Copyright © 2006 NLThomas
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News from the Cherokee Nation, OK
Copyright © 2006 CNO
TAHLEQUAH, OKLAHOMA - In December 2005, Cherokee Nation Career Services and Tribal Council officials donated $120,000 to the six Boys and Girls Clubs located within the 14-county tribal jurisdiction of the Cherokee Nation. More than 10,000 students currently participate in these clubs, which are called the Cherokee Alliance of clubs, including those in Chelsea, Jay, Nowata, Pryor, Sallisaw and Tahlequah. Club directors have used their portion of the donation to develop after-school programs related to tribal and cultural activities and drug prevention programs.According to Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chad Smith, donations to these types of programs are important because of their influence on the youth.
“The Cherokee Nation strongly supports the youth in our communities,” said Smith. “We recognize the important roles played by the Boys and Girls Clubs throughout the Cherokee Nation and the positive influence they have on our youth.”
Cherokee Nation Career Services Group Leader Diane Kelley, who coordinated the donations, agreed, saying that the Cherokee Nation is supportive of the mission and accomplishments of the clubs.
“The Cherokee Nation is very supportive of the Boys and Girls Clubs’ mission and the accomplishments that are demonstrated by the youth who are members of the clubs,” said Kelley.
Directors of two clubs, Sequoyah Boys and Girls Clubs located in Sallisaw and Boys and Girls Clubs of Green Country headquartered in Pryor, are pleased to announce the activities they have been able to undertake as a result of Cherokee Nation’s donations.
Jan Bell, director of the Boys and Girls Clubs in Sequoyah County, said that several boys and girls clubs in Sallisaw and other towns benefited from their $12,000 portion of the Cherokee donation. The clubs in Sequoyah County serve over 3,600 members, and 75 to 80 percent of these members are native American youngsters. The most important activities the donation has supported in Sequoyah County are after-school homework help and academic tutoring and physical fitness activities.
The Sallisaw club has also teamed with TRAIL (Together Raising Awareness for Indian Life), a prevention program intended to reduce the onset of diabetes among native American youngsters that features an innovative combination of physical, educational and nutritional activities. TRAIL uses tribal traditions and history to teach youths about nutrition, food choices, diabetes, teamwork and community service. Together, the Sallisaw Boys and Girls Club and TRAIL have been able to help club members combat diabetes by teaching them good nutrition and eating habits and by offering plenty of physical activities.
“We are incredibly grateful to Cherokee Nation for this donation. We are growing and serving more youths. We are changing the lives of these youths as well as their families in Sequoyah County,” said Bell.
According to executive director Ron Gurley of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Green Country, the grant of $17,000 from Cherokee Nation is being used to enhance and grow cultural and educational programs for all clubs within Mayes and Adair counties. Four schools, each receiving $4,250, have benefited from the Cherokee donation.
The Salina club has teamed up with the Cherokee Nation Salina A-Mo Community Clinic in a diabetes prevention program, which includes games and exercises specifically designed to help prevent the disease. Within the Bell club, Bell schools are sponsoring the Native American Games. Several schools in the Bell school district will join to offer blowgun and marbles contests, stickball games and barefoot races.
The Rocky Mountain School club has used its portion of funds to hire one part-time employee for its popular after-school “power hour” program. This program offers homework help to those students who need it, and it also gives older students the opportunity to help and mentor the younger students.
In the Marietta club, Marietta schools are using Cherokee monies to help pay for two students and two faculty/staff members to participate in Dr. Robert (Bob) Ballard’s “Immersion Presents” project. Dr. Ballard, world-renowned oceanographer and explorer who discovered the wreck of RMS Titanic in 1985, offers “Immersion Presents” through his Institute for Exploration (IFE) headquartered at the Mystic Aquarium in Mystic, Connecticut. Marietta schools have hired a science teacher consultant to help prepare and tutor children for participation in this project. In June 2006 the Marietta students and staff members will travel to Mystic, where they will use computers to track and communicate with Ballard and his crew members as they explore the Black Sea searching for intact ancient shipwrecks.
“We could not enhance or expand our programs and services without this grant from Cherokee Nation. It is very much appreciated. We thank both the chief and the Tribal Council for this grant,” said Gurley.
For more information on club donations, contact Cherokee Nation Career Services, phone: 918-453-5000.
| Related Cherokee Nation contact information: |
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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 |
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 |