Copyright © 2004 NLThomas
All Rights Reserved

PARK HILL, OKLAHOMA – The Third Annual Kanuche Festival will be held Oct. 9 and 10 at the Cherokee Heritage Center. The festival, presented by the Tahlequah Area Chamber of Commerce and Tourism and the Cherokee Heritage Center, will feature live entertainment, food, storytelling, arts and crafts vendors, Kanuche-making demonstrations with sample tasting and an “exotic” chili cookoff.

As summer recreational activities slow down, the Cherokee Heritage Center is a natural draw for visitors during the fall months. The center is located on 44 heavily wooded acres where the fall foliage makes it an ideal location for such a festival.

People from miles around come to Tahlequah each fall to view the foliage. Travelers frequently enjoy the natural beauty of the facility and gravitate to the on-going festival where they can taste and learn more about the traditional Cherokee food.

Kanuche is a traditional food made with hickory nuts. A kanuche ball is approximately the size of a baseball and is made from the meat of hickory nuts. A ball this size makes approximately one and a half gallons of Kanuche. It commonly takes 150 hickory nuts to make a Kanuche ball. The ball is cooked in water to form a broth. The recipe can vary after that; some cooks prefer to serve it with hominy, and others use rice.

Event hours are Saturday, Oct. 9 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 10 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Kanuche Schedule:

Sat., Oct. 9, 2004
10 a.m. – 7 p.m. Arts and Crafts, Food
10 a.m. Cornstalk Shoot
10-10:30 a.m. Cherokee National Youth Choir
10:30-11 a.m. Native Flute by Joyce Barnes
11 a.m. Blowgun Shoot
11-11:30 a.m. Kanuche Making Demonstration
11:30 a.m. – 12 p.m. Storytelling by Jr. Miss Cherokee
12 p.m. Stickball Competition
12-1 p.m. Sequoyah High School Choir
1 p.m. Marble Tournament
1-2 p.m. Storytelling by Robert Lewis
2 p.m. Chunkey Tournament
2-2:30 p.m. Kanuche Making Demonstration
2:30-3 p.m. Storytelling by Jr. Miss Cherokee
3-5 p.m. Live Music with band Native Circle
5-6 p.m. Native Flute by Joyce Barnes
Sun., Oct. 10, 2004
10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Arts and Crafts, Food
11-11:30 a.m. Kanuche Making Demonstration
12-12:30 p.m. Sequoyah High School Hope Club dance/sing
12:30-1 p.m. Storytelling by Jr. Miss Cherokee
1 p.m. - Exotic Chili Cook-off
1-3 p.m. Live Music with Cherokee Shufflers band
3-4 p.m. Native Flute

Kanuche balls will be sold both days from 3-4 p.m. in the main lobby between the Restaurant of the Cherokees and the Cherokee Nation Gift Shop. All other activities will be held on the grounds of the Cherokee Heritage Center.

For more information, call the Cherokee Heritage Center, phone: 918-456-6007, or call toll free, 888-999-6007, and visit the CHC's web site.

Related Cherokee Nation contact information:

Mike Miller, Cherokee Nation Director of Communications Phone: 918-456-0671 (ext.2210) Fax: 918-458-5580 E-mail: Communications@cherokee.org Larry Daugherty, Advertising Manager Cherokee Nation - Public Affairs Phone 918-456-0671 (Ex.2324) E-mail: ldaugherty@cherokee.org

Steven Swogger, Agriculture Liaison Natural Resources Department Phone: 918-456-0671 (ext.2546) FAX: 918-458-7673 E-mail: sswogger@cherokee.org Bradley D. Peak, Cherokee Nation Natural Resources Specialist Phone: 918-456-0671 (ex.2843) E-mail: bpeak@cherokee.org