North Carolina

North Carolina City Takes First Steps Toward Cherokee Cultural Corridor

Published

2 years ago

January 9, 2024

North Carolina City Takes First Steps Toward Cherokee Cultural Corridor

The Nikwasi Initiative is working to protect and honor local sites that play an important role in the heritage of a regional Indian tribe.

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For decades, the town of Franklin, North Carolina, owned Noquisiyi (later interpreted as Nikwasi) Mound. The mound is the only thing that remains of a Cherokee settlement that dates back to the 16th century. The town’s meeting hall once sat atop the mound.

Now, the Nikwasi Initiative is working to protect and honor local sites that play an essential role in the heritage of a regional Indian tribe — including the Nikwasi Mound.

The organization, which was founded in 2019, is the byproduct of a conflict that arose between Franklin city officials and members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, according to executive director Elaine Eisenbraun.

In an effort to reduce the maintenance burden of the mound, local officials decided to change the grass that grew on it. To do that, they sprayed herbicide on the mound to kill the old grass.

“To the Cherokee people, the mound is a living member of their community, and that was devastating,” Eisenbraun says.

But from that devastation and upheaval, came understanding and collaboration.

“The initial discussions were just about getting everybody to the table, getting representatives from the Cherokee community and the Franklin-Macon County community together, just to sit down at the table and start talking,” says Bob McCollum, a lifelong Franklin resident and a member of the Nikwasi Initiative’s board. “And that led us to the idea of, well what if we had a project that we can work on jointly? And the protection of the Nikwasi Mound … was, of course, the focal point for both groups.”

Those discussions led to the formation of the Nikwasi Initiative. Eisenbraun and Jacqueline Rhew, who serves as coordinator, make up the two-person staff, but the nonprofit counts local residents, civic leaders and members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians among its volunteers and board members. In May 2019, Franklin Town Council deeded the mound to the Nikwasi Initiative.

The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians is a tribe of 14,000 members located in western North Carolina. The city of Franklin is about 36 miles south of the Qualla Boundary, a territory the tribe has owned since purchasing it from the federal government in the 1870s.

“The mission is to preserve, protect and promote a culture and heritage in the original homeland of the Cherokee people,” Eisenbraun says. “So a lot of it is landscape-oriented. But we take on projects that are appropriate to our organization and help to preserve that mission.”

The long-term vision for the Nikwasi Initiative is to create a Cherokee cultural corridor along the Little Tennessee River, running from Franklin to Cherokee, a town inside the Qualla Boundary. The organization has taken several steps toward this goal, including placing cultural information kiosks at Cowee and Noquisiyi Mounds and creating two trailways: the Blueway Trails and the Apple Trail. Its biggest project though is turning the Noquisiyi Mound and the area around it into the Noquisiyi Cultural District. Part of the project will include converting a former auto sales building into a cultural learning center. Other aspects of the cultural district include a cafe, green space and an amphitheater.

“It’s a long-term project. There’s no question,” Eisenbraun says. “We’re trying to raise funds to purchase some of the real estate around the [cultural learning center] and the mound to make a really special place to honor that mound.”

The cultural center is estimated to cost $3.75 million. The Nikwasi Initiative received funding for the center from Opportunity Appalachia, a consortium of eight regional partners coordinated by CDFI Appalachian Community Capital that aims to bring investments that create new jobs and businesses and support sustainable growth to Appalachian communities.

Although much work is left to be done, Eisenbraun and McCollum both agree that progress has already been made when it comes to enhancing community engagement and understanding. Through conflict and misunderstanding came a productive and respectful relationship between the two groups. It’s something McCollum would like to see happen in more places.

“I’m hoping that this … can be used as a model for all those other communities out there once they find out about it. That they too can calm the rhetoric, ease up on the hard feelings,” he says. “The fact that if you just get people to sit down and talk to one another and better understand the other people’s position, a lot of good can come from it.”

This story is part of our series, CDFI Futures, which explores the community development finance industry through the lenses of equity, public policy and inclusive community development. The series is generously supported by Partners for the Common Good. Sign up for PCG’s CapNexus newsletter at capnexus.org.

Brittany Moseley is a writer based in Columbus, Ohio. She’s passionate about the arts, civic engagement, racial equity and great storytelling.

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North Carolina

Asheville Orchid Festival brings ‘best of the best’ to region

Published

2 hours ago

March 23, 2026

Press Room

Asheville Orchid Festival brings ‘best of the best’ to region

Staff reports
| Asheville Citizen Times

ASHEVILLE – The Asheville Orchid Festival will return in all its showy glory for 24th time March 27-29.

