"the People's Paths!" Cherokee News Path - Cherokee National Youth Choir

***"The Cherokee National Youth Choir, shown here performing in Tahlequah, has been selected to perform in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City, New York."***

TAHLEQUAH, OK - Sharing the Cherokee spirit through music and song, the Cherokee National Youth Choir, under the direction of Mary Kay Henderson, has been invited to sing at historic landmarks and national events all over the United States. This year, the group can add one more invitation to their list when they take part in the 2007 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City.

“The Cherokee Nation is so proud of these young Cherokees,” said Chad Smith, Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation. “Every year the group becomes more and more popular and if you have ever heard them sing you know why. We are very excited and honored that these young people have been invited to take part in this parade. The choir members are great ambassadors for the Cherokee Nation.”

The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is an annual event hosted by Macy’s Department Store. It is estimated that more than 44 million people tune in to watch the parade every year. Throughout its inception the parade has been well-known for the balloons and floats that line the streets of New York City during the event. However, the parade also features live music and other performances. High school marching bands from across the country participate in the parade, and the television broadcasts feature performances by famous singers and bands.

“Mary Kay Henderson, the youth choir director, and I are so excited that the youth choir will be able to take part in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade,” said Kathy Sierra, coordinator. “This is a real honor and we look forward to the opportunity to represent the Cherokee Nation at an event of this magnitude. I hope everyone tunes in to watch us!”

The Cherokee National Youth Choir performs traditional Cherokee songs in the Cherokee language. The Cherokee National Youth Choir came into existence from the vision of Principal Chief Chad Smith, who saw it as a way to keep children involved in the Cherokee language and culture. They function as an important symbol to the world, demonstrating that Cherokee language and culture continues to thrive in modern society.

Since being founded in 2000, the group has recorded five CDs, including Voices of the Creator’s Children, featuring two-time Grammy® Award winner Rita Coolidge, which garnered two Native American Music Awards nominations and a win for “Best Gospel Christian Recording” in 2002. Their second CD, Building One Fire won the award again in 2003. Jesus Is Born Today, their third release, was nominated in this same category in 2005, and also received a nomination for “Best Religious Recording” at The Indian Summer Music Awards. Their fourth CD, Cherokee Sunday Morning, released in 2005, received the “Best Native Gospel” award at the 2005 International Cherokee Film Festival. Their fifth CD, Comfort and Joy, arrived just in time for the 2006 holiday season.

The Youth Choir acts as ambassadors for the Cherokee Nation, their beautiful voices showing the strength of the Cherokee Nation and its culture more than 160 years after the Cherokees’ forced removal from its eastern homelands. The goal of the choir is to increase awareness of Cherokee culture both within the Cherokee Nation as well as among the dominant culture.

Through the success of the group, interest in the Cherokee language has been rekindled among young people throughout the Cherokee Nation. Several area schools now use the CDs as learning tools, and other schools are interested in developing curriculum to teach Cherokee language and music. Principal Chief Smith and Deputy Principal Chief Joe Grayson, Jr. have pledged to make preserving language and culture a priority at the Cherokee Nation, and the success of the Cherokee National Youth Choir has helped spark a cultural renaissance among the Cherokee people.

“I just want to say again how proud I am of these kids and their accomplishments,” said Sierra. “This is a unique opportunity for Cherokee students and I am glad to be a part of it. In January, we will be holding auditions for next year’s choir. I encourage everyone to consider auditioning because it is really a lot of fun, hard work, but fun.”

For more information about the youth choir contact Kathy Sierra, phone: 918-453-5618.