Copyright © 2000 NLThomas
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TAHLEQUAH, OK - Two young Cherokees artists will be taking free trips to Alaska after winning the AMERIND Risk Management Corporation’s 2000 Fire and Home Safety Poster Contest, which is facilitated locally by the Housing Authority of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma (HACNO).

"This is the first time in the history of the poster competition that HACNO youth have won on the National level," said Gary Ketcher, HACN Director of Social Services.

Cassie Smith won first place in the 4th through 6th grade division while Miranda Catcher won first place in the 7th through 8th grade division. Both young ladies reside in the Housing Authority of the Cherokee Nation’s Maryetta Addition in Adair County and attend school at Maryetta School in Stilwell, Oklahoma. Ben Rousseau, president of the Oklahoma Cherokees' Resident Organization Planning Board, announced the accomplishment during a recent HACNO Board of Commissioners meeting. Rousseau added, "I'm very proud, and it is an honor that speaks for our Resident Organization Planning Board." The winner's art will be published in the AMERIND Risk Management Corporation’s 2001 calendar for national distribution. Smith and Catcher, along with one parent each, are scheduled to travel to Alaska October 9-12, 2000. "A lot of thought and talent went into these entries in order to artistically convey messages," said Ketcher. "I believe these artists have succeeded in making us think about our families’ safety in the home and community."