"the People's Paths!" Cherokee News Path - Phoenix Staff Takes Educational Trip

"Cherokee Phoenix staff retreat participants, from left, JoKay Dowell, Christina Good Voice, Dena Tucker, Jami Custer, Nicole Hill, Nancy Russell, Bryan Pollard, Anna Huckaby, Travis Snell, Will Chavez, Mark Dreadfulwater, and Joy and Dominic Rollice stand in front of the reconstructed site of the original Cherokee Phoenix in New Echota, GA."

CHEROKEE, N.C. – The Cherokee Phoenix staff traveled to the Cherokee homeland – with stops in Georgia, Tennessee and North Carolina – in early September as part of a teambuilding and learning retreat for the 11 staffers.

The staff included Editor Bryan Pollard, Assistant Editor Travis Snell, Office Manager Dena Tucker, Staff Writers Will Chavez, Christina Good Voice, JoKay Dowell and Jami Custer, Graphic Artist Mark Dreadfulwater, Advertising Coordinator Nicole Hill, Secretary Joy Rollice and translator Anna Huckaby.

The group went to Ross’s Landing in Chattanooga, Tenn., New Echota State Historic Site in Calhoun, Ga., Kituwah Mound in Cherokee, N.C., and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Reservation in Cherokee, N.C., from September 9-15, 2007.

The retreat was an opportunity for the staff to get better acquainted – the newspaper recently added five new employees – as well as to encourage teamwork and also to learn some of the history of the Cherokee Phoenix and the Cherokee Nation.

Ross’s Landing in Chattanooga was one of three major emigration depots during the Trail of Tears. Historically, the site is where Cherokee entrepreneur and future Cherokee chief John Ross established a landing, ferry and warehouse with his business partner, Timothy Meigs.

“Seeing sites like Ross’s landing make historical facts come to life for me,” said JoKay Dowell, staff The staff also trekked through the Smoky Mountains to Clingman’s Dome, which is also known as Kuwahi or Mulberry Place to the Cherokees. Clingman’s Dome – named for Thomas Clingman, senator from North Carolina – is the highest peak in the Smoky Mountains at 6,643 feet. The area is held sacred by Cherokees.

The staff toured the New Echota State Historic Site in Georgia, which was the capital of the Cherokee Nation between 1789 and 1838. This was where the Cherokees developed a Supreme Court, a written constitution and a bilingual newspaper – the Cherokee Phoenix.

“Getting to see the print shop at New Echota gave me a tremendous sense of how far the Cherokee Phoenix has come,” said Nicole Hill, advertising coordinator. “We have accomplished so much and must continue to grow and protect our language and culture with a strong press.”

While in North Carolina the staff visited the reservation of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, Mingo Falls and Kituwah Mound.

The group toured the offices of the Cherokee One Feather, the newspaper of the Eastern Band, the tribal immersion school and the Museum of the Cherokee Indian. Mingo Falls are the highest waterfalls in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

At Kituwah Mound, the group learned the history of the mound. It was considered the center of the first Cherokee village, and it’s still considered the “Mother Town” of the Cherokees.

Kituwah Mound – also considered a sacred site – was originally 15 to 20 feet tall, but now stands about six feet high because it was plowed down and farmed in the timeframe when the Cherokees lost possession of it, from 1820 to 1996. The Eastern Band of Cherokees bought Kituwah Mound and the 300 acres surrounding it in 1996.

“Though I have been to Cherokee, N.C., many times, it was great to experience the area with the Phoenix staff this time,” said Will Chavez, staff writer. “I especially enjoyed visiting and learning more about the Kituwah Mound near Cherokee. Every Cherokee should learn more about that site and what it means to all three Cherokee tribes.”