December 2016
On
Saturday, December 17, Sherry shared the role of Cherokee women, past
and present, for the Emory Road chaper of the Daughters of the American
Revolution. She presented a slide show that covered topics such
as women tending gardens and operating the home, how women were
involved in political and diplomatic issues, and how some of these
traditions changed as Europeans arrived. She concluded by talking
about Cherokee women in the modern world.
As a part of the National Council for the Social Studies annual
conference in Washington, DC, (December 2-4), Mark took part in a
three-person Vital Issues panel to discuss the portrayal of Native
people. Dr. Sarah Shear, assistant professor at Penn State
University - Altoona spoke on how indigenous people are depicted in
K-12 curriculum. Gregory A. Smith, a partner in the Hobbs,
Straus, Dean & Walker law firm, (who has also served as an attorney
for USET) spoke on images found in Washington, DC. Mark focused
his presentation on the need for schools to eliminate the use of Indian
mascots.
November 2016
Matthew
Tooni and John Tooni came over from Cherokee, NC, and Nikki Crisp from
Knoxville joined Mark and Sherry on Friday, November 14th for a
performance of traditional Cherokee dancing at Northshore Elementary
School in Knoxville. One program was for the lower grades (K-2)
and one was for the upper grades (3-5). The children were very
polite and extremely enthusiastic. Many of them, along with a
couple of teachers, participated in the Bullfrog Dance, Buffalo Dance,
Bear Dance, and many others. In the afternoon, Mark and Sherry
spoke to the 4th graders on Cherokee history and culture.
On Friday, November 4, Mark and Sherry had the opportunity to share
Cherokee culture with lots of students who tok part in the Wolf Gap
History Harvest Field Trip Day in Pulaski, TN. The children
learned about the roles of men and women in 18th century Cherokee
society at the ICP station. Other stations included music, molasses
making, and old fashioned toys.
October 2016
On
Monday, October 17, Mark and Sherry discussed the Native history of
East Tennessee with the patrons of Parrott-Wood Library in Strawberry
Plains. A good crowd was on hand to hear about Sequoyah, Chiaha,
DeSoto, Nancy Ward and many others who impacted the history of
Jefferson County and all of East Tennessee and beyond.
Mark
and Sherry had the pleasure of participating in the Fall Festival of
Nations at Notre Dame Catholic Church in Greeneville on Saturday,
October 1st. The program involved sharing information on the
preservation of the language, storytelling, music and ended with a
two-step. It was certainly a good time.
September 2016
On
Friday, September 30th, Mark and Sherry visited with the first and
fourth graders at Sunset Elementary School in Williamson County.
The children had been studying about Cherokee culture. They
were so well-mannered and attentive! They enjoyed learning about
the use of natural resources, how stickball prepared young men for
battle, and much more.
August 2016
The
ninth annual Spirit of Nations Powwow was held on Saturday, August
13th. It was our second year to hold the event at Patriot
Academy. For the first time, we offered dance contest money and
were very pleased with the number of wonderful dancers who came to
participate. Old friends and new ones from across Tennessee,
North Carolina, and Georgia, came to dance! We also featured
former world grand champion hoop dancer, Eddie Swimmer, who was, of
course, a crowd favorite.
July 2016
On
Monday, July 25, Mark and Sherry presented two sessions at
the Tennessee History Tent Revival, produced by Tennessee History
for Kids, in Franklin, TN. Sixty teachers attended the first
session which was aligned with the fourth grade standards on Cherokee
culture. About 90 teachers attended the second session which
focused on the Trail of Tears, a topic covered in eighth grade US
history. Many good comments were turned in by teachers on their
evaluation forms. This is the second workshop done by THFK and
was again very popular.
June 2016
The
Friends of Seymour Library in Seymour, TN, invited Mark and Sherry to
present on Tuesday evening, June 14th, as a part of their "Then and
Now" series. The topic Mark and Sherry chose was the roles of men
and women in 18th century Cherokee society and how those traditions
have been impacted today.
On the weekend of June 4th and 5th, Mark and Sherry participated
in the Native American Festival at Sycamore Shoals State Historic Area
in Elizabethton, TN. On Saturday they transformed one of the
fort's cabins into a Cherokee home from the late 18th century.
Sherry demonstrated fireplace cooking by preparing a turked in a
piece of pottery and a kettle of Three Sisters. In the evening,
Mark and Sherry joined Freeman Owle, Kay Littlejohn, and Danny Bigay in
presenting an evening of stories and music. Sunday's rain forced
the festival inside the visitors' center, so Mark and Sherry set up a
table display in the museum.
May 2016
Sherry
gave a presentation for the Monday Literary Club in Jefferson City on May 16.
She did a first person talk as Nancy Ward, a Cherokee Beloved
Woman from the late 18th and early 19th centuries.
April 2016
Indian
Creek Productions again provided a $100 award for the best American
Indian themed project at the state level competition of the Tennessee
History Day contest.
April
16 - Mark and Sherry spent Saturday morning with the Nolichucky Chapter
of the DAR in Greeneville, TN. Sherry spoke on the role of women
in Cherokee society and Mark shared some comments on contemporary life
on the reservation. As always the ladies were very hospitable and
attentive. Hopefully some of them will make it to the powwow in
August.
March 2016
Indian
Creek Productions once again sponsored the Sequoyah Award at the East
Tennessee regional competition of the Tennessee History Day contest.
The $100 award goes to the best project on an American Indian theme.
February 2016
On
February 20th, Mark set up an Indian Creek Productions table in the
lobby of the Clayton Performing Arts Center in Maryville in conjunction
with the "Tanasi: 1796" production. About 700 people attended to
enjoy a multimedia production about the history of Tennessee,
concluding with the signing of the state consititution. Mark and
Sherry had also served as Cherokee historians on the project.
January 2016
There were no activities this month.
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