Cherokee Heritage Center Hosts Russian Delegation

A delegation from Russia visited the Cherokee Heritage Center today to learn about our techniques for preserving and promoting Cherokee history and culture. Tulsa Global Alliance Program Director, Bob Lieser, said he brought this group of eight visitors to the Cherokee Heritage Center because they were interested in starting a similar site in Russia, or because they would like to learn how to better manage the site they currently have.

Our Russian guests enjoyed the various attractions at the Cherokee Heritage Center such as the Cherokee National Museum, Adams Corner Rural Village and the Tsa La Gi Ancient Village. They also spoke with Cherokee Heritage Center Curator Mickel Yantz, Director Richard A. Fields, and Education Director Tonia Hogner-Weavel. The group, made up of museum and preservation professionals, were very interested in learning more about Cherokee lifestyles stating they had heard bits and pieces from other people but wanted a first-hand experience of Cherokee daily life.

The Cherokee Heritage Center frequently welcomes visitors from around the world and would like to thank the Tulsa Global Alliance for their continued support.

The Great State of Sequoyah, 1905-2005: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow

A conference for the general public will be held at the Cherokee Casino & Resort, September 4-5, 2005, in Catoosa, Oklahoma. This is a centennial celebration and history conference sponsored by the Great State of Sequoyah Commission and the Cherokee Nation during the Cherokee National Holiday Celebration. Commission members are:

Wilma P. Mankiller
Tom Holm
Daniel Littlefield
Rennard Strickland
Russell Thornton

For information contact: Richard L. Allen, Cherokee Nation, at (918) 456-0671 Ext. 2466 or rallen@cherokee.org

Traditional Clothing Exhibit

Traditional Clothing: History, Styles, Materials and Methods: The display is on exhibit at the Cherokee Nation complex through the month of July and then it will be displayed at the Heritage Center.

Mr. Wendell Cochran is a gentleman of many talents: he is a self-taught artist, designer, decorator, Cherokee scholar, oral historian and a bona fide master of traditional Cherokee clothing. His creative genius and advanced skills extend to the farthest boundaries of his artistic field. Engaging over four decades of journeyman study and application, Mr. Cochran is a skilled tanner and has the knowledge to classify, harvest and process natural materials to make woven textiles, create cloth and thread, produce pigments and dyes, and fashion buttons, ornaments and accessories. Click here for rest of story.


Clothing Exhibit 1

Clothing Exhibit 2

Congress May Broaden Trail of Tears

Congress may broaden the Trail of Tears through Northwest Arkansas, adding second routes near Fort Smith and Fayetteville. The plan could more than double the number of documented routes along the historic trail where Cherokee Indians traveled after being forcibly removed from the East Coast in 1838. The new bill outlining the routes was revealed the same day that the Senate Indian Affairs Committee unanimously advanced legislation to apologize for past mistreatment of American Indians.

Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chad Smith said he couldn't think of "any greater evidence" of the need for apology than the forced trek of more than 15,000 Cherokees along the Trail of Tears. "It's the sin of not learning from history that is unforgiving," he said in his remarks.

Burger Dinner

Cherokee Heritage Center Staff were treated to a hamburgers-with-all-the-trimmings lunch by director Rick Fields. Cole slaw, beans, and pie rounded out the feast on June 22nd. Yum!