Big Cove Buddies

Abby and Sumer with Big Cove Head Start team leader Katie.

Friends and Colleagues

Left to Right: Sumer, T.J., Sandy, Leanne, Kaitlyn, Leanne, Brittany, Cody, Britney, Abby, Nellie, Forrest.

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

Tsalagi Pride

Great sign seen hanging in a hallway in the Cherokee

Elementary School

Cherokee "I Am" Poems

A couple of beautiful and deeply moving examples of "I Am" poetry on display in the Cherokee Central Schools middle school. I took these pictures today during our tour of the CCS campus.

Brittany's Cherokee Experience

On our first day at Dora Reed Head Start I could tell just how grateful they were to have us there to help. The center is under a lot of pressure right now because they are on probation, so we were not able to help in the classrooms. There are plenty of other things for us to do though. Amanda Beasley, the director, explained that they are redoing lots of things, ordering new furniture, and doing their best to improve. They are doing so many things at once that they are barely able to keep up. So, we have been doing a lot of behind the scenes work in the kitchen and their Literacy Center. On the first day I helped stock the freezer and do inventory, something they would not have been able to get done without us. So far I have had a great time, and you can tell how much they genuinely appreciate our help.

We have also toured the immersion school, Kituwah Immersion Language Academy. At this school they speak only Cherokee. It was amazing to see all the children doing normal lessons (with a smartboard) speaking in a completely different language. They meet all of the expected standards, and preserve their cultures language. We toured the Cherokee Central School. It included pre-K to twelfth grade. It was built with tribal money, and they have almost every resource you could think of. It was a beautiful school, full of the latest technology, and there was a large emphasis on art and culture. The school is also a green school. There are monitors that check each classrooms oxegyn levels, and if they sense stagnant air fresh air is brought tin from outside. Another thing that I found mind-blowing was that they collect rainwater and use it to flush the toilets in the building.

There are many other wonderful things that Dr. Bryant has shown us on the reservation, including the grave stones of his great-grandparents. But my favorite cultural experience has been the cooks at Dora Reed making us fresh Cherokee food. They made us fry bread and chili, just for us.

--Brittany George

Day 3 in Cherokee

Today was a wonderful day. The Dora Reed center is a great place for us to volunteer. For most of the week I have been helping in the kitchen to prepare and serve breakfast and lunch. Today, instead of helping in the kitchen I was lucky enough to help in the library. It was a nice change of pace, and I got to see a different aspect of the school. It is great being able to give back to this community in any way possible. I got to make some lesson plans for the librarian which was great practice for when I have a class of my own. Then we headed to the co-op where I got to see all the wonderful hand made crafts that the Cherokee have made to sell. Some of the basket weaving that has been done is breath taking! I ended up getting some earrings, and a dream catcher from the co-op to help support the Cherokee people

After the co-op we were taken on a tour of Cherokee central schools. The students at this school are so lucky for what the tribe has provided for them. This school is remarkable in the amount of resources available for the students, as well as how much effort this school puts into to help the students succeed. I am amazed by the school the students have been provided. This trip has turned out to be so fulfilling, just by being able to give back to the community.

Little Bit of Heaven

Since Grandma's closed down, there hasn't been anywhere on the Boundary to get a really good piece of frybread. With that in mind, today Nellie, Leanne and Sandy were kind enough to make some chili and frybread for those of us working at Dora Reed. They made us Indian tacos after making breakfast and dinner for 240 children and the center's faculty. That's just one small example of the kind if kindnesses that seem to get showered on us whenever we visit this place. Thanks, folks, for a tongue-slapping good meal!

The Official 2012 Photo!!

The official 2012 Cherokee Spring Break photo!

Morning in Cherokee

This beautiful image greeted us this morning when we arrived at the Kituwah Academy.

