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Cleveland Middle School students recently won first place in the Tulsa Public School Native American Knowledge Bowl. Standing from left to right are Blake Settlemires, Darrien Pigeon, Sarah Harper, Ashlee Taylor, LaTriece Bruce and Jessica Birdcreek.

TAHLEQUAH, OKLAHOMA - Tulsa Public School (TPS) recently held a Native American Knowledge Bowl in an effort to increase tribal awareness among Native American students. Teams from eight middle schools competed in a series of questions about Native American history and culture, as well as, questions about Tulsa, Oklahoma and the United States government.

According to Marsha Rogers, resource advisor for the TPS Indian Education department, the logistics of transporting children to area tribal challenge bowls were just too difficult to allow their students to compete, so an internal competition was the best solution.

"We are such a large school district that it was difficult to get them together to prepare and go to the (challenge) bowls, but we wanted to allow them to have that type of challenge bowl experience," Rogers said.

So, the TPS Indian Education department organized the Native American Knowledge Bowl for middle school students. Each of the six resource advisors sponsored at least one team from each of the middle schools in Tulsa and worked with the students to get them ready for the competition.

"My students had a study guide and I met with them after school and assigned them each a certain portion of it to study," Rogers said.

Their hard work and time spent studying paid off. Rogers’ team, from Cleveland Middle School, won first place in the TPS Native American Knowledge Bowl.

"They not only learned about Native American history and culture, but also about camaraderie and team support," Rogers said. "They got to experience success and to work for something and have it pay off."

The TPS Indian Education department considered the Native American Knowledge Bowl a success and plans to make it an annual event.

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