The festival, hosted by the Western North Carolina Orchid Society and the North Carolina Arboretum, will have an “Orchid Kingdom” theme this year, and will be an American Orchid Society sanctioned judging event.

Festivalgoers can expect to experience world-class orchid growers and breeders, regional orchid societies displays and hundreds of orchids presented in displays.

Orchids will be for sale from across the United States and Ecuador and will include rare species and cutting-edge hybrids.

“The Asheville Orchid Festival has been recognized as one of the best orchid shows in the country today,” Mike Mims, past president of the WNC Orchid Society said. “A huge orchid festival that is unlike any other orchid event in the region and lures the best of the best in the orchid industry to come to Asheville for a few days to engage and show off.”

WNC Orchid Society President Graham Ramsey, and his wife, artist Leslie Keller, each year create a theme for the festival.

Last year the two created the “House of Orchids” theme to transport visitors to another time, with a Victorian-inspired model greenhouse.

“Usually we arrive at a theme, believe it or not, when we’re out hiking. We try to think of a theme that we can also come up with a neat display to match,” Ramsey previously told the Citizen Times.

In 2023, for the “Orchid Express” theme, Ramsey and Keller created a 24-foot-train that functioned as an eye-catching display for many orchids featured by the festival.

The Asheville Orchid Festival is one of the most important events of the year for the WNCOS. Beyond the opportunity for members of the society to “strut their stuff” as Ramsey put it, the event also provides crucial funding for the nonprofit’s operations.

Ramsey said the group welcomes any orchid enthusiast, “whether you have one orchid on your windowsill or 1,000 orchids in your greenhouse.”

He encourages anyone with even a passing interest in orchids to stop by the show this weekend.

“When you walk into the auditorium and see all the orchids on display, it’ll just blow your mind,” he said.

If you go

The Asheville Orchid Festival will be 4-7:30 p.m. March 27 and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. March 28-29 at the North Carolina Arboretum. Admission is $5 for attendees older than 12 and free for WNC Orchid Society members.

As of March 1, parking fees were increased to $25 for personal/standard vehicles. On the first Tuesday of every month, a $10 discount is offered for personal vehicle parking.

Admission fees include all orchid exhibits, programs and educational lectures and benefit the Western North Carolina Orchid Society to help expand the mission of “sharing the excitement and joy of cultivating orchids and promoting orchid conservation.”

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North Carolina

Maryland’s season ends with 74-66 loss to North Carolina in women’s NCAA Tournament

Published

14 hours ago

March 22, 2026

Press Room

Maryland’s season ends with 74-66 loss to North Carolina in women’s NCAA Tournament

Elina Aarnisalo had 21 points, Lanie Grant scored 20, and North Carolina used a strong fourth quarter to beat Maryland 74-66 on Sunday and reach the Sweet 16 of the women’s NCAA Tournament for the second year in a row.

Nyla Harris had 14 points and eight rebounds and Indya Nivar added 11 points to help the fourth-seeded Tar Heels (28-7) advance in the Fort Worth 1 Regional later in the week. They will play the winner of No. 1 UConn vs. No. 9 Syracuse.

“We just had to stay aggressive,” North Carolina coach Courtney Banghart said. “But you don’t go this long into the season and not trust your (players). These are close games. We know they’re going to be. We’re prepared for it. I trust them.”

Oluchi Okananwa, who helped eliminate North Carolina last March in the Sweet 16 when she played for Duke, scored 21 points for No. 5 seed Maryland (24-9). Addi Mack had 13 points and Mir McLean had 12 points and 14 rebounds. The Terrapins couldn’t overcome 3-for-23 shooting on 3-pointers.

“I felt like it was there for the taking for us,” Maryland coach Brenda Frese said. “We didn’t manage enough plays to take it.”

After briefly falling behind, the Tar Heels used a 13-4 run, sparked by six points from Nivar, early in the fourth quarter for a 63-56 lead.

“They gave us a good run, and we kind of just did a good job of absorbing that and not panicking, not trying to do too much, not getting away from the game plan,” Grant said.

Maryland pulled within three in the final two minutes, but freshman Nyla Brooks drained a 3-pointer from in front of the North Carolina bench.

“Nyla Brooks has been shooting those 3s all season,” Aarnisalo said. “She’s not afraid to take any shots.”

The Terrapins failed to convert as part of 30.6% shooting in the second half.

“We had a lot of uncharacteristic missed shots in this game,” Frese said.

North Carolina took a 42-33 halftime lead, shooting 56.7% in the half.

