Cherokee Arts & Humanities Council

Meet the Board of Directors:

President: Roy Hamilton

Vice President: Dawnena Squirrel Mackey

Secretary/Treasurer: John Morgan

Members:

Roy Boney, jr.
Joseph Erb
Matt Mason
America Meredith
Shawna Ballou-Johnson
Kristie Boucher
Gene Norris

Honarary Board Members:

Marjorie Lowe, Houston, Tx

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Organizational Background

            The Cherokee Arts & Humanities Council, Inc. (CAHC) was founded in 2006 by Cherokee citizens to increase, and share, awareness of the Cherokee (Ani Gaduwagi) culture and traditions through the arts and humanities unique to the Cherokee people.  All Cherokee traditions can and are often manifested within the cultural practices, both old and new, and in the art produced by Cherokee’s.  The CAHC is a totally volunteer based organization located in the Cherokee Nation proper (14 counties of NE Oklahoma). However, our reach is often far beyond this geographical area.

            The CAHC shares Cherokee culture through projects or programming; such as, the Kenwood Reservation Community Cultural program.  By administering this program the CAHC built a kitchen and bathrooms on cultural grounds in the Kenwood Community of the Cherokee Nation, in partnership with others.  The program used all green technologies including the use of straw bale construction and solar panel power, and also utilized water catchment systems.  The kitchen is large enough for a cooking area and a dining area.  The dining area is used for classroom, meeting, or community gathering space.  This facility will eventually house classes in Cherokee language, history and cultural demonstrations in the near future. The facility is named the Ceremonial Ground at Squirrel Ridge. This facility operates independent of the CAHC.

            The CAHC initiated a program in 2007 called the UNALI project (Unali means Friend in Cherokee).  The Unali project took historians, artist, and others into two local, rural and predominately Cherokee student schools to share their knowledge and/or craft.  This program served about 50 students in the Bell and the Maryetta school systems of rural Adair County in 2008, and was able to offer stipends to five artists for their work.

            In outreach to the local communities and the surrounding areas of Northwest Arkansas, and some areas of Texas, as well as four communities in Southern California, the CAHC serves thousands of individuals each year.  We are a volunteer operated organization.  The outreach program addressed topics in history, genealogy and cultural knowledge (traditional practices), and artist demonstrations or teachings. This program originated as part of a grant sub-award for consultation services from CAHC; however, demand exceeded the expectations, and CAHC became directly envolved.

            The CAHC recognizes the importance of the written word in a society.  Therefore, the Sugertree Press project was developed to bring books, booklets, or other forms of written material to print and publication.  The first book published was “Ned Christie, Cherokee Patriot,” about the life of the late 1800’s Cherokee citizen, hero, patriot and politician who was assassinated in the Cherokee Nation in 1892.  A film consortium is currently working on using this book for the basis of a feature film about Ned Christie.  The book is 60 pages and includes pictures.

            Perhaps nothing is as important to Cherokee families as the food they eat.  The Cherokee Culinary Arts project took this to heart, beginning to offer traditional food demonstrations and feedings.  This project demonstrates the preperation, storage, preservation and uses of traditional Cherokee foods forhundreds of people each year.  With the sharing of food we found an opportunity to share our culture through language and stories, and Cherokee history.

Organizational Budget, Fiscal Year 2010