North Carolina’s Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) is a community dedicated to preserving their culture and land for the next generation of Cherokee. The community’s mission to environmental conservation was foundational for its electric school bus journey with Proterra and Thomas Built Buses.

Katie Tiger, Air Quality Program supervisor for the EBCI, and Donnie Owle, service manager for the Cherokee Boys Club (CBC) were instrumental in Cherokee Central Schools becoming the first school in North Carolina and one of the first tribal schools in the country to procure an electric school bus.

This is just the beginning of this community’s commitment to an all-electric future.