Marie Junaluska and Roger Smoker, both elders of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and first language Cherokee speakers, cut the ribbon to open the Cherokee Speakers Place (kalvgviditsa tsalagi aniwonisgi tsunatsohisdihi), located adjacent to the New Kituwah Academy in Cherokee, N.C., on the morning of Friday, Feb. 16. (SCOTT MCKIE B.P./One Feather photos)
By SCOTT MCKIE B.P.
One Feather Asst. Editor
CHEROKEE, N.C. – The Cherokee language has been spoken for many millennia in the mountains of western North Carolina and throughout the southeast, and it will endure for many more due to the efforts of Cherokee speakers today. The Cherokee Speakers Place (kalvgviditsa tsalagi aniwonisgi tsunatsohisdihi), located adjacent to the New Kituwah Academy in Cherokee, N.C., opened officially with a ribbon cutting ceremony on the morning of Friday, Feb. 16.
To see more photos from this event, visit: Cherokee Speakers Place ribbon cutting, February 16 – Cherokee One Feather (smugmug.com)
Students from New Kituwah, future Cherokee language speakers, sang the Cherokee National Anthem and also presented several other Cherokee songs and dances.
Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) Principal Chief Michell Hicks told the crowd, “I know that language revitalization is something that hasn’t come easy. There’s been a lot of minds, there’s been a lot of creativity.”
Principal Chief Michell Hicks told the crowd at Friday’s event, “I know that language revitalization is something that hasn’t come easy. There’s been a lot of minds, there’s been a lot of creativity.”
“I just want to thank the planning committee, all the speakers, all the second language speakers, even the little guys for participating today and being part of this part of our history. Each administration has a responsibility and I want to thank the prior administration, Chief Sneed, and the work they did, and prior to that. Everybody plays a part and we have to realize what the next phase is of the part that we play. We always have to give thanks for all the administrations and the Councils and our people for really stepping up and doing what’s right.”
Chief Hicks said he is going to dedicate himself to language learning and encouraged others to do the same. “My generation, we lack resources, but it’s not an excuse. I don’t have an excuse other than I’ve got to allow for more of an effort. That’s something that I’m obligated to do and I feel guilty about it, but I also feel like I need help. So, I’m asking for help. And I think there are a lot of us that sit in my shoes. We need help. We need folks to come to us and us come to you and say, ‘help us’. I’m scared. It frightens me.”
“We have to find that creativity. We can’t be scared. We have to walk across and figure out how we do it and how we do it better. I’m very appreciative of the keepers of the language. I know we don’t have a lot of fluent speakers, but we have a lot of second speakers coming on and we have a lot of children. And one thing about the Eastern Band is we’re blessed. We’re blessed with resources. And sometimes we may have to tighten up or we may have to find a different pathway with our resources, but we will find that pathway. We will make it work.”
The 8,320 square foot building will house Speaker’s Gatherings, Speaker’s Council meetings, Speaker’s Consortium meetings with speakers from the Cherokee Nation and the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians, and it will have two adult language classrooms, offices for translators and an archivist, and a resource library. According to EBCI Planning, the total construction cost for the building project was $10 million.
EBCI Beloved Woman Myrtle Driver Johnson and Marie Junaluska, both EBCI elders and first language Cherokee speakers, gave their remarks on Friday entirely in the Cherokee language.
Roger Smoker, an EBCI elder and first language Cherokee speaker, gave his remarks in both Cherokee language and English noting, “Today is a special day and a good day for our speakers for the Eastern Band. It’s been a long time coming for this celebration and the grand opening of this building. It’s kind of sad, though, this morning because of those who cannot be with us to celebrate this grand opening – JC Wachacha, Garfield Long, Jonah Wolfe, and Carolyn Bird. Those are four that sat with us during our planning when we first began to think about the building for the speakers. They will always be remembered.”
Smoker, who is also the chairperson for the Cherokee Speakers Council, added, “As we marked the beginning of planning, we were planning on the purpose for this building to be used for the first speakers, second learners, and the Speaker’s Council. For the second learners, they now have a permanent place to learn the language. And where the Speakers Council will now have a permanent place to meet. And the Consortium meeting with the United Keetoowah Band and Cherokee Nation speakers will now have a place to meet when they come over to visit. This new building will house the second language speakers and it will benefit our communities and represent the committed values of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.”
Myrtle Driver Johnson, Beloved Woman of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, speaks to the crowd during Friday’s event. She gave her remarks entirely in the Cherokee language.
EBCI Tribal Council Chairman Mike Parker commented, “It fills my heart with so much joy and gladness to see these young kids learning, to see our adults that are first language speakers from the get-go to be able to teach these young kids.”
“It makes me proud to see these little kids. This is fantastic.”
Joe Bunch, principal chief of the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians, was at Friday’s event and said, “It’s amazing. It’s amazing what you’re doing here…it’s a blessing, no doubt about it because we share the same story. Not only our language, our culture…we share the same story with how we’re losing our language. I’m here to help in any way I can.”
Miss Cherokee 2023-24 Scarlett “Gigage” Guy served as emcee for the event and spoke the Cherokee language throughout. At the end of the program, she noted, “I’m sure I’ve made some mistakes today, but I appreciate the chance to try and speak and learn.”
The Steve Youngdeer American Legion Post 143 Color Guard raised the flags of the EBCI and the United States and the POW/MIA flag to open the program.
