Cherokee Nation July calendar of events

July 5

First Friday Traditional Games: Have fun learning a new traditional Cherokee game to play while visiting the grounds of the Cherokee National History Museum in downtown Tahlequah from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Free demonstrations of traditional games like chunkey, stickball, marbles, hatchet throwing and more are led by experts in the culture and history of these games. Learn more at VisitCherokeeNation.com.

July 9

Join Cherokee Nation Speaker Services for the first of 12 upcoming Cultural Wellness Gatherings from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. every Tuesday at the Marble City Community Center, 111 Main St., in Marble City. Enjoy a free meal, language lesson from a Cherokee Speaker, make a traditional Cherokee basket or a pair of stickball sticks with local artists, and learn more about Cherokee values with instructors Abraham Bearpaw and Amber Walker. This event is free and open to the public. Dinner will include a hogfry, frybread, brown beans and fried potatoes. These gatherings will take place every Tuesday for the next 12 weeks. For more information, call Amber Walker at 918-316-8033 or the Durbin Feeling Language Center at 918-207-4900.

July 10

MaryBeth Timothy, a Cherokee artist and co-owner of MoonHawk Art, leads a class from 10 a.m. to noon at the Cherokee Arts Center in downtown Tahlequah on the various techniques and strategies for engaging with online customers. Discover how to utilize tools such as Canva to create templates for ads and social media posts. Learn how to harness the power of social media to showcase your work and connect with customers and master outreach through livestreams and email platforms. These are just a few of the many useful skills MaryBeth will cover in this class. All are welcome to participate in this free class, but seats may fill up quickly. Sign up at https://form. jotform.com/241624021962147. This workshop series was made possible by the Cherokee Artist Recovery Act, which was signed into law by Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. and Deputy Chief Bryan Warner in 2022.

July 11

Applications for the 2024-25 Miss Cherokee Leadership and Junior Miss Cherokee Leadership competitions are due today. To download the application, visit https://www.cherokee.org/ all-services/education-services/youthleadership/. Applications are also available at the Cherokee First desk at the W.W. Keeler Tribal Complex in Tahlequah. The Miss Cherokee Leadership Competition and Junior Miss Cherokee Competition will be held at 6 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 17, in Tahlequah. For more information on the Miss Cherokee and Jr. Miss Cherokee Leadership Competition, call Lisa Trice-Turtle at 918-207-4991.

All fluent Cherokee speakers are invited to this free monthly luncheon held from 12:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. every second Thursday of the month and hosted by the Cherokee Nation Language Department at the Durbin Feeling Language Center in Tahlequah. Gather for fellowship, a free lunch and door prizes. For more information, please call 918207-4901 or email language@cherokee. org.

July 13

In celebration of the 40th anniversary of the inaugural Remember the Removal Bike Ride, the RTR Legacy Association is holding an event from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. to honor the 1984 riders and others who have contributed to the ride throughout the years. Doors open at 6 p.m. at the Chota Center in Tahlequah. There will be a photo booth, silent auction and live music during dinner. Tickets are $50 for general admission. Learn more about sponsorship packages at rtrla.org/gala. For more information, please contact Kayce O’Field at 918-718-9720 or Shadow Hardbarger at 918-774-5870.

July 15

The 3rd annual Sequoyah Archery Camp for fourth- through 12th-grade students will be held July 15 to 19 from 9 a.m. to noon in the old gym at Sequoyah High School. Cost per student is $75. Students will learn basic skills of archery. NASP-certified coaches will be present to teach whistle commands, proper techniques, and reinforce positive behaviors. Sequoyah student volunteer archers will be available for peer tutoring on compound and native traditional bows. Bullseye and 3D targets will be used from distances of 10 and 15 meters. Jessie Grayson will be a guest speaker on July 19. The camp will conclude with a tournament on July 20. For more information, contact Amy Etzkorn at 918-381-6414.

July 19

Applications to be a volunteer at the 72nd annual Cherokee National Holiday are due today. Cherokee National Holiday would not be possible without a team of volunteers who generously give their time and expertise across dozens of events. All volunteers receive a special edition volunteer Tshirt. Submit an application at https:// thecherokeeholiday. com/ resources/ volunteer. For questions, please contact the Cherokee National Holiday team at 918.822.2427.

July 20

Cherokee Nation is hosting an atlarge meeting for Cherokee citizens living in or near Denver. Be sure to join us from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds Pavilion, 15200 W. 6th Ave. Suite A, in Golden, Colo., for this exciting meeting with cultural presentations and demonstrations. Visit with Cherokee Nation leaders and enjoy a free lunch. Tribal Registration will be on site for photo IDs and citizenship applications. Registration will stop accepting applications for photo IDs 30 minutes before the end of the event. Education Services and Cherokee Vote will also be in attendance to assist citizens. For questions regarding the event, call 918-207-4963.

