Thoughts from Brittany and Cody

Today we visited Cherokee Central School, along with volunteering at the Dora Reed Center. As always, we had a wonderful day in the kitchen. The staff is beyond gracious, as are all of the people we've met during the trip so far. We had the privilege of having fry bread made for us by Nellie, Leann, and Sandy. It was AMAZING! This meal was all the more special because the staff prepared it especially for us. After serving both breakfast and lunch to everyone at the center, these ladies went the extra mile to fix us this treat. All week long the staff of the kitchen has expressed their gratitude for our help, but we are definitely the ones who feel thankful as they have let us into their world for a few days. We have learned so much about the culture just by being around those wonderful women. While we were eating, Nellie mentioned how she used to be fluent in the Cherokee language before she started school, and now she only remembers a little. This made huge connections to what Dr. Bryant has taught us in class. The students that we teach need to be proud of where they came from. If we do not teach about our culture, it can be lost. If we do not teach about the Cherokee culture, it can be lost. It is important to teach the things that could slip through the cracks and be forgotten. We have been inspired to this by Nellie, and our visits to the Kituwah Academy and the Cherokee Central School. It is our job to keep history alive, even if it isn't the most famous event in our past.

The Cherokee Central School is a Pre-K - 12 school where they teach the state curriculum, but are fortunate enough to have Cherokee immersion classes as well as basket weaving and other cultural classes. It was fascinating to see their newer school with such an emphasis on arts education. The school was decorated with students' artwork, and you could tell how proud they are to be Cherokee. This school is not going to let students forget their culture, they embrace it. It was a breath of fresh air to be in a school that has such a sense of community, culture, and arts. We also noticed quite a few Western grads go there, and we're definitely thinking that the elementary side could use a couple of App State grads to throw in the mix. It was a great tour, and we are very grateful we had the opportunity to see this school.

Brittany W. and Cody