currentactivities

On November 18th, the "Teaching American Indian History, Culture, and Current Events" special interest group of the National Council for the Social Studies held a clinic in conjunction with the NCSS annual conference in Baltimore. The education department of the National Museum of the American Indian arranged the program for the day. Twenty two NCSS members attended the session, including Gordon Sisk of Knoxville, current president of the Tennessee Council for the Social Studies.

Mervin Savoy, tribal chair of the Piscataway, was a featured speaker, along with Anne Richardson, chief of the Rhappahannock tribe of Virginia. Those in attendance received lots of background information and teaching ideas to take back to the classroom.

On November 20th, the SIG had a breakfast meeting and continued plans for a position paper for NCSS on how to teach about American Indian subjects. Another important topic is the spring 2006 issue of Social Studies and the Young Learner, published by NCSS for elementary teachers. The SIG is working to make that an issue themed to native issues. Comments and topic suggestions are encouraged.

On November 5th, Mark went to Colonial Williamsburg to attend a symposium on American Indian interpretation at parks and historic sites. Some information from that meeting will be posted on this site in the near future.

The Fall Retreat for the Tennessee Council for the Social Studies was a big success. On Thursday night, October 14, Arvel Bird came in from Nashville and wowed the audience with his fiddle-playing talent. On Friday, the teachers in attendance had a full day of programs. Carol Ross, a descendant of Cherokee chief John Ross, came in from Texas to lead a session on avoiding stereotypes in the classroom. For the luncheon speech, Vice Chief Larry Blythe spoke about current issues on the Qualla Boundary. The lunch itself was also a treat. The menu consisted of turkey, three sisters, potatoes, sweet potatoes, bean bread, and desserts.

In the afternoon sessions, the presentations covered aspects of the educational system in Cherokee, NC, as well as the effects of the casino on the Cherokee economy. After dinner that evening, Carol Ross shared some Cherokee stories with the group. If you haven't heard the one about the buffalo and the buzzard, you don't know what you are missing!

On Saturday morning, the teachers heard about the French and Indian war from Jeff Wells at Fort Loudoun. They also learned about the Tellico Blockhouse. Mark and Sherry sat up housekeeping in the traditional Cherokee home that has been built behind the fort. They also did a presentation on the Trail of Tears in the fort's visitor center later in the morning.

On Sunday, September 26th, Mark and Sherry spent the morning at Pilgrim's Chapel, a church in Kingsport. Sherry did a "children's church" presentation, and sang in Cherokee. Mark then delivered the morning message. Afterwards everyone enjoyed an excellent home-cooked meal.

On Saturday, September 25th, Mark went to Carter Park to join in with a Boy Scout camporee at the invitation of Tim Deane, one of the scout leaders. Mark spent the morning teaching 48 boys and several scout leaders how to throw tomahawks. They turned out to be good students and seemed to have a good time. They also prepared fry bread and beans for lunch. Everyone knows that if you don't get enough fry bread and beans, you may start to wear wristwatches and get a management job!

On September 20th, Mark and Sherry flew out of Knoxville to Washington, D.C. to participate the following day in the Native Nations Procession, a part of the Grand Opening festivities for the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian. The next morning on the Metro subway, they met a young lady from Alaska who had worked as an intern at the museum during the summer. She was wearing her traditional Northwest Coast clothing and on her way to the procession. The site of people in traditional clothing was probably unusual on the Metro. She took photos and so did Mark.

Once on the mall, Mark and Sherry met up with Bomba Easter from Kingston, TN., who was joining them to walk in the procession. She wore her traditional Cherokee clothing as well. The procession included an estimated 25,000 participants from Canada, Bolivia, Peru, Chile, Mexico, Alaska, Hawaii, and probably all of the other 48 states! The procession started with the blowing of a conch shell from the tower of the original Smithsonian castle and proceeded east to the new museum. Numerous reporters covered the event, even from as far away as Russia.

The opening ceremonies were shown on big screens set up on the mall. Museum Director Richard West (Southern Cheyenne), Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell (Northern Cheyenne), and Senator Danial Inouye from Hawaii were among the speakers. Also the president of Peru, the first native person to be elected to that office, presented some opening remarks. Details of the day and a webcast of the procession can be seen at www.nmai.si.edu. There will be photos on this website soon.

That afternoon, Mark and Sherry visited the various demonstration booths to see the making of Eskimo clothing and others such as woodcarving. There were many storytellers and musical groups performing from all over the western hemisphere.