Arizona Swayney Blankenship

This afternoon after we left our work at the Head Start centers, I had the honor of taking my students into the Big Cove community to visit a very special place on the Boundary. Off of Soggy Hill Road, deep into the woods, is a small and unmarked family cemetery. We placed flowers at the gravesides of my great-great-great Grandmother and Grandfather, James and Laura Swayney, and then we placed flowers at the grave of their daughter Arizona Swayney Blankenship.

Arizona and her brother, Lorenzo Dow Swayney (my great-great Grandfather) were taken from the Boundary to be "educated" at the Hampton Institute in Hampton, Virginia--a boarding school for American Indians and African Americans. Arizona returned to Qualla Boundary and, with some assistance from Lorenzo, founded a school in Big Cove--one of the first Indian controlled and operated schools in the United States. She added basket weaving to the curriculum and thereby helped to preserve ancient basket weaving techniques that were slowly dying out among her people. As a teacher she inspired Cherokee to embrace education and to seek to find a balance between that education and their culture, heritage and traditions. I hope she can serve as an inspiration for 21st century teachers, too. I was so proud to be able to take my students to this sacred ground and tell them her story.

Kituwah Academy

The students and I got to tour the Kituwah Academy this morning and it was amazing! The school is infant-2nd grade and is an all-Cherokee language immersion school. Mr. Gill Jackson took us around and allowed us to visit and 2nd grade class and a kindergarten class. Listening to those beautiful Cherokee children speak the language was thrilling, and watching the absolute joy in Mr. Jackson's face as he talked with them was inspiring. Mr. Jackson is from the Snowbird Cherokee community and did not speak English until he was 7 years old. He was a gracious and terrific host. Thanks to him and all the staff and faculty for making time for us. (And a special hello to my buddy Denise from the Dora Reed Center who now works at Kituwah--it was great to see you!)

Great Pic

I love this photo of Forrest deep in thought at Soco Falls.

Why I Love My Job

I just saw this article on how to get the ultimate bikini for your Spring Break trip this year. And then I thought about the fact that I am in Cherokee with 8 college students who have chosen to spend their break getting up early, working in a Head Start, and generally serving other people--all of whom they have never even met before and may never meet after this week is done. And that's why I love this gig. When the cynicism gets to you, you look around and see idealistic young people who care and work.

And you can't beat that.

The Falls

Soco at Sunset

We're Here!

We arrived in Cherokee today around 4, and we have had gorgeous weather so far! We checked in and then had a picnic by the Occonoluftee River. We took a walk through the bamboo garden and then headed out to Soco Falls. Finally, we checked out the Kituwah Mound at dusk. It was a full and great day. Tomorrow morning we get to work at the Dora Reed Child Care Center doing whatever we can to help out.

Ready to Go

A picture from one of our trips to get you motivated! This picture from 2010 at Soco Falls is one of my all-time favorites.

Testing

Ok--one more quick (hopefully) test to see if all the social media is synched up!

Special Guest!

Dr. Ann-Marie Clark will get to spend a day with us in Cherokee! I'm so excited to have Dr. Clark with us!

Tsalagi Language Work

This is an exciting article about some of the work being done to preserve and pass on the Cherokee language. These types of initiatives have reinvigorated much of Cherokee culture and made the Qualla Boundary a vibrant indigenous community.

New Page Added

Check out the new page dedicated to Cherokee Spring Break alumni on the bottom right side of the CSB blog site. It's still under construction but will bring news about the outstanding students who have been a part of this program over the last five years.

Tweet!

This year marks the first year that the Cherokee Spring Break will have a presence on Twitter. You can follow us at @CherokeeSpringB all week long. Hope to find you with us as we tweet through our time on the Boundary.

The 2012 Lineup!

This year's Cherokee Spring Break participants will be Abby Gac, Leanne Jeffcoat, Sumer Walser, Cody Beasley, Brittany Wright, Brittany George, Forrest Yermen and Kaitlytn Hutchinson! I am proud of these folks for choosing to spend their break in service--that tells you all you need to know about the kind of young people we have at Appalachian State! If you see them, thank them and wish them well!

Memory Lane

A trip back as we prepare for the new trip!