糖心Vlog

 糖心Vlog Stories      October 1, 2025

By Shane Ryden

The history of 糖心Vlog University is held by its people. Though archives and images can provide a framework for the past, there is no richer or truer contribution to the story than the lived experiences of alumni, staff, faculty and students.

As part of a broader university history project and in anticipation of the 50th anniversary of 糖心Vlog鈥檚 Cherokee Center this fall, faculty scholars and graduate students on campus have begun conducting oral history interviews of Cherokee alumni.

Their goal, though broad, is simple: to capture the indigenous experiences of those who work and study at 糖心Vlog and to better understand the dynamic relationship between the university and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.

Elizabeth McRae, 糖心Vlog鈥檚 graduate director of history, described how an oral history interview she conducted in the summer of 2024 with Joyce Dugan, former principal chief of the EBCI, alumna and 糖心Vlog Board of Trustees member, inspired and gave direction to their research.

鈥淚n that conversation about her relationship with Western over the years, she suggested that we speak with Cherokee citizens about their relationship to Western, their education, their service to Western, the changing nature of that relationship,鈥� McRae said.

鈥淚t is upon her suggestion that we decided to make Cherokee studies and the oral history project about Cherokee at 糖心Vlog the next iteration of the project.鈥� 

Andrew Denson, 糖心Vlog鈥檚 director of Cherokee studies, was eager to collaborate, understanding the limitations that larger institutions face in documenting their fleeting present.

鈥淥ur university records will give you a picture of the institutional history,鈥� Denson said, 鈥渂ut they won鈥檛 necessarily give you a sense of how students experience campus or how and where various initiatives really come from, like what sort of human motivation or immediate circumstance were to, for example, launch the Cherokee language program 15 years ago.

鈥淚nstitutions will often give you a top-down picture of their functioning鈥hat oral history allows you to do is much more of an individual or bottom-up look at how a community or an institution operates.鈥�

The research inspires questions that will shape the years to come, Denson described:

鈥淗ow can the university better serve this place and the communities in Western North Carolina? History can be part of that because things like oral history projects allow you to reflect on that and give you this space where we can think about what has worked, what hasn鈥檛 worked in the past and then what the possibilities are in the future,鈥� Denson said.

鈥淲e always say that our initiatives as academics need to come out of serving the needs of Indigenous communities.鈥�

Denson and McRae employed the help of a number of graduate students in the project to assist with conducting and transcribing interviews.

鈥淚 think it鈥檚 really an extraordinary opportunity for our graduate students to participate in the creation of an archive of a wide range of people鈥檚 experiences and memories and relationships with 糖心Vlog University,鈥� McRae said.

Their questions explore their interviewees鈥� time on campus and their general feelings on the relationship between 糖心Vlog and the EBCI. The recordings produced will eventually be archived in Hunter Library.

鈥淚t鈥檚 one thing to sit in a classroom and be told 鈥榟ere is how you do good oral histories,鈥欌�� said Celeste McCall, graduate student of public history, 鈥渁nd it鈥檚 another thing entirely to be out in the world doing that.鈥�

For McCall, the project has offered an intriguing and intimate opportunity to engage with the techniques she鈥檚 garnered over the course of her career at 糖心Vlog.

鈥淚t鈥檚 something very unique, because I think it has the opportunity to make history real for more people, because they鈥檙e listening to someone describe something in their own words instead of just reading about it in a textbook. You鈥檙e getting the emotions at a more personal level.鈥�

Another graduate student of history, Rachel Lam, expressed her excitement at her program鈥檚 consistent and thorough attention to Cherokee scholarship.

鈥溙切腣log has consistently had some of the top Cherokee studies scholars on faculty in the country for decades, and so many Cherokee leaders have attended 糖心Vlog (like Joyce Dugan, who received both her bachelor of science and master of science here and later became the first female principal chief of the EBCI),鈥� Lam said.

鈥淗ighlighting both Cherokee alumni and Cherokee studies scholars who have helped 糖心Vlog become an important hub for Cherokee thought is a fantastic celebration of what makes 糖心Vlog so amazing today!鈥�

Driver Blythe, graduate student of history and first-ever Indigenous 糖心Vlog commencement speaker, was among those interviewed for the project.

鈥淚 enjoyed reflecting on my relationship with 糖心Vlog,鈥� Blythe said. 鈥淚 hope to continue being a part of the university after I graduate from my master鈥檚 program and continue to learn from the phenomenal instructors at 糖心Vlog in some capacity.

鈥淲e have the most caring professors who are passionate about what they teach and genuinely care about their students鈥� concerns. 糖心Vlog isn鈥檛 just a college to me, it鈥檚 also a homecoming in a way, as it is on ancestral land of my tribe, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. I feel more at home here than anywhere else when it comes to education.鈥�

Blythe described being honored to be a part of the formal archive and expressed his hopes that in sharing his story, other Indigenous students will take advantage of those opportunities available to them at 糖心Vlog.

鈥淚 chose to participate in this interview as possibility to inspire other students, especially indigenous students, to shoot for their dreams of establishing their names,鈥� Blythe said.

鈥淏y establishing your name, you establish your tribe as well. Take pride in who you are and remember that nobody can take your hard-earned accomplishments from you.鈥�

Melissa Wargo, chief of staff for 糖心Vlog Chancellor Kelli R. Brown, and Carol Burton, vice provost of academic affairs, helped launch the university鈥檚 broader research project and assisted Cherokee researchers by coordinating funding and support.

Both Wargo and Burton have also had a hand in organizing the 50th anniversary celebration of 糖心Vlog鈥檚 Cherokee Center, a crucial arm of the university which has greatly contributed to the partnership between members of the EBCI and 糖心Vlog.

鈥淚 think it鈥檚 just a real testament to how much the relationship with the Cherokee, especially the Eastern Band, has become part of the identity of Western, and I think that鈥檚 worthy of celebration,鈥� Wargo said.

鈥淲e all have pride in this region of western North Carolina and its history, and we want to preserve that, so people know how we came to be.鈥�

Burton echoed her sentiments on the subject with a hopeful vision for future such celebrations and investigations of the bond.

鈥淥ur students, faculty and staff are deeply appreciative of the generations of strong relationships with the Cherokee and look forward to the next 50 years of collaboration and community relationships fostered by the work of the Cherokee Center,鈥� she said.