Cherokee Messenger
July 2000


CCS Monthly Meeting


Next Monthly Meeting of the Cherokee Cultural Society of Houston will feature "Enhanced Visions: Native American Women's Clothing"

Thursday, August 3, 2000 7:00 p.m. at the Tracy Gee Community Center, 3599 Westcenter, one block south of Richmond, east of the Sam Houston Tollway West Belt. Free admission. Open to all interested persons

About the program:
This August we are treated to a special video of Native American fashions, presented and modeled by members of the Bartlesville (OK) Indian Women's Club, whose members are all registered citizens of their respective Native nations. Filmed at the famed Woolaroc Museum in northern Oklahoma, we will see 70 authentic costumes from 24 separate First American nations. Included are woodland tunics and ribbonwork, exquisite Plains beadwork, a Navajo wedding dress, and a Tlinglit blanket.

Bring a friend to share this "Vision" of beauty and Native dress. Guests are always eligible for the door prize awarded each meeting night.

Look forward to Thursday, September 7, 2000, when Julia Coates will be our guest speaker. A Cherokee Nation citizen originally from Pryor, OK, Julia has a warm and winning personality with a scholarly background on Native issues from her studies at the University of New Mexico. Some may remember her visit to Houston a few years ago to interview local Cherokees as part of a doctoral dissertation. Now on staff at Cherokee Nation, she is working on curriculum development in the local school systems.

Other Events & Projects


As with all pow wows and other events, double check before making travel plans; events may change unexpectedly.

Heritage Day


Mark your calendar for Saturday, September 9, 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., for the 2000 Heritage Day at the Houston Museum of Natural Science in the Hall of the Americas.

The Cherokee Cultural Society has been invited to return to the Houston Museum of Natural Science to help lead the upcoming Native American Heritage event. In November, 1999, CCS volunteers contributed outstanding participation with a series of demonstrations that shared Cherokee games, crafts, language, arts and other cultural treasures.

The event theme this year is "Native Americans and the Animal World". September 9, 2000, 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., the celebration will be linked to opening of the IMAX film "Wolves," which focuses on a Nez Perce wolf rehabilitation center. Tribal member Lee Holt, from the center, will visit and speak about their program.

Activities will be held partly outside the museum, at the Sundial, and partly inside the Hall of the Americas, scene of last year's round of entertainment and educational booths. Still in the planning stages as of this mid-July writing, Dr. Dorothy Lippert, of the Museum, is contacting dance groups and tribal organizations. Expect no fee for the outside events, but visitors would need a ticket to enter the Hall of the Americas inside the Museum. Watch the next Cherokee Messenger for more details.

Yes! We Do Need Help!
Especially needed will be people to help demonstrate the basket weaving. This booth enjoyed a roaring success last November, and we hope to repeat it again this year. Also, we will need volunteers to help with the games, language table, and other special demos. Call to offer your help and enjoy a great Saturday too: Judith Bruni, 281-556-1908 jbruni2@attglobal.net

Cherokee Culture Course


August 5 is the deadline to register for the Houston area's unique course on Cherokee Culture, presented by the Cherokee Cultural Society of Houston.

Enjoy the rich history, mythology and genealogy of North America's second largest Native nation: August 19 & 26, 2000 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Challenger Seven Memorial Park (Near NASA Road 1)

Taught by Cherokee Nation certified teachers Marjorie Lowe and Deborah Scott, this ground breaking 12-hour curriculum is filled with in-depth information, handouts, videos, presentations, and hands-on demonstrations.

Fees: $55 for Cherokee Cultural Society members or $75 for nonmembers. Newcomers receive a one-year CCS membership with registration, which includes the famous Cherokee Messenger newsletter! (All payments are nonrefundable.)

Information/registration contact: (1) Barbra (B.J.) Callihan, 281-208-1751 / e-mail trbjc@fondren.com OR (2) Vicki Henrichs, 713-974-3945 / e-mail vhenrichs@earthlink.net An application can be faxed or e-mailed to you.

Web Gems


Ancestors is a site for those researching family roots to learn more about genealogical research in general and to search a variety of sources. Especially helpful are the "Glossary" and the section "Beginning Your Research". A companion PBS television series is available. "Records at Risk" was a recent episode. Check local listings for future broadcasts. Thanks to CCS Board member Marjorie Lowe for sharing this information.

Native American Weekend provides another source of pow wow listings across North America. Check here for an information exchange between artists and others who must travel to shows to earn their living. Offline contact them at Native American Weekend, P.O. Box 751, Tahlequah, OK 74465. Phone 918-458-1814

Congratulations


Congratulations to the following Cherokee and other Native writers, artists and performers for their 2000 awards from the Wordcraft Circle of Native Writers & Storytellers. Learn more about these recipients at their website

Special CCS Thanks to:


July CCS monthly program speaker Sandi Stromberg, who provided encouragement and guidelines to help us tell our own stories and form the foundation for a video describing who we are as 21st century Cherokees. We were excited to see even more new faces at the meeting and hope to see you all again very soon.

CCS Appreciation to Steve Triplett, who hosted the annual resetting of the Cherokee Medicine Wheel on his property in Santa Fe, TX. The June ceremony this year enjoyed many participants, including a healthy round of mosquitoes. All CCS members seemed to have a very rewarding afternoon.

Our CCS Kudos to Powersource and webmaster Tom Strapp for continued support of our webpage. We couldn't do it without you!

And Now For a Few Words in Cherokee:


Gregg Howard, Cherokee linguist, teacher and storyteller, offers another sample of Cherokee language instruction, presented here in abbreviated form due to space limitation. Only the English alphabet is used here. For complete details on course materials and use of the Cherokee Syllabary, see his website or contact Various Indian Peoples (VIP) Publishing Co., P.O. Box 833216, Richardson, Texas 75083-3216; phone 1-800-776-0842. 

English		Cherokee
		Pronunciation 
man		a-sga-ya 
woman		a-ge-hya 
father		e-do-da 
mother		e-tsi 
baby		u-sdi 
babies		tsun-sdi 
child		a-yo-tli 
children	di-ni-yo-tli 
boy		a-tsu-tsa 
girl		a-ge-yu-tsa

Quote of The Month:


"History is a vast early warning system." - Norman Cousins

Tahlequah Apartment for Rent


Available to rent by the weekend, week or month in the Cherokee Nation capital city of Tahlequah, OK. Located on Burnt Cabin Road about two acres from the road in a beautiful wooded area about one mile from Burnt Cabin Marina. Brand new 700 sq. ft. efficiency with central a/c and heat. $435 per month, bills paid, or $75 per night. Call Brenda Thompson for directions and more details: 713-956-8862; cell phone, 281-507-8518. CCS offers this notice as information only and does not endorse any product or service associated with the above mentioned facility.

CCS


The purpose of the Cherokee Cultural Society of Houston is to build community, to preserve Cherokee heritage, to perpetuate the Cherokee culture, and to build the future of our people. CCS, an independent Houston-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization established in 1992, is not affiliated with any other Native American Indian organization. We do applaud and support efforts of the Cherokee Nation. CCS membership is open to all who are interested. Membership by all who are interested is most welcome ($20/year/individual). See front page
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