In the evening, concerts took place on the main stage. First up was Buffy St. Marie, who has written and performed since the 1960s. In addition to her native-themed songs, she is famous for writing, "Up Where We Belong." Rita Coolidge and Indigenous were also on stage that night.

It was not until about 9:30 pm that Mark and Sherry made it inside the museum. Timed entry passes had been made available to control the number of people inside the museum at any one time. Native traditions and culture were considered in the design of the building itself. For example, on the east end of the building, facing the capital, is a re-created wetlands, much like the area would have been before European contact. Once inside, it was amazing to see what had been done! The museum is nothing less than spectacular. There are approximately 8,000 items on display, about 10 percent of the museum's collection! There are numerous historic objects in glass cases, as one would expect, but rather than static displays, they are interactive. Instead of little pieces of paper with information about an object, there are computer touch screens that will give details on any item selected. The museum also features a state-of-the-art theater and modern art.

September 11th and 12th was the 13th annual Sequoyah Festival at the Sequoyah Birthplace Museum. The theme for this year was "A Celebration of Ayoka," and included a play written by Gay Harrison and performed by Mark, Bobby Eldredge, Bill Rymer, Scott Crisp, Gregory Warren, Lucas Wildcat, and starring Angel Becker as Ayoka. It turned out quite well for a group of amateurs without any practice!

Sherry was once again popular, thanks at least in part to her camp cooking skills. The vennison was provided by Jack Rackee, one of the museum directors. Others, especially Don Hill, did a good job making sure everything ran smoothly. Scott Crisp brought in a large group of talented dancers to entertain also.

The best news is that the board of directors has voted to plant trees before next year's event! We've been asking for a long time!

At the end of the day on Friday, Mark, Shea, Scott, Arvel, and Travis, joined Don Ault as he took us all around downtown in his horse-drawn carriage. Scott brought smiles to many faces by yelling "Merry Christmas!" to people on the sidewalks! Afterwards we all enjoyed an excellent dinner at Riverside Tavern, thanks to the generosity of Robert McGinnis, site director for James White's Fort.

Saturday was a great day as well. Sherry took over the presentation of the role of Cherokee women. Mark again explained the role of men in Cherokee society. Shea joined the dance program to demonstrate the women's traditional style. Freeman Owle told stories, demonstrated his stone carving skill, and allowed children an opportunity to shoot a blowgun. Marjorie was in the kitchen again, while Don Ault took on the role of blacksmith for the day. Arvel again entertained the crowd with fiddle music. Providing the dance demonstrations on Saturday were Ben Sanchez, Emerson Begay, Nikki Crisp, and her children Jonathan and Keely. As always, husband and father Anthony was a capable manager and chauffer!

Prior to the two days at James White's Fort, Arvel Bird spent Thursday at WDVX radio for their "Blue Plate Special" show at noon on Thursday. The station is located at One Vision Plaza on Gay Street in Knoxville, which also houses the Knoxville Tourism and Sports Corporation. The show was performed live on stage. It was the biggest turnout ever for that show! In the audience was the CEO of the KTSC and the director of tourism for the state.

The eighth annual "Raid on the Watauga" was held at Rocky Mount Museum on Saturday and Sunday, July 17th and 18th. Mark and Sherry, along with daughter Katie, arrived just in time Friday evening to erect the lean-to before dark. Pumping up the air mattresses was done by flashlight! How much better a day goes after a good night's sleep!

On Saturday, Sherry was again her popular self when she opened up the Dutch oven to reveal some outstanding peach cobbler! She also put the new piece of Shirley Oswalt pottery to good use by cooking up some vennison and onions in it. Katie was a big help with the cooking also.

During the afternoon battle, Mark came sneaking through the audience, jumped the fence, and hit one of the militiamen over the head with his new warclub. Would you believe that a photograph of that strike made the front page of the Sunday edition of the Johnson City Press? The militia man's eyes were rolled back in his head; it looked real!

Then the militia brought out the captured Cherokee women and attempted to negotiate peace with the native warriors. Mark, speaking on behalf of the warriors, said that questions of war and peace were settled by the women. Sherry, playing the role of Nancy Ward, said yes to peace. As the militia marched away, Mark called after them, "When you reach the ocean, just keep walking!" That brought a laugh from the crowd.

On Saturday night, there was a threat of rain, but never more than a sprinkle. We still don't know just how well the canvas for the lean-to has been waterproofed.

