That's
Speaker 1: all over the right, all over the country.
Speaker 3: And all three of the community organizations in District twelve
Speaker 3: are participating in this program.
Speaker 1: Nice. Yes, see how you pull them all together?
Speaker 2: Yeah, Ocelida, No Water and Dewey.
Speaker 1: So yeah, now we've talked a little bit about our communities.
Speaker 1: Do we We have a beautiful center up there, and
Speaker 1: my golly, I remember being there when you had the
Speaker 1: open house. Huge. I mean, it looked like cool little
Speaker 1: building on the outside. You walk in, it's like, my gosh,
Speaker 1: you know, I didn't think we could fit any more
Speaker 1: people in there, but they just kept coming and there
Speaker 1: was plenty of room. Yeah, that is really making some
Speaker 1: good use of some space, but it really takes care
Speaker 1: of a lot of different things.
Speaker 3: Sure, yes, we have two permanent departments there, Career Services
Speaker 3: and Human Services.
Speaker 1: Wonderful.
Speaker 3: So Career Services is there Monday through Friday from eight
Speaker 3: to five and Human Services is there Monday, Wednesday and
Speaker 3: Friday from eight to five.
Speaker 1: What is human services involved in? Just putting people in
Speaker 1: touch with things they need for help and correct well
Speaker 1: being correct? Okay, there you go. And a lot of
Speaker 1: people already know this because they're using it. I see
Speaker 1: cars right, right, So this is really great. Now you've
Speaker 1: talked about Chief being in Washington, d C. Talking about housing.
Speaker 1: We've got some housing projects that are going on. We
Speaker 1: have things going on. She's smiling, she's happy about this.
Speaker 1: Whenever something goes goes up nice and the other things
Speaker 1: that have been around a while getting get a facelip.
Speaker 1: It's always great because it feels like it's brand new. Right,
Speaker 1: So what do we got going on that is.
Speaker 3: Well, specifically in District twelve, we have invested six point
Speaker 3: four million dollars in housing and that's certainly been under
Speaker 3: the guidance and leadership of Chief Hoskin and Deputy Chief Warner.
Speaker 3: Cherokee Nation has done a study over this past year,
Speaker 3: over twenty twenty four. It's a housing study that will
Speaker 3: show or does show that there will be a need
Speaker 3: for more than eight thousand, eight hundred units wow, or
Speaker 3: one point seventy five billion dollars in housing investment.
Speaker 2: In order to keep up with the population in the
Speaker 2: next ten years.
Speaker 1: Goodness sake.
Speaker 3: So we've got a lot of work to do, and
Speaker 3: I'm grateful that Chief is in Washington, d C. Pulling
Speaker 3: for that support that we need from there to help
Speaker 3: us continue with the housing projects that we have going on.
Speaker 3: We since twenty twenty we have begun or completed five
Speaker 3: hundred and twenty five homes across the reservation. Nice and
Speaker 3: we have repaired, remodeled three thousand, five hundred privately owned homes.
Speaker 1: That's amazing.
Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, all done with local workers.
Speaker 1: Yes, keeping that money right here at home, that's right, wonderful. Yes,
Speaker 1: my happens age. You Thinds are busy. I'm just asking
Speaker 1: Dora before we got on, you know, does Chief ever sleep?
Speaker 1: And the word is, we haven't checked lately because you've
Speaker 1: been moving all right for the place. Now, I understand
Speaker 1: that where the Cherokee Nation is going to start having
Speaker 1: some at large gatherings, especially one in Florida this weekend.
Speaker 1: Nice time to get away, Yahtleivty.
Speaker 3: Yeah, it would be and Chief will go there, I'm sure,
Speaker 3: probably straight from Washington, d C. That is the Cherokees
Speaker 3: of Central Florida group that they will meet with, and
Speaker 3: those meetings are very well attended. Normally two to four
Speaker 3: hundred people will come for those, which is awesome because
Speaker 3: we have really made great efforts to visit with these
Speaker 3: organizations monthly. We're getting out there to see them and
Speaker 3: do events on an annual basis.
Speaker 2: So it has just really done very well.
Speaker 3: We have two at large councilors and so they have
Speaker 3: worked very hard to cultivate and make you know, the
Speaker 3: arrangements for these events, and that is awesome. We are national,
Speaker 3: We are national.
Speaker 1: I lived in Central Florida for quite a while, about
Speaker 1: ten years, I guess, and you know, I was aware
Speaker 1: of the Cherokee population. You know, they have so many
Speaker 1: other different native tribal folks in the peninsula right there
Speaker 1: in Central Florida, Turkey, and it's nice that the connections
Speaker 1: are being made and everybody's you know, feeling like everybody's
Speaker 1: all included. So this is cool.
Speaker 2: Absolutely, they are all included.
Speaker 1: Yes, it's also a nice way to kind of, you know,
Speaker 1: plan a vacation. Hey yeah, yeah, you doing. But this
Speaker 1: is really neat now a counselor. We have the facility
Speaker 1: in Oceanida, and I understand good things are happening there too.
Speaker 3: At the Washington County. Yes, yes, sir, we have the
Speaker 3: Washington County. They have been undergoing a remodel project on
Speaker 3: the inside and they are getting ready to start an
Speaker 3: expansion of their parking lot, I believe solar parking lots.
Speaker 3: They're going to get a storage building outside, and.
Speaker 2: They have a meeting actually this Thursday.
Speaker 3: Today is Wednesday, thank you, so tomorrow night, and I'm
Speaker 3: looking forward to going there and seeing the inside how
Speaker 3: that's come along. The guest will be our delegate to Congress,
Speaker 3: Miss Kim t.
Speaker 1: Yes, yes, so you know you can visit with her
Speaker 1: and get a little bit knowledge what's going on in
Speaker 1: Capital Skisse. She is so connected in Washington, d C.
Speaker 2: Yes she is.
Speaker 1: And you know, finally, when you get this thing taking
Speaker 1: care of it's a little about two hundred years too late,
Speaker 1: but when you get this thing finally solidified. She's going
Speaker 1: to be even a bigger asset is right now. She's
Speaker 1: doing fantastic work.
Speaker 2: Yes she is.
Speaker 3: She's so well educated and just presents so well.
Speaker 1: She beautiful soul, and she's got a very sharp mind too,
Speaker 1: very she doesn't forget anything. I'm jealous, but this is
Speaker 1: this is all good. And if folks have a question
Speaker 1: about what's going on in twelve, they can just get
Speaker 1: a hold of you. You're plenty available. I see you
Speaker 1: on Facebook all the time.
Speaker 3: Oh yeah, yes, absolutely call me nine one eight three
Speaker 3: one six five two one six Mail me Dora dash
Speaker 3: Patskowski at Cherokee dot org. And I have Facebook and
Speaker 3: I'm out about all around. I see people all the time.
Speaker 1: Oh yeah. It's not like she's in hiding, folks, that
Speaker 1: is for sure, Miss Dora. Thank you for being with
Speaker 1: us today.
Speaker 3: Is like, well, I just wondered, is it okay if
Speaker 3: I go ahead and wish you a happy birthday for tomorrow?
Speaker 3: Thank you, Happy birthday, tom Thank you very much.
Speaker 1: Oh I'm blessing big time. Oh my goodness. Okay, the folks,
Speaker 1: you've been watching and listening to our community connection with
Speaker 1: Cherokee Nation and with the counselor Dora Smith, Patkowski right
Speaker 1: here on K what the one trust