SUBMITTED By ROSEANNA BELT
WCU CHEROKEE CENTER
The WCU Cherokee Language Program continues to host a Monday night community drop in class from 6-7pm at the Cherokee Center located at 1594 Acquoni Road in Cherokee. Dr. Hartwell Francis, the Cherokee Language Program Director, is teaching Cherokee Grammar from 6-9pm, and he welcomes community participation for the first hour of the class. This week, guest Cherokee speaker Sallie Arch Smoker played a simple Cherokee language board game with the group.
Along with Kituwah Preservation and Education Program, the WCU Cherokee Language Program co-hosted a successful meeting of the Cherokee Language Consortium last Friday. Consortium members worked together to establish the Advanced High Cherokee Language Attainment base-line. An Advanced High learner can fluently and creatively discuss most topics. The group recorded Cherokee language childhood stories. After each speaker told about his or her childhood, the rest of the group followed up with questions and comments. An Advanced High learner can understand and respond to questions and comments in the language. Thanks to the Cherokee Preservation Foundation, the audio CDs of last week’s Cherokee Language Consortium are now available to community members. Dr. Francis says transcripts and language analysis will soon follow. Please contact us here at the Cherokee Center if you are interested in this excellent Cherokee language practice material. You may stop by or call the Office Manager, Jane Kneller, at 497-7920.
Also, the Cherokee Center, Cherokee Studies and Intercultural Affairs at Western Carolina University are sponsoring a social and dinner for all Native American students currently enrolled at Western. This event will be held at 5:30 pm, Wednesday, February 1st, at the University Center (UC), Room 334 in Intercultural Affairs. To RSVP, please call Holli Stillman, Intercultural Affairs, at 828 227-2697 or email at hbstillman@wcu.edu or you may contact Roseanna Belt, WCU-Cherokee Center at 828 497-7920 or email at rbelt@email.wcu.edu
