The 2021 Kituwah Ways graduates, left to right, back row – Mike Thompson, Landon French, and Windall Toineeta; front row – Abigail Long, Michelle Long, Mariah Mahan, Melissa Smith, Ahli-Sha Stephens, and Dr. Blythe Winchester. Not pictured: Sheyahshe Littledave. (Photos courtesy of Right Path)
A completion ceremony was held for the 2021 ᎠᏂᎩᏚᏩᎩ ᎢᏳᎾᏛᏁᏗ Kituwah Ways pilot program participants at the Yellowhill Activity Center on Tuesday, Sept. 21. Those recognized include Landon French, Sheyahshe Littledave, Abigail Long, Michelle Long, Mariah Mahan, Melissa Smith, Ahli-Sha Stephens, Mike Thompson, Windall Toineeta, and Dr. Blythe Winchester.
The ᎠᏂᎩᏚᏩᎩ ᎢᏳᎾᏛᏁᏗ Kituwah Ways program is a second-tier program for alumni of the ᏚᏳᎪᏛᎢ Duyugodv’i Right Path Adult Leadership Program. This program is designed to provide more in-depth teachings on Cherokee values, cultural practices, traditional leadership knowledge, and includes an individual or small group community service project. Participants met one day every month for one year to complete the program.
In addition to recognizing the completion achievement of the ᎠᏂᎩᏚᏩᎩ ᎢᏳᎾᏛᏁᏗ Kituwah Ways participants, the 2022 ᏚᏳᎪᏛᎢ Duyugodv’i Right Path Adult Leadership cohort was announced. They are Tyler Blankenship, Nakoa Chiltoskie, Dre Crowe, Jais Crusenberry, Zach Goings, Kirsty Maney Herron, Hope Huskey, Chi Sawyer Shipman, Jennifer Martens, and Robert Martens.
The 2022 Duyugodv’i Right Path Adult Leadership Cohort is shown, left to right, including: Tyler Blankenship, Dre Crowe, Zach Goings, Kristy Herron, Nakoa Chiltoskie, Jais Crusenberry, Chi Shipman, Hope Huskey, Jennifer Martens, and Robert Martens.
The ᏚᏳᎪᏛᎢ Right Path Adult Leadership program is a culturally-based leadership program that focuses on teaching leadership competencies through strengthening Cherokee identity and culture using the seven core values: group harmony, spirituality, string individual character, sense of place, honoring the past, educating the children, and sense of humor. Participants spend two full days per month, for one year, in the program learning from various community experts on topics such as the Cherokee relationship with the natural world, lifeways and traditional foods, governance and leadership traditions, history and homelands, and traditional spiritual beliefs.
The ᎠᏂᎩᏚᏩᎩ ᎢᏳᎾᏛᏁᏗ Kituwah Ways and ᏚᏳᎪᏛᎢ Right Path Adult Leadership Programs are programs under the Ray Kinsland Leadership Institute which is a department at the Cherokee Boys Club and is funded by the Cherokee Preservation Foundation. For more information about this and other programs under the Ray Kinsland Leadership Institute please visit our website www.rkli.org, email: info@rkli.org, or call 359-5541.
Submitted by Tara McCoy, Right Path Leadership Specialist
