Copyright © 2002 NLThomas
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Cherokee Nation youth fulfill a one hundred year prophecy and walk on the Etowah Mounds, in Cherokee, NC.

TAHLEQUAH, OK - Sixty-two Cherokee Nation youth recently participated in a "Cultural Enhancement Program," jointly administered by the Cherokee Nation and the Housing Authority of the Cherokee Nation. The program created opportunities for young Cherokees to discover the sacrifices, wisdom, history, stories, and culture of their ancestors.

"The breeze feels like it's the spirits of my ancestors welcoming us here", said Chase Murphy, participant, as he looks out across the mountains of North Carolina, surrounding the historic Etowah (Kituwah) Mound.

The youth participated in an eight-week activity program, prior to the trip. The program began with researching their native roots using the Dawes Roll books and looking up family land allotments. The youth learned Cherokee tribal history by listening to elders, looking up information on the Internet, visiting museums, and an introduction to the Cherokee language. A cultural camp was also included where the youth learned about the importance of herbs, plants, spiritual cleansing, as well as cultural gathering for crafts and tools. The youth learned how to make marbles, baskets, stickball sticks, pouches, finger weaving, beadwork, shawls and clay pottery. They also watched demonstrations on cornhusk dolls, plants and herbs, snakes, spiders, blowguns, shawl making, and storytelling. In addition to acquiring the skills the youth will in turn be asked to help with other camps to pass on that knowledge.

The gathering of natural materials, making crafts and tools, has turned into a profitable venture for some participants. The youth have been encouraged to sell their wares at the Cherokee Gift Shop.

The first part of the program prepared the youth to journey to where their blood relatives lived and died, including along parts of the Trail of Tears. They traveled to Cherokee, North Carolina on an eleven-day trip to interact with youth from the Eastern Band of the Cherokees. On the trip, the youth visited various sites such as the Vann House and New Echota, in Georgia, and the Junaluska grave site, Unto These Hills drama, Museum of the Cherokee Indian, and the Village and Etowah Mounds in Cherokee, North Carolina. They participated with the Eastern Band youth in various craft and sport activities. There was also a Cherokee Challenge Bowl with the Eastern Band youth going up against the Oklahoma youth. The Oklahoma youth took home the trophy that features a hand-carved wooden eagle.

"I think we accomplished our goal to reach more community youth," Sharon Dry, community work manager, added, "the kids really remarked on what an impact the historic sites had on their life, and how walking on the same mound their ancestors walked on was a great experience."

"Tommy Belt spoke with the kids at the mound and told them we fulfilled a one hundred year prophecy that there would be a very large group come back and want to learn and teach too," said Dry, "he said there had been others come back, but not as many as this group."

"The trip was not only educational, but a lot of the participants made an emotional connection and felt like they were home again," cultural staff, Pam Bakke remarked, "they found relatives that they didn't know before."

"The end result is the area youth now have a better understanding of where they came from, and to respect themselves, elders, and to take pride in whom they are," Dry added, "I want to teach them that through our hardships and what our ancestors did for us that we have a greater purpose to succeed in life."