July 21

Cherokee Nation is hosting an at-large meeting for Cherokee citizens living in or near Albuquerque. Be sure to join us from noon to 4 p.m. at the Cibola High School Cafeteria, 1510 Ellison Drive NW, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, for this exciting meeting with cultural presentations and demonstrations. Visit with Cherokee Nation leaders and enjoy a free lunch. Tribal Registration will be on site for photo IDs and citizenship applications. Registration will stop accepting applications for photo IDs 30 minutes before the end of the event. Education Services and Cherokee Vote will also be in attendance to assist citizens. For questions regarding the event, call 918-207-4963.

July 27

Stop by “Ours to Tell: Cherokee Children’s Stories” from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Anna Mitchell Cultural & Welcome Center in Vinita for an exciting day with celebrated Cherokee storytellers, musicians and children’s authors. “Ours to Tell” will also host the world premiere of Traci Sorell’s newest book. After each performance, children can engage with fun, hands-on activities about the stories. Admission is free and all are welcome. Learn more at VisitCherokeeNation. com.

Cultural class: Learn how to make a traditional Cherokee turban with Seli Stewart from 10 a.m. to noon at the Cherokee National Prison Museum at 124 E. Choctaw St. in Tahlequah. Turbans, as Sequoyah wore, are practical and stylish. For this class, students will need to bring their own sewing machine, thread, bobbin and one yard of midweight or heavyweight cotton. Classes fill up quickly and will be capped at 15 people. This class is $25 per person. Register at https://shop.visitcherokeenation.com/collections/ cultural-classes/products/07-27-2024turban-class.

Ongoing

“Kindra Swafford: Journey Through the Woods” connects with community and nature in the newest installation at the Cherokee Cultural Pathway in downtown Tahlequah. The public art display is now open and features 13 large-scale reproductions of Swafford’s work highlighting a commitment to Cherokee language, culture, environmental stewardship and community. “Kindra Swafford: Journey Through the Woods” is the latest exhibit in a series of art displays to be featured at the Cherokee Cultural Pathway and runs through Oct. 13, 2024. Kindra Swafford, a Cherokee mixed-media and watercolor artist out of Tahlequah, creates artwork expressed through a variety of media with watercolor being her primary choice. Admission is free and the pathway is open all day. For more information, email info@visitcherokee.com, call 877-779-6977 or go to VisitCherokeeNation. com.

“The Healer’s Journey” exhibit, which honors and explores the life of the late Crosslin Smith, is on display at the Saline Courthouse Museum in Rose, Okla. As the grandson of Cherokee traditionalist Redbird Smith, Crosslin kept “the old ways” burning into the 21st century. Frequently invited to address the Cherokee people at important events, Crosslin led in prayers and teachings, bridging the ancestral past to Cherokee Nation today. Before his passing in February 2024, Crosslin and his family assisted in creating an exhibit about his life and work. “Crosslin Smith: The Healer’s Journey” includes pieces demonstrating his pride of military service and commitment to education. It also includes his books and objects demonstrating Crosslin’s commitment to keeping Cherokee traditional spirituality alive for future generations. See the exhibit on display now through Sept. 14. Admission to the museum is free and is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. The Saline Courthouse Museum is located at 55870 S. 490 Road in Rose. For more information, email info@visitcherokee. com, call 877-779-6977 or go to VisitCherokeeNation. com.

Explore the “Woven Legacies: Carrying a Cherokee Tradition” exhibit at the Cherokee Nation Anna Mitchell Cultural & Welcome Center in Vinita, Okla. Thanks to countless unknown Cherokee women and men through the ages, Cherokee traditional basketry has endured despite centuries of tragedy, loss and turmoil. Basket weaving is still prolific among Cherokee people who learned their skills from elders knowledgeable in the natural materials and techniques used by our ancestors to build practical, often beautiful, works of art. While basketry now is focused largely on artistry, the old ways are still revered. “Woven Legacies: Carrying a Cherokee Tradition,” which runs through Nov. 3, looks at the history, art and people of Cherokee basketry and the presence of community support to continue this expression for generations to come. The Anna Mitchell Cultural & Welcome Center is located at 953 E. Illinois Ave. in Vinita. For more information, email info@visitcherokee. com, call 877-779-6977 or go to VisitCherokeeNation. com.