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Joyce
Dugan –
A Perspective on Be Cause
There are times when
the right person steps forward to do a daunting task. Their
actions change the livelihood of an existing nation and
influence culture for future generations.
In the Cherokee
culture of the 1800’s, Sequoyah was such a person.
This Cherokee Warrior spent 12 years developing
the syllabry for the Tsalagi (Cherokee) Alphabet.
He created a phonetic writing system that was so easy
to learn nearly an entire
nation became literate in just over a year.
It marked the beginning of a Native American culture that
embraced education as a way to honor its ancestral heritage
and spur economic development opportunities.
The modern-day
torchbearer for education, culture preservation and tribal
member economic development is Joyce Dugan. In
the Cherokee School System, she has served as a teacher
of special needs children, Interim Superintendent and Director
of Education. In politics,
 she
is the first and only female to be elected Chief of the
Eastern Band of Cherokee Nation. In business
and industry, she is serving as Director of External
Relations and Career Development for Harrah’s Cherokee
Casino. Here’s where she’s spearheading
executive and career development opportunities for tribal
members.
Joyce
marries education with the paramount task of creating and
sustaining economic viability for the Cherokee nation.
“We should always be thinking about developing someone
who is going to take our place. When you value your work
and what you do, you want someone to do a good job in it
too.”
Education
has been a strong influence in Joyce’s life.
As a child, she was taunted with shouts of “half-breed”
from her peers. She became timid, shy, withdrawn. A minister’s
wife saw her abilities. She encouraged Joyce to attend a
girl’s school in Georgia. That experience changed
Joyce’s life. For the
first time, someone told her she was capable, that she could
do better. It sparked her confidence. She
graduated valedictorian of her class. She began working
as a teacher’s aid and then went on to college, got
her degree and became a teacher. Her goal was to
give back – to be an advocate for education.
She’s had
to play hardball on education, though. “When
we established the Cherokee Development Program, it was
I who said (candidates) must have a degree. To
me, that just meant that someone had the stick-to-it-ness
to achieve a degree. That tells me something about that
person.” When tribal members complained, Joyce was
called before the Tribal Council to justify her education
requirements.
It is Joyce Dugan’s
voice, heralding the work
of her ancestors, which brings Sequoyah
to the 21st century Tribal Council decision-making process.
“Since Sequoyah, this tribe has stressed education.
It’s time to put our money where our mouth is.
Education just sets someone apart. It’s time
we began to recognize education.” Education requirements
stand.
Tribal member entrepreneurship
is in the economic development vision Joyce holds.
“One of the things the tribe
is working on right now is an incubator to help people
get started in business. We’re starting to see ourselves
as business owners.” She wants to
see the money generated on the Qualla Boundary spent in
locally owned businesses.
.jpg) |
| L
to R: "The Cherokee" co-authors Lynne Harlan
and Joyce Dugan. |
Preserving Cherokee
culture is another passion for Joyce. To heighten
awareness of the Cherokee nation’s rich heritage,
she and her assistant Lynne Harlan co-authored a book, “The
Cherokee.” She sees it as a vehicle
to heighten awareness of Cherokee culture among heritage
tourism and gaming guests. A copy of the book is in each
room at Harrah’s Cherokee Hotel.
Maybe, Joyce
Dugan is the 21st century “right person”
who has stepped forward to do a daunting task - create systems
for this generation’s prosperity and for many future
generations. Sometimes people talk too much instead of acting.
Joyce Dugan not only says
“because,” it appears she chooses to BE Cause.
For
additional information on "The Cherokee," visit
this link provided by the NC Department of Tourism. |
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