Eastern Cherokees take over welfare assistance program

Wednesday, May 22, 2013  

The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians in North Carolina is running its own welfare assistance program.

Previously, tribal members had to go to neighboring counties. Now they can go to their own government for help.

"People are more comfortable going in to an office in Cherokee rather than over to Bryson City,” Tribal Court Justice Bill Boyum told The Smoky Mountain Times.

The tribe has developed its own eligibility requirements for welfare assistance. Some 35 tribal members have signed up, tripling the number that were being served off the reservation.

Nationwide, 60 tribes operate their own Temporary Assistance for Needy Families programs, the paper said.

Get the Story:
Cherokee-run welfare office provides easier access to aid (The Smoky Mountain News 5/22)