»Ê¹ÚÌåÓýappÏÂÔØ

Introduction

Image Details

River cane (Arundinaria gigantea) is a type of bamboo native to the southeastern United States, and plays a culturally and ecologically important role in the region. Tribal artisans from the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) have long used river cane to make baskets, mats, building materials, and other tools. Additionally, river cane prevents soil erosion and storm damage, preserves water quality, and provides habitats for a wide range of animals (). However, many river cane groves, called canebrakes, have been cleared for agriculture, construction, or aesthetic purposes. This disrupts the environmental benefits river cane provides and limits Tribal members' abilities to harvest these natural resources for artisan crafts. 

In North Carolina, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians established the  (RTCAR), a grant initiative to connect Cherokee people with funds to promote artisanship and traditional care for natural resources. This expanded education and outreach to address the lack of access to cultural resources. This and other funding initiatives have led to ongoing research to better understand river cane restoration techniques and benefits.

Increased awareness for river cane creates opportunities to involve students, volunteers, and researchers in restoration efforts. Developing effective transplanting methods requires trial and error, but the broad network of support for river cane has led to successful long-term projects across the region. Cherokee artisans, researchers, conservation groups, nonprofits, and government entities work together to strengthen community efforts for river cane preservation, expanding ecological restoration and access to cultural resources. 

Key Issues Addressed

Many people are unaware of river cane’s cultural significance and the important ecosystem services it provides. Canebrakes are often cleared for farmland and urban development, and healthy cane is seen as a nuisance because it grows in thick patches that block riverfront views. Only about two percent of historic canebrakes remain. This limits harvesting opportunities for Tribal artisans and reduces the many ecosystem services river cane provides (). 

Tribal artisans need land access to harvest river cane for traditional arts and crafts. Additionally, landowners often need additional help to properly care for and maintain new and existing canebrakes. As river cane becomes increasingly difficult to find, greater cooperation is needed for protection and restoration efforts. Municipal land, private property, tribal lands, and protected areas are all potential locations for growing and harvesting river cane, but stewardship and harvesting rights must be negotiated and upheld for successful river cane protection. 

Growing river cane is no easy task as it requires long-term care and knowledge of effective cultivation techniques. When cane is replanted, it can take up to five years for rhizomes to produce new growth. The extended time frame needed for river cane restoration projects poses challenges for maintaining leadership and funding at project partner organizations. Different replanting techniques require varying types of equipment, which must be carefully considered by the organizations, researchers, and volunteers implementing restoration projects. Since awareness of river cane remains low, this plant is not readily available at local nurseries, and non-native species may be incorrectly sold as “river cane�. These challenges make it even more difficult to access the materials needed for restoration.

Project Goals

• Expand awareness of river cane through education and cultural projects.
• Increase Tribal access to river cane resources for stewardship and harvesting.
• Find and share successful river cane restoration techniques.

Project Highlights

• Artisans, Cultural Groups, and Researchers Increase Awareness and Education for River Cane: Organizations such as  find opportunities to tell the stories of river cane harvests when they sell . They also offer craft classes and harvesting lessons to Tribal members, passing on traditional knowledge to new generations. RTCAR and EBCI artisans collaborated with the  and the  to highlight river cane in a cultural restoration video project called â€�â€�. Fact sheets shared by researchers help people learn to recognize the difference between native river cane and invasive bamboo. As awareness of river cane grows, restoration efforts find increased support.
• Partnerships Expand Access to Existing Canebrakes and Create New Restoration Opportunities: When river cane is identified on private or public lands, Tribal members can form agreements with landowners, city leaders, and other managers to harvest and maintain the cane. Conservation organizations such as the , , and  look for opportunities to purchase land or  to ensure protection of healthy canebrakes, including those found at . Tribal members, researchers, and nonprofits find opportunities to collaborate with the  and other government agencies for increased restoration support.
• Researchers Develop Easier Restoration Techniques: Transplanting river cane can be resource intensive, sometimes requiring trucks or tractors to transport large clumps of soil with growing cane. As an alternative, volunteers and researchers have established creative approaches to transport cane using everyday supplies such as five gallon buckets, rain gutters, or trash bags. As researchers learn more about river cane growth, they test new transplanting techniques such as the “cane trainâ€�. Instead of transporting full plants, this method uses the rhizome stems found on river cane root systems. While traditionally transplanted cane takes three to five years to see new growth, the rhizome technique produces growth within one year (). As new techniques are tested, river cane restoration continues to expand.

Lessons Learned

Image Details

Cultural education brings a deeper connection to conservation goals. When Tribal basketmakers teach their craft, they also teach the importance of sustainable harvest. Following these practices, harvesters never take more materials than they need, and they care for the land so nature can continue to thrive and provide. As artisans pass on this knowledge, they keep Tribal culture and tradition alive and help people develop a more personal connection with conservation goals. Sharing cultural crafts more broadly through education and outreach programming inspires others to continue preserving and caring for the natural world. 

Identifying common goals allows partnerships to flourish. Conservation groups focus on land preservation while organizations like RTCAR focus on cultural values, but they find opportunities to work together toward overlapping restoration goals. Land management agencies focus on specific habitat goals, and these efforts can be better achieved through co-stewardship of land with Tribal artisans. When researchers and volunteers want to learn more about cane, they can help older artisans with physically demanding harvesting tasks. Recognizing and pursuing shared goals enhances conservation and restoration work. 

 Like river cane, relationships must be carefully cultivated. Conservation work often requires trial and error, so ongoing cooperation is necessary to maintain long-term care and resources for river cane restoration. Building trust is especially important for working alongside Tribes. When researchers and organizations continue to show up and stay involved over the years, they demonstrate a commitment to respect and collaboration over immediate results. This lays the foundation for long-term success in cultural and restoration projects. 

Next Steps

• Explore river cane as a nature-based solution to prevent erosion and storm damage. Areas with river cane saw less damage from extreme floods after Hurricane Helene in 2024, and interest is growing for the use of river cane to revegetate damaged areas.
• Expand greenhouse growth of river cane to increase transplant availability for future restoration. As awareness and demand for river cane grows, nurseries can support efforts by supplying native river cane.
• Seek continued funding for more frequent harvesting trips, classes, and travel to share cultural and restoration river cane work. 

Funding Partners

• Funding Match Partners: Chattooga Conservancy, EBCI Cooperative Extension, Mainspring, Conserving Carolina, Asheville Art Museum, Penland School of Craft, Cherokee Central Schools, Mammoth Cave National Park, Western Carolina University, American Whitewater, MountainTrue (formerly Hiawasee River Watershed Coalition), Watershed Association of the Tuckaseegee River, RiverLink, Blue Ridge Resource Conservation and Development Council, Mountain Valleys Resource Conservation and Development, Haywood Waterways Association

Sources Referenced

• Stith, F. (2020). â€�.â€� Mitchell News-Journal.
• Griffith, A. (2025). â€�â€� North Carolina State Cooperative Extension.
• Griffith, A. & Young, L. (2025). â€�.â€� North Carolina State Cooperative Extension. 

Contacts

• Adam Griffith, North Carolina State Extension: [email protected]
• David Cozzo: [email protected]
• Amanda McCoy, Qualla Arts and Crafts: [email protected]

CART Lead Author

• Jessica Zimmerman, Case Study Author, CART: [email protected]

Suggested Citation

Zimmerman, J., N. & Griffith, A. (2025). “Expanding Awareness and Collaboration for River Cane Restoration and Tribal Culture.â€� CART. Retrieved from /project/collaboration-river-cane-restoration