The holiday season kicks off Tuesday night in the nation’s capital as one of the country’s most well-known trees, the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree, gets lit up for the holidays.

This year's tree, a 78-foot-tall red spruce named Ruby, came from North Carolina – and so did one of the people who will light the tree: 9-year-old Catcuce “Coche” Micco Tiger. 

What You Need To Know

  • The U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree lighting is set for Tuesday

  • This year's tree, a 78-foot-tall red spruce named Ruby, came from North Carolina – and so did one of the people who will light the tree: 9-year-old Catcuce “Coche” Micco Tiger

  • He submitted an essay this fall to apply to become the official youth tree lighter of Ruby — the 78-foot tall red spruce from the Pisgah National Forest in North Carolina

  • Tiger wrote about the importance of preserving his tribe's culture and now that he's in the District of Columbia with his mom Katie — he will spread that message and share his tribe’s culture with people around the country 

Tiger is a student at the New Kituwah Academy, a school located in Cherokee, North Carolina, that teaches English and the native language of Cherokee. He submitted an essay to apply to become the official youth tree lighter of Ruby.

He wrote about the importance of preserving his tribe's culture and now that he's in the District of Columbia with his mom Katie — he will spread that message and share his tribe’s culture with people around the country. His speech will also include the Cherokee legend of the evergreen tree. Ruby was raised on the ancestral lands of the Cherokee.

These trees are sacred and used for medicine by the Cherokee people to this day. During the ceremony, Tiger will not only speak in English to deliver his speech but also in Cherokee. 

Tiger recalled how he learned of the news back home, "we were playing bingo and then they announced that I won and everyone went crazy."

Tiger, who visited Washington, D.C., for the first time, told Spectrum News he was amazed by all "the tall cool buildings" – but he's no ordinary tourist, and he's come to the nation's capital with a message.

"I want them to know that we are important," Tiger said. They are the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians located in western North Carolina.

The tree's ceremony will be hosted by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., on the West Lawn of the Capitol, and will include members from the host state, including Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C. and Gov. Roy Cooper. 

The tree will remain lit until the first week of January. Once it comes down, it will be recycled, and its branches will be used to make musical instruments in North Carolina.