By ROBERT JUMPER
Tutiyi (Snowbird) and Clyde, N.C.
Just a few more things about the benefits of the tribe adding a broadcast radio station as a part of our overall media and economic development strategy:
In a 2017 article titled “The Importance of Indigenous Radio”, Olivia Marie Golosky said, “It is generally assumed that all Indigenous cultures are oral, but that is a myth – not all nations used/had oral traditions. Some nations used birch bark to capture their writings, and there were/are other examples of written languages used by Indigenous people before contact. We believe radio is a perfect transitional tool to share our content, stories, language, and culture with both Indigenous and non-Indigenous people. I believe that the sharing of stories and personal experiences provides a universal platform on which empathy and understanding can be built. Mainstream North Americans are now becoming aware of the political landscape due to movements such as Idle No More and the Dakota Access Pipeline resistance camps and protests. In addition to this, for Indigenous people, we need to be able to share in real-time and over time our experiences and share the true history and current events of these lands we like to call Canada and the United States. Not only does it empower Indigenous communities and individuals to hear our resistance and successes, but it is also a key part of language revitalization, which is connected to the land and culture.” – www.ictinc.ca
Now I have heard the term “language revitalization” used frequently in our quest to preserve the Cherokee language. And for most of us, that means hearing and speaking. Many of our efforts amount to a quick display using a minute-long Facebook reel, YouTube video, or some other form of social media short form. Practical use in government or commercial dealings hasn’t been a thing for many decades. What if we were able to flip on our car radios and hear two Cherokee speakers talking about the news of the day in the Cherokee language? What if we could call in to the radio station during an interview and ask questions in the language and have them answered in kind? What if we could produce radio shows in the Cherokee language and broadcast them? The language efforts are crippled because we have no venue like public broadcast radio to encourage the day-to-day use of the language.
In a 2023 article in the Cherokee Phoenix, Chad Hunter wrote about Dennis Sixkiller, “A fluent Cherokee speaker devoted to highlighting his language has been doing so over the airwaves for nearly two decades. Dennis Sixkiller, a Cherokee Nation translation specialist and National Treasure, both preserves and promotes the Cherokee language on the tribe’s weekly radio show called ‘Cherokee Voices, Cherokee Sounds’. Primarily broadcast in the Cherokee language, the weekly, hour-long radio program features songs, language lessons, news, and traditional stories. The program also features one-on-one interviews with Cherokee elders. Cherokee Nation Ugvwiyuhi (Principal Chief) Chuck Hoskin Jr. said, “This programming holds such an important place in the Cherokee Nation Reservation, reaching countless listeners each and every week on multiple radio stations and now through online streaming. As for host Dennis Sixkiller himself, he embodies what it means to save and revitalize the Cherokee language. He spoke it as a child, lost much of its day-to-day use as a public-school student, but years later was determined to make it part of his life.”
If you would like to hear the show that is broadcast in the Cherokee Nation, you may do so on demand at https://soundcloud.com/thecherokeenation.
Golosky also mentioned Indigenous advocacy via broadcast radio. Her examples were the Idle No More movement and Dakota Pipeline resistance efforts. These efforts have garnered national and international attention, and the causes of native peoples have been bolstered by the ability of tribes to broadcast their stances on issues. Wouldn’t it be great to have the asset of broadcast radio to push our message out about the challenges we face at the North Carolina state level and in the federal political arena?
Broadcast radio is a quick and effective way to communicate the ever-growing sociopolitical warnings and calls to action that our government needs to communicate to the Eastern Band community. Broadcast radio is also a way to quickly respond to the propaganda and misrepresentations that routinely surface about our tribe. I would argue that any tool that might help us counter the misrepresentations of special interest groups against our tribe should at least be explored and used.
In advocating for tribal community radio, Juanita Muwango in an Indigenous Corporate Training, Inc. article, made the following assertion, “Community radio has helped preserve our culture and traditions and is relatively inexpensive to set up and get going. The programming created helps us better understand and value our cultural identity. Not only is it a great place for language revitalization, but it is also an important cultural hub.” She was referring to CHYF 88.9, which broadcasts from M’chigeeng First Nation, a Canadian tribe.
“Here are 7 not-so-secret advantages of First Nations Radio: language preservation, increases language fluency, a great way to share information, hearing about local businesses and their events, enjoying hearing local music all day long, creating space where journalists may volunteer who are learning through doing, and it focuses on our community.”
In business and economy, there is a theory that you go after the lowest hanging fruit. It is a saying guiding entrepreneurs to seek and exploit the most advantageous, easiest to access opportunities available. It is a formula for success. With the external challenges facing our tribe, maybe it is time to look at the potential for this very effective media tool.
