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OUR
VISION
The Florida Tribe of Cherokee Indians, Inc. (FTCI)
is a not-for-profit corporation operating in the
State of Florida. The FTCI is also the fiscal,
charitable arm of the Florida Tribe of Cherokee
Indians (Tribe). The FTCI was formed by the tribe to
conduct and fund educational and charitable
activities to preserve and protect the language,
culture, religion, civil rights, economic and
educational advancement, and sovereignty of the
Florida Cherokee.
In spite of government and tribal programs to
support their economic, educational and work
achievement, and cultural preservation, American
Indians still, on average, earn less, experience
higher poverty rates, and fill fewer professional
and management jobs, than their non-Hispanic White
counterparts. Moreover, loss of Native languages;
traditional skills, foods and stories; and other
cultural associations continues unabated.
CREATING
A CULTURAL CONNECTION
As more
American Indian young people leave their communities
and enter mainstream society, spreading to other
states and communities, such as Florida; and as
genealogical research reveals to others their
formerly lost ties to American Indian ancestors;
local and regional tribal organizations become
increasingly important resources for renewing and
maintaining the connection of American Indians to
their heritage. Such connections are important to
the economic, social, and health security of Native
Americans.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s American
Community Survey (ACS), as reported in “The American
Community – American Indians and Alaska Natives:
2004,” Cherokee Indians represent the single,
largest Tribal Group in the United States, with
331,491 living in the U.S. in 2004, or 15.4% of the
overall Native American population. However, when
also reporting descent, rather than enrolled tribal
members alone, a 2002 report of the 2000 US Census
(The American Indian and Alaska NativePopulation:
2000) reported 729,533 Americans of Cherokee descent
(US Census, 2002, Figure 5). In addition, 117,880
American Indians reported their racial identity
American Indian and Mixed Racial (US Census, 2002,
Table 2).
FIGHTING
THE "BIG FOUR" PLAGUES OF THE CHEROKEE PEOPLE
Many
migrant, displaced, or young Cherokee citizens lack
the support of tribal organizations in their
communities – and statistics on poverty, earnings,
education, and loss of tradition (known as the “Big
Four”) demonstrate that they desperately need it.
According to the Income, Earnings, and Poverty Data
from the 2007 Community Survey of the U. S. Census
Bureau, median household income of American Indians
and Alaska Natives, at $35, 343 per year, remains
far below that of Whites, who earn, on average,
$50,740. Nationwide, Native Americans have the
highest poverty rates of all races, with 25.3%
living below the poverty level, compared with about
9% of Whites. FTCI provides an economic support
program – the Cherokee Assistance Program – to at
risk Cherokee in Florida. American Indian languages
are being lost – and once lost, can never be
recovered. About 75% of American Indians and Alaska
Natives aged 5 and older speak only English at home,
and only 18% speak their Native tongue or another
language at home, and of those, only 8.4% speak
their own language or another language “very well.”
FTCI provides language classes and resources to
anyone wishing to learn.
2006
Census Bureau tabulations, titled Educational
Attainment in the Unites States: 2006, showed adults
18 and older with a master’s, professional or
doctoral degree earned an average of $79,946; those
with a bachelor’s degree earned an average of
$54,689 in 2005; those with a high school diploma
earned $29,448; and those with less than a high
school diploma earned about $19,915. Thus, it is
important for tribal organizations to promote
educational achievement among Cherokee Indians in
order to improve standards of living in our
communities.
Educational and job achievement among American
Indians still lags behind that of Whites. About 77%
of American Indians and Alaska Natives aged 25 and
older are high school graduates and only 14 % have a
bachelor’s degree or more education (as compared
with 89% high school graduation among non-Hispanic
Whites and 30% with a bachelor’s degree or higher).
Only 25% work in management and professional
occupations, compared with about 38% of Whites. FTCI
provides job notices and educational resources to
any Cherokee recognized by FTCI within its service
area.
Scientific evidence shows that loss of connection to
their heritage costs Native Americans their health.
Gary Nabham (Northern Arizona University) and Native
Seed Search (Tucson, Arizona) have documented that
American Indians are losing their traditional foods
to the replacement of traditional diets with
high-fat, high-sugar fast food diets, resulting in
the extinction of the seeds. Because of the unique
genetic makeup of American Indians, this dietary
change has resulted in skyrocketing rates of
obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and other
diet-related diseases among Native Americans.
Disease rates are shown to decline when they return
to their traditional diets. FTCI wishes to provide a
demonstration center for Cherokee to learn to
cultivate traditional foods and herbs and preserve
their seeds.
FINDING
AND REUNITING THE CHEROKEE IN FLORIDA
Native
Americans and Alaska Natives residing in Florida
number 72,360. Of those, it is estimated that
approximately 30% are registered and unregistered
Cherokee Indians. The 2000 U.S. Census was the first
that allowed citizens to identify themselves as
being both American Indian and of another race. For
this reason, while the Florida population only grew
by 24% (3,044,452 people total) in ten years, the
total population of American Indians, living in
Florida, grew by 225% -- 81,545 people (US Census,
2002, Table 2).
As the
government becomes more inclusive of multiple race
identification, and as interest in genealogy grows,
we predict that this rapid jump in American Indian
population figures will continue to outpace real
population growth, and will better reflect the true
racial demographic of Florida’s citizenry. Since the
Cherokee represent the largest American Indian
population in the U.S., we expect a large number of
these newly identified and formerly unenrolled
American Indians living in Florida to be Cherokee.
These newly identified Cherokee will need the
support of a tribe. FTCI seeks to provide that
support to Cherokees living in and near Florida by
bringing our people together to restore and expand
their language, culture, religion, civil rights, and
sovereignty.
If you
would like to donate to our cause, please use the
following form,
or contact Chief Ken Johnson.
Standard Donation
If you would like to donate in
memory of a loved one, please use this from,
or contact Chief Ken Johnson.
Donate
in Memory of a Loved One
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