Nivar picked up her fourth foul with 7:06 left in the third quarter. Maryland was even at 50-50 by the final minute of the quarter.

North Carolina has reached the Sweet 16 in consecutive seasons for the first time since 2014 and 2015.

Board work

Maryland was relentless on the boards, tracking down 21 offensive rebounds. Eventually, Banghart was hoping some of those shots would just go in.

“I got to the point where I was praying Oluchi would make her free throws because I didn’t want to have to rebound it,” Banghart said.

The Terrapins scored 21 second-chance points.

Needing more assists

Maryland’s three assists were its fewest this season and lowest total in an NCAA Tournament game.

The 66 points marked the third-lowest total of the season for Maryland, which entered averaging 82.8.

Up next

The Tar Heels advanced to the Sweet 16 for the 20th time.

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March Madness 2026: How to watch the North Carolina vs. Maryland game in the second round of the women’s NCAA basketball tournament

Published

1 day ago

March 22, 2026

Press Room

March Madness 2026: How to watch the North Carolina vs. Maryland game in the second round of the women’s NCAA basketball tournament

March Madness continues today with the second round of the women’s NCAA tournament. Up next: No. 4 North Carolina vs. No. 5 Maryland. The game tips off at 12 p.m. ET today, airing on ESPN. For a complete breakdown of key dates and how to watch every March Madness game, we’ve got you covered. Here’s a look at how to watch the entire tournament from today’s second round to the Championship Final.

How to watch North Carolina vs. Maryland at the women’s March Madness tournament:

Date: Sunday, March 22, 2026

Time: 12 p.m. ET

TV channel: ESPN

Streaming: ESPN Unlimited, Fubo, DirecTV and more

North Carolina vs. Maryland game time:

The North Carolina vs. Maryland second-round basketball game is on Sunday, March 22. Tipoff is at 12 p.m. ET.

Where to watch the North Carolina vs. Maryland game:

The North Carolina vs. Maryland March Madness game will air on ESPN.

Where to stream March Madness games without cable:

Every game of the 2026 women’s March Madness Tournament will stream on ESPN Unlimited. You’ll also be able to access every game on live TV services like Sling, Fubo, and DirecTV.

ESPN’s streaming platform offers thousands of exclusive live events, original studio shows and acclaimed series that air across ESPN’s suite of seven linear channels, as well as exclusive content on ESPN+, ABC on ESPN, SEC+, ACCNX and more. The new tier costs $29.99/month or $299.99/year.

ESPN Select allows subscribers to access exclusive content only available on the app, and an extensive archive of on-demand content (including the entire 30 For 30 library, select ESPN Films, game replays and more). Whether you purchase a standalone plan, add-on or Disney bundle plan, the service provides access to thousands of sports events for $12.99/month or $129.99/year.

Sling TV’s Day Pass gives consumers the freedom to watch what they want, when they want, without committing to a monthly streaming subscription. Sign up for a single day ($4.99), a weekend ($9.99), or a full week ($14.99) and watch every channel available through Sling Orange, which includes ESPN and ESPN2, and over 30 more channels. No strings attached.

Want to catch a specific sporting event like the women’s March Madness tournament that’s spread across additional channels that Sling Orange doesn’t typically carry? You can customize your channel lineup with a Sports Extra add-on to get additional coverage of ESPNU and more for just a dollar more.

2026 NCAA women’s basketball tournament game schedule

All times Eastern.

Second round:

Sunday, March 22
No. 4 North Carolina vs. No. 5 Maryland: 12 p.m. (ESPN)
No. 2 Michigan vs. No. 7 NC State: 1 p.m. (ESPN)
No. 4 Minnesota vs. No. 5 Ole Miss: 2 p.m. (ESPN)
No. 2 LSU vs. No. 7 Texas Tech: 3 p.m. (ABC)
No. 3 Duke vs. No. 6 Baylor: 4 p.m. (ESPN)
No. 1 Texas vs. No. 8 Oregon: 6 p.m. (ESPN)
No. 5 Michigan State vs. No. 4 Oklahoma: 8 p.m. (ESPN)
No. 3 TCU vs. No. 6 Washington: 10 p.m. (ESPN)

2026 NCAA women’s basketball tournament schedule:

The schedule and locations for the women’s tournament:

Selection Sunday: 8 p.m. ET Sunday, March 15 on ESPN
Second round: March 22-23
Sweet 16: March 27-28 in Fort Worth, TX and Sacramento, CA
Elite Eight: March 29-30 in Fort Worth, TX and Sacramento, CA
Final Four: Friday, April 3, Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix, AZ
NCAA championship game: Sunday, April 5, Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix, AZ