The Land Where We Live + Work
Conserving Carolina’s service area includes Henderson, Polk, Transylvania, and Rutherford Counties in North Carolina and the Landrum area in South Carolina, as well as surrounding areas.
Indigenous peoples have lived in this region since time immemorial, holding deep historical connections to tribes across the southeast. Archeological records show that the Cherokee have continuously lived here for at least 15,000 years, but Cherokee oral histories trace their very origins as a people to this land. Since European contact beginning in 1540, the Cherokee have faced sweeping land dispossession, disease, famine, cultural suppression, and genocide.
But they are still here.
For a more in depth look at indigenous history and relationship to this land, we encourage you to seek out indigenous sources. To learn more about Native history in our service area:
- Museum of the Cherokee People
- Osiyo: Voices of the Cherokee People
- Cherokee Preservation Foundation: About the Eastern Band of Cherokee
- Map of Historic Cherokee Land
- Native Land Digital
What is a Land Tribute?
A land tribute is a voluntary way to support the sovereignty of Indigenous peoples and their rights to the land. It functions similarly to paying rent or the mortgage on your home. Rent or mortgage payments allow us a place to live; land tributes acknowledge that we are living and working on stolen land. Individuals living on or otherwise using Native land can opt-in to giving a self defined dollar amount –– one time or monthly. This serves as a regular reminder of the unpaid debts Native nations are owed and situates us within a storied landscape. Land tributes do not absolve the gross iniquities committed against Indigenous peoples, but can help build momentum toward broader awareness, accountability, and justice.
What is Tohi?
These land tributes will support the mission of The Center for Native Health, which is rooted in a cultural perspective of good health, ᏙᎯ or Tohi. From this perspective, in the words of authors Lisa Lefler and Tom Belt, “Health is more than the absence of disease; it includes a fully confident sense of a smooth life, peaceful existence, unhurried pace, and easy flow of time. The natural state of the world is to be neutral, balanced, with a similarly gently flowing pattern… All aspects–physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual–figure into the Cherokee concept of good health.”
This is Tohi.
How Will My Tohi Land Tribute Make an Impact?
At Conserving Carolina, we are inviting our members and our community to participate in the Tohi Land Tribute program in partnership with The Center for Native Health, a non-profit with a powerful mission based in Cherokee, NC.
The Center for Native Health (CNH) is a Native-led, Native-run nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting the balanced wellbeing of southeastern Native communities through the preservation and respectful application of Native knowledge. Situated on the Qualla Boundary of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, CNH is guided by two cultural principals Duyvktv and Tohi, which combine to form an Indigenous structure for understanding health and wellbeing. Their mission is rooted in the understanding that true health encompasses not just the body, but is deeply embedded in relationship to the land, culture, and community. Through this work they envision a world where Indigenous communities thrive—grounded in culture, rich in tradition, alive with laughter, and collectively shaping a future that honors the past.
CNH has four focus areas:
- Climate, Land and Wellness
- Relational Health
- Education & Training and
- Art, Language and Healing.
Projects within each of these programs are guided by Indigenous knowledge systems rooted in traditional ecological knowledge (TEK). These include developing career pathways for Native students in BioMedical fields, supporting culturally aligned doula and birthworker training, working on community land-based healing and food sovereignty, while also focusing on Cherokee artisan knowledge preservation. Through these program areas CNH seeks to disrupt cycles of historical trauma, including health disparities amongst southeastern American Indian people.
As a Native led, Native controlled nonprofit every dollar matters and has immediate impact in the communities the Center for Native Health serves. Currently, Native Americans are 2.9% of the U.S. population but receive 0.4% of philanthropic dollars. Your donation helps to alter this landscape of giving.
How Much Should I Give?
Since your Tohi Land Tribute is based on the knowledge that we are living and working on indigenous land, you might consider basing your land tribute amount on a percentage of your rent or the value of your land. Businesses or nonprofits might base their land tribute on their annual revenue or budget.
These are suggested percentages and serve simply as a tool for your Tohi Land Tribute. All participants are welcome to give at a rate or of an amount which they wish.
Renters:
Monthly Rent x Suggested Percentage = Tribute.
For example: $2,000 monthly rent x 0.0025 = $5 per month, or $60 per year.
- $0 – $2,000/month = 0.25%
- $2,001 – $3,500/month = 0.45%
- $3,501 – $5,000/month = 0.7%
- $5,001 – $10,000/month = 1%
- + $10,000/month = 1.25%
Private Home & Land Owners:
Land Value (excluding home or other structures) x Suggested Percentage = Tribute.
For example: $160,000 land value x 0.0015 = $240 per year, or $20 per month.
- $0 – $160,000 = 0.15%
- $161,000 – $230,000 = 0.25%
- $231,000 – $250,000 = 0.45%
- $251,000 – $500,000 = 0.7%
- + $1,501,000 = 1%
For-Profit Businesses (based on annual revenues):
Annual Revenue x Suggested Percentage = Tribute.
For example: $100,000 x 0.01 = $1,000 per year; or $83.33 per month.
- $0 – $100,000 = 1%
- $101,000 – $500,000 = 1.5%
- $501,000 – $1,000,000 = 2.25%
- $1,001,000 – $5,000,000 = 4%
- + $5,001,000 = 7% +
Non-Profits (based on annual budgets):
Annual Budget x Suggested Percentage = Tribute.
For example: $100,000 x 0.0025 = $250 per year; or $20.80 per month.
- $0 – $100,000 = 0.25%
- $101,000 – $500,000 = 0.45%
- $501,000 – $1,000,000 = 0.7%
- $1,001,000 – $10,000,000 = 1%
- + $10,001,000 = 1.25% +
All the proceeds from the Tohi Land Tribute Program will go directly to the Center for Native Health to be used at their discretion.
Tohi is also an invitation to support our local indigenous communities in a more holistic way. Other offerings could include encouraging friends and family to give Tohi, volunteering your time, offering artisan harvests on your land, educating yourself and others on the indigenous history of this region, donating land, etc. Check out our Indigenous Partnership webpage to learn more.