On Sunday, one of the highlights was the running of the gauntlet. The poor guy was sent through several times, then adopted by the women. Almost immediately a Channel 11 TV crew arrived and wanted us to go through it again! None of the warriors hesitated. The poacher, who admitted hunting deer on Cherokee lands, had to run the gauntlet again. If any one thought that he was being treated lightly, the red marks on his back proved otherwise when his shirt was ripped!

Tuesday, June 15, was great fun in Greeneville. Over 130 youngsters filled the Greeneville/Greene County Library for a storytelling session. The theme for this summer's reading program is a trip around the United States. For the southeast, the Friends of the Library group sponsoring the week, wanted Cherokee storytelling. Mark and Sherry told about the creation of the world, the ball game between the birds and the animals, the possum's bald tale, and more. The children did a great job of listening!

On Monday and Tuesday, June 7 and 8, Mark and Sherry participated in the Tennessee History Teachers Institute with the East Tennessee Historical Society. Dr. Michael Toomey, historian for ETHS, gave an opening lecture Monday about the cultures in conflict on the Tennessee frontier. Later Debbie Woodiel, museum educator, took participants on a tour of the Native Americans and Tennessee exhibit at the McClung Museum on the UT campus. Nationally known expert on Cherokee history, Dr. Dwayne King, was the lecturer in the afternoon. His talk focused on the Lt. Henry Timberlake journals and the trip to England of some Cherokee representatives. Dinner that evening was at Blount Mansion with a lecture from Dr. Charles Faulkner about archaeology digs at historic sites in the area. Throughout the day, Mark and Sherry spent time answering questions from the participants about Cherokee life and trying to fill in any gaps left from the lectures.

On Tuesday the participants went to Fort Loudoun State Historic Site and Sequoyah Museum for tours and lectures. They also visited the sites of the Tellico Blockhouse and the old Cherokee towns of Tanasi and Chota. On the bus rides between sites, Mark and Sherry again tried to fill in the gaps and answer questions from the participants. One teacher remarked, "You should get extra points for having to do this in spurts!"

After the weeklong institute, teachers will be submitting lesson plans based on some aspect of the week's events. The plans will be collected and published by the East Tennessee Historical Society and made available to teachers in the region.

The Indian Festival at Sycamore Shoals in Elizabethton was fun again this year. The weather cooperated this time, so everything could be done outside. Fred Bradley was there to tell some of the old legends. Scott Crisp was there to dance. If you see him, ask what's up in his life. He has big news, but let's let him be the one to tell it. (Hint: It has something to do with a ring!) Vickie Standingdeer from Cherokee, NC, was the featured dancer, doing a good job as always.

Mark and Sherry went to Cherokee on Friday, June 4th, to meet with Freeman Owle and deliver some food, laundry items, paper products, and some personal hygiene items to four elder ladies on the reservation. The goods were supplied through New Market Baptist Church. It should also be noted that Driver Pheasant has had a heart bypass operation but is doing well.

On Friday, May 28, Mark and Sherry visited the Fading Voices Festival in Robbinsville, North Carolina. This annual event celebrates the traditions of the Snowbird Cherokee community. Mark and Sherry took turtle shells filled with dirt and participated in the mound building ceremony. Sherry bought a large, beautiful rivercane basket from Emma Garrett and a piece of traditional Cherokee pottery from Shirley Oswalt. Both pieces will be welcome additions to the living history camp.

The event also included demonstrations of beadwork, quilting, cooking, etc. The bean bread was great! The pole game and the stickball game were fun to watch also. Mark was excited to win third place in a trivia contest about Cherokee history and culture. Had it not been for the questions specific to the Snowbird community, he said he might have come in second. Regardless, he knows what to do with the Wal-Mart gift card he received as a prize. Mark volunteered to make up a similar test for the Sequoyah Festival in September at Vonore.

Shea Keck and Brian Wallace joined Mark and Sherry during the afternoon in Robbinsville. The foursome then went back to Cherokee for the Street Fest. Sherry found some jewelry she had to have. Mark bought a flute from Mark Barfoot. Now if he can just learn to play it!

Special guest at the event was Irene Bedard, star of "Smoke Signals" and the voice of Pocahontas in "Disney's Pocahontas." Mark and Sherry had their photo taken with her and purchased a CD. With permission, hopefully the photo will be on the website here soon, along with a link to Irene's site.

On Thursday, May 20th, Mark and Sherry were guests of Cub Scout Pack 77 in Dandridge for their annual awards banquet. Mark told the Cherokee story of the birds and the animals playing stickball. Sherry told about how the opossum lost his tail. Mark then related the story he originally heard from Iron Eyes Cody (Keep America Beautiful, tear in the eye) about a young boy learning the hard way about not taking drugs. Sherry then sang "Amazing Grace." Later in the program, Sherry demonstrated fire starting with flint, steel, char cloth, and tow. In only a minute or two, flames were shooting upward, much to the delight of the children gathered around. Mark demonstrated the use of the blowgun, using Larry Overton, local youth minister, to hold the target! (Wonder if Larry said a prayer first?)

On May 7th, Mark had the opportunity to meet in Washington, DC with Clare Cuddy, Education Director for the National Museum of the American Indian. The NMAI has agreed to work with the National Council for the Social Studies, of which Mark is a board member, in upcoming national conferences. The museum is scheduled to open on Tuesday, September 21, of this year. The day will begin with a procession of native and non-native people along the mall to the museum site. Opening day is the first of six days celebrating the arts and culture of the indigenous peoples of the western hemisphere. For details go to http://www.nmai.si.edu

The "Encampment at the Village" was a fun event again this year. On April 24th and 25th, a number of great native re-enactors took part in this annual event at the Monacan Indian Village at Natural Bridge, VA. Mark and Sherry told stories both days. The audiences were very receptive. Sherry also spent many hours working on a deer hide. One of the highlights on Saturday was partaking in the meal served that evening. The ladies of the village always do an outstanding job cooking! They served fish, turkey, and venison, plus vegetables, cheese, bread, and more! Take a look at the event photos page to get an idea of what it was like.

The William Cocke Chapter, National Society Daughters of the American Revolution, was a wonderful audience on March 20th. Sherry spoke about the roles of Cherokee women in the colonial period. She showed baskets, pottery, leatherworking tools, etc. and explained the part women played in government. The ladies enjoyed her presentation very much.

Mark spoke to a comparative religions class at Roane State Community College on March 3rd. This was an interactive class connected to all six campuses. The lecture briefly covered common themes in American Indian spirituality, the clash with European religion, and some details about Cherokee beliefs. The notes have been posted soon on this site. Click on Educational Resources on the contents page.

Mark also went to the spring conference for the Tennessee Council for the Social Studies in Memphis for a presentation on March 5th. The title of the presentation was "What the Textbooks Don't Tell You." Two dozen teachers attended the session and asked for a future session on American Indian stereotypes. The handout for this session has been posted on this site as well. Look under Educational Resources on the contents page for the link.

The MTSU powwow was a lot of fun. Scott Crisp did an excellent job as the emcee. Shea Keck got rave reviews for her stirring rendition of the national anthem. Arvel Bird was once again outstanding. He had Sherry join him on stage to accompany him on the drum as he played the fiddle. Sherry also was invited onstage to sing Amazing Grace in Cherokee.

Shirley and Mack Oswalt had a booth set up. Shirley reminded Mark and Sherry that they were expected to play in the social stickball game during the "Fading Voices" festival. Won't that be fun to see?

What a fun time in Kentucky! The Native American Weekend at Lake Cumberland State Resort Park near Jamestown was once again a fun weekend. On Friday night, January 30th, Danny Bigay and Emerson Begay entertained the crowd with contemporary Native American music. Danny (Cherokee/Choctaw from Greeneville, TN) played the flute and Emerson (Dine' from Johnson City, TN) played the guitar - from classical to heavy metal!

On Saturday, Freeman Owle (Cherokee from Cherokee, NC) had the audience in the palm of his hand as he wove history, legend, and medicine together. Then came Shirley Oswalt (deer clan Cherokee from the Snowbird community near Robbinsville, NC). Shirley educated and entertained the audience with a lively lesson on the Cherokee language. Mark was called on to identify a stuffed animal Shirley held high for all to see. It was a dahlonega yona! (Yellow bear for those of you who have not had a lesson from Shirley!)

After lunch, Shirley lectured on baskets and pottery. She is one of the potters currently bringing back the old style of Cherokee stamped pottery. Then Dr. Michael Logan, a professor in the anthropology department at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, gave a slide presentation on 19th century Plains Indian art. Both of these were popular sessions.

As usual, the buffalo dinner buffet was outstanding. Will Laney arrived with his dancers about noon, even though the performance was not scheduled until 8 pm. Will said he was taking no chances. He was not about to miss that buffalo dinner! That evening, once again, the Activities Building was filled for the dance program. No one was disappointed. We look forward